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VALDOSTA, Ga. -- It's not a huge surprise to see players on the range spending a little more time working on their fairway metals, 3-irons and hybrids this week at the Nationwide Tour's inaugural South Georgia Classic.

Robert Damron on Kinderlou's yardage: "It's the way the game is today."

At nearly 7,800 yards, the Davis Love III-designed Kinderlou Forest Golf Club will become the longest course in TOUR history.

The hilly, winding track begins with a front nine that includes two par 5s playing at more than 600 yards (No. 2 -- 601 yards, No. 4 -657 yards), as well as the 490-yard par 4 third and the 484-yard par 4 9th hole.

It doesn't get any easier on the back nine as the par 4s average 469 yards with players finishing their round at the uphill 501-yard par-4 18th hole. The back nine plays at a whopping 3,947 yards.

"There will be a lot of long irons and hybrids this week," said Robert Damron.

The longest course played to date on the Nationwide Tour is the 7,702-yard Whistle Bear Golf Club (par 72), site of the 2005 Canadian PGA Championship, won by Jon Mills.

"The course is in great shape. It's long, but you also have to put yourself in the right spot," said Jeff Klauk. "The greens have a lot of slope to them. You could leave yourself with a lot of difficult putts."

With four of the five 2007 Nationwide Tour winners scheduled to play this week, as well as more than 30 PGA TOUR winners (including seven-time winner Bill Glasson and five-time winner Jim Gallagher, Jr.), players will battle both stiff competition and a demanding course.

"You have long irons depending on how they set it up," said Richard Johnson. The super-long par 5s are a bit rare for us, but there are some holes that you can take 30 or 40 yards off the length by cutting the corner."

Talk on the range included players suggesting that golf might not be far away from 700-yard par 5s and 8,000-yard courses becoming the standard.

"It's the way the game is today," added Damron.

Love pointed out that Kinderlou Forest is 1,000 yards longer than this week's PGA TOUR venue, Harbour Town Golf Links, where he has won five times.

"That course is 1,000 yards longer than this course," Love said. "It's a good, solid traditional-looking golf course. It looks a lot like Chicago Golf Club or places like that.

"I've had a lot of calls from guys who are playing this week. They want to know what the grass is on the greens or what fish are in the lakes. I could tell them about the grass but not the fish."

The 19-time PGA TOUR champion says there's room for a variety in course set-up and he hopes the Nationwide Tour players enjoy the event.

"It'll be fun," Love said. "It's a completely different style than this week. You need some variety. It's nice to play 7,800 yards once in a while. It's nice to play 6,800 yards once in a while. It's nice to have slow greens once in a while, fast greens. I'm really excited about that.

"I kind of wish it was an off week for us so I could go over there and watch."