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« The Controversial 16th? | Main | Picks! »
Tuesday
Jun142011

"So watch out, this thing could get ugly."

It was interesting to observe a few signs of stress on and around the Congressional greens Tuesday as compared to Wednesday. Most of the afflicted areas are in high traffic or shade prone spots and not a big deal. Hopefully the surfaces hang in for the tournament and after for the members, but as John Huggan notes, even with today's moderate temperatures and cloud cover, the young greens could be at risk as the USGA tries to get to the 14.5 Stimpmeter readings anticipated for Thursday.

Already, the Congressional greens - regrassed as recently as 2009 - are showing signs of wear and tear. A close inspection on Tuesday morning revealed much of the grass around the edges to be already displaying signs of stress -- brown, dead looking patches being far from uncommon. Some of that is simply due to foot traffic, but most is down to the recent heat wave that last week saw temperatures soar into three figures, combined with the perennial fact that course setups at US Opens get closer to the edge of sanity than at any other major.

No USGA official was saying anything on the record, of course, but it would be surprising if some concern was not already being felt in high places. So watch out, this thing could get ugly.

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Reader Comments (9)

Did you specifically check out the 17th green? Parts of it look terrible huh?
06.14.2011 | Unregistered CommenterDel the Funk
Saving grace is 3 out of 4 days have at least a chance of rain.
06.15.2011 | Unregistered CommenterM
I am the greens chairman at my course.
It grieves me to see nice greens being cut that short in the heat of summer just to serve idealists for a few days with the possible consequence of losing them completely. The almighty Stimpmeter rules again.
No need to have them "that" fast.
06.15.2011 | Unregistered CommenterGolf Nut
As per Jim Murray's blurb on US Opens, the notion seems to be that it IS better for the Hamlets to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, even if it means that all the Rosencrantzs and Guildensterns are forever yapping away on the margins of the game, un-headed.
06.15.2011 | Unregistered CommenterPeter
Barry Svrigula's in the Washington Post this morning indicates that the USGA would sacrifice the stimp readings of 14/14.5 for the sake of the greens' health:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/golf/us-open-notebook-usga-officials-concerned-about-conditions-of-greens-and-rough/2011/06/14/AG0q4CVH_story.html

"USGA officials had been hoping to get the greens to roll to a rating of 14 or 14.5 on the Stimpmeter — a device used to measure the speed of greens — an exceptionally fast number, even for an Open. But in order to do that, the greens would have to be mowed extremely close and rolled. Because the turf has been under such stress, that could cause significant damage. There were brown patches visible Tuesday on some greens, which were rolling in the low 12s. USGA officials met Tuesday afternoon and decided to err on the side of caution.

“We tell clubs when the weather’s like this to be conservative and lower their expectations,” Zontek said. “Well, we’re going to take our own advice."
06.15.2011 | Unregistered CommenterG. Harding Warren
OMG, rolling at a low 12! Harold Camping was right, but a few weeks off!
The tougher the better.
06.15.2011 | Unregistered CommenterAunt Blabbie
Let's wait and see if the pros are as harsh as they were after they played on mildly distressed greens at Cog Hill for the BMW Championship. The whining was so omnipresent, you would have thought they played a Des Moines muni.
06.15.2011 | Unregistered Commentertlavin
Look forward to checking the scores tomorrow and seeing a few guys under par, a lot of guys around par, and a few guys way over par. Nothing new here. Someone will shot a 67 and someone will shoot an 83.
06.15.2011 | Unregistered CommenterCheeks

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