Maginnes: Some horses have courses  PGATOUR.com Contributor Horses for courses -- I hate the phrase. It assumes way too much and explains far too little.  A shot of the 15th hole at TPC River Highlands. (WireImage)
Players will tell you that they play well on golf courses that suit their eyes and their games. The TPC River Highlands is a favorite among players on the PGA TOUR. It certainly lends itself to a certain style of game. Moreover, that style of game has changed dramatically over the past decade. When the golf course plays under ideal conditions, it is firm and fast. However, even under those conditions, until a few years ago it played relatively long. The average TOUR player was forced to hit a lot of drivers on par 4s and was still left with mid-irons to most of them. Only the longest players could consider driving the 297-yard, par-4 15th just a decade ago. Now, though, the TPC River Highlands plays more like Hilton Head or Westchester Country Club than it does one of its longer cousins on the PGA TOUR. Fairway bunkers that were once in play are now obsolete with today's technology. A year ago in the final round, J.J. Henry hit a drive on the 18th hole that sailed well past the deep fairway bunker on the left-hand side that had been the demise of many players in years past. Tournaments played on golf courses that have not undergone renovations in the past decade have become shootouts with scoring records falling. However, others, like the Travelers Championship, are played on golf courses that seem to yield the same winning score every year. If you are between 10 and 14 under on Sunday afternoon coming down the stretch, chances are you are in contention. J.J. won by three at 14-under par one year ago. Great ball striking has always been required to be successful at the TPC River Highlands. If you have watched the tournament on television you see several holes on the back nine where water comes into play. The par-5 13th has two small ponds that guard both the tee shot and approach shots. The famous trio of Nos. 15-17 play around a pond. It would be easy to get the impression that the rest of the golf course has ample water hazards to test the players. The fact is that there is only one other water hazard on the golf course. There is a pond on the par-3 eighth, but I would be surprised if any of the world's best players hit it in the pond that is 25 yards short of the green. The main features of the golf course are the heavily sloped fairways and severe greens. Unlike some courses where the fairway is an afterthought, you must drive the ball in the short grass at the TPC River Highlands. However, with the new technology and distance the ball travels, control and restraint are watchwords at the TPC River Highlands. The champions and contenders at this event over the last 10 years are not bombers -- with the exception of J.J. The way the course plays now most holes require the pros to play the corners of doglegs with whatever club fits the shot. For guys like J.J. that could be an iron or a hybrid, while for 1998 champion Olin Browne that may mean driver. After the tee shot on most holes the playing field becomes level. In this regard the TPC River Highlands is a completely equitable test. Look for guys this weekend who have had success here before to continue to play well. However, this golf has produced 11 first-time winners -- including a stretch of three in a row from 1997-1999 in Stewart Cink, Olin Browne and Brent Geiberger, who have all gone on to win again on the PGA TOUR. This golf course creates opportunity for the young stallion and old swayback steed. It is always nice when a golf course set up can be attacked from so many different angles. The winner here will have to hold off a diverse leaderboard. |
PGATOUR.com is part of the Turner Sports and Entertainment Digital Network