Images From Torrey Pines: 16th Tee

This is a view from the tee that will be used during June's U.S. Open, but not during Buick play this week. It's great to see the sage scrub canyon, unfortunately the bunkers are still those copy and pasted clunkers from Bethpage Black.

 

Comments

[Bob G]

what is it to clear the canyon?

[Pete L.]

From there the hole plays slightly shorter than the 225 yard Buick tee. My guess is around 185 to clear the junk.

Interesting, the 2 Torrey Pines removed from the back of the green (just like the ones back left) where to make room for Hospitality Tents; and here I thought they were going for a really cool skyline green.

[Greg]

Does the new tee in any way change the way one would play the hole (other than perhaps using less club)?

[La Habra Art Department]

Your making a huge mistake posting lovely photos like this. Rees is going to right click on save on each and every one of them for use for next years Christmas calender!

[Seitz]

Using the distance finder tool on Google Maps (highly recommended for scouting a course you've never played), from the center of the tee box, it appears to be about 200 yards to the center, 185 to clear the traps, and about 150 to clear the junk. The further the left the tees go, the shorter it gets by a few yards, and vice versa. For reference, the tool shows it at about 225 from the back tees to the center.

http://tinyurl.com/2xrx2k
Click on distance measurement tool and set your markers.

[Phil the Author]

Geoffrey, do I detect a not-so-subtle swipe at my beloved Bethpage Black? And I actually thought you understood golf course architecture...

[F. X.]

This is just awful. TP16 wasn't designed to be played at this angle and what this amounts to is a clown face under a windmill, albeit for the pros. In fact, since the prevailing wind is head-on from the regular tees but will be left-to-right from this one, all the pros have to do is aim at the Torrey Pines on the left and hit a standard fade hard. If they are long, they will be on the green; if they are short, they will be on the green. If they can't hit a fade, they bang a hard draw at the middle of the green and the wind holds it and it drops in the middle. Far from creating a more challenging and interesting hole, they've simply created one that looks tough and taken a tough hole out of play. I don't want to hear anything about "identifying the best golfer" come June. Ugh!

[Ronald Montesano]

Geoff, you arrogant,hubris-laden puffer fish...to which specific bunkers at Bethpage Black are you referring? You are careless in hurling overhanded criticism of this nature. Be more specific or do not reference other RJ bunkers.

F.X. Have you heard of The Old Course, Bob Jones, and A. MacKenzie? They speak of different routes along which to play a hole. Where was it written that a hole shall play from one angle only? Embrace diversity, Special F.X.!