Images From Torrey Pines: 13th Green

There are mixed feelings about this one. I love that balls with too much spin might come back down off of #13 green at Torrey Pines South. And superintendent Candice Combs is wise to protect this collection area...of sorts, with netting and ropes. But something also is just not right when there's a need to cover an area to prevent a sea of divots. In this case, the weak turf in the approach, which appears to be the product of lousy soil, seems to be making it too easy for balls to spin off the green, down the hill and to this ledge.

 

Comments

[Dr. Strangelove]

This might be the very place to avoid in every case, whether it be spectating or playing TP South. The entire holes smells of his Reesness, not just the added containment mounds (aka Rees Pieces) in the fairway bbunkers, but also the lack of taste and good sense in the bunkering that leads up to the green itself.

I could be wrong here, but I have observed in all of my times at TP, that the new material used for the new bunkering was from when they dug much of the new pits our and then pushed it over on the the green. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure they added lots in other places, but really, who can honestly say that this might be the most uninteresting golf architecture to ever host a US Open?

Feel free to pick on Rees. He deserves it.

[Four-putt]

On the other hand, maybe Candice is trying to protect a vulnerable area from the amateurs in the pro ams. They would be most likely to come up short of a green.

Or maybe she's protecting the area from divots because one of the shots the Tour wants in play this week is the option to putt up the rise instead of chipping. No one wants to putt through pro-am divots.

I also take into consideration this is a PUBLIC course that sees a lot of year-round play -- far more than private clubs that usually host Tour events -- and this is one of the critical areas that would take a heavy beating. They also may have recently laid sod or reseeded the area to mitigate 11 months of damage.

Maybe someone could ask so we don't have to speculate that this is weak turf due to poor soil? To me that seems quite unlikely.

4p

[RM]

They did the same thing in the practice rounds at Shinnecock on #10 in 04.

[Seitz]

That would be one hell of a putt. IIRC, that's a pretty steep hill.

[Lynn S.]

First, you can see the divots around the netting.
Secondly, as for putting we have Kelly back and she will explain what the options are there.

[Four-putt]

That would be one hell of a putt. IIRC, that's a pretty steep hill. -- Seitz

Not any worse than the false front on the first green at Pinehurst 2. DAMHIKT.

4p