Artificial Surface Tee Gets Used At NCAA Championships...
The NCAA's plan to play men's and women's Division I finals at the same course is undoubtedly making their venue option list very short. And as Andy Johnson notes at FriedEgg.co, you can't fault them for going to a place like Rich Harvest Farms, which has generously opened its doors to Solheim Cups, Western Amateurs and more. But the course that was once ridiculously ranked by Golf Digest's panel only to suffer a fall, still has many wondering why Jerry Rich's design is even viewed as top 100 worthy.
Things aren't off to the best start at Rich Harvest Farms, with a weather delay leading to a shortened event and an artificial surface tee box getting put into play.
Saturday's nasty weather wasn't Rich's fault, especially since superintendent Jeff VerCautren did all he could to have the course ready to take on an inch of rain (as it did for Saturday's women's D1 round two). Play was still cancelled despite beautiful afternoon conditions. Lance Ringler at Golfweek.com explains what went into the thinking behind cancelling the round and shortening the women's stroke play portion of the proceedings.
More disconcerting though was the Janet Lindsay's decision, forced by wind forecasts, to use an artificial surface tee that was difficult for players to actually penetrate with tees.
Brentley Romine reports for Golfweek.com.
“I thought to myself, some kids probably have never hit off a mat in their whole life,” said Ohio State head coach Therese Hession.
The mat made it difficult for players to put their own tees at proper heights. Some players used mini tees provided by officials, but even those weren’t suitable for everyone. One player grew tired of attempting, threw her tee on the ground and hit hybrid off the deck. Most every player hit some sort of hybrid on the hole on Friday.
“I hit a hybrid off the tee, and the tee wouldn’t go down,” Baylor’s Amy Lee said. “… I was kind of afraid of popping it up in the air. (The tee) was probably triple the height of what I normally put it.”
Saturday, May 20, 2017 at 10:21 PM
Reader Comments (21)
If i was not on a team and trying to get the individual title, I would not be very happy cutting a day out of my competition so the team event could keep the schedule it wants. How about they play faster so the can deal with small weather delays? What am i thinking, it is college golf, they dont care about pace of play.
"In other words, there was no other option than to use the tee box". Sounds like they made the right call there.
Too bad about their event being shortened tho.
RHF is a pretty goofy golf course. Bonus Ambience points for the car collection though.
They are a victim of unoriginality (why did the hole need to be the same? Make it a straight 4 or even a 3? Have some fun with it. No NCAA bureaucrat would ever to that) and May in Chicago. Weather is never good until mid June. Dumb idea. Say good bye to any PGA venues as well. Tragic that birthplace to US golf cannot get a regular tour stop. Never should have gotten rid of the Western.
That being said, NCAA's are unwatchable. Boys their age are carrying 100 pounds of equipment in Afghanistan. They are using a damn pull cart. Have some self respect.
If so, I don't get it - why didn't they have the rubber range "tees" that allow you to put a real tee into it?