Oakmont’s back 9 appears to be a challenging finish | Live From the U.S. Open | Golf Channel

Oakmont’s back 9 appears to be a challenging finish | Live From the U.S. Open | Golf Channel

>> BACK EARLY 1900s. PEOPLE BUILT AND THEY BUILT THIS COUNTRY. BUILT OUR CITIES, THIS IS AN INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH GOLF COURSE, THAT’S FOR SURE, OAKMONT AND TIME NOW FOR COVERING THE COURSE PRESENTED BY BAIRD JOINED BY I THINK ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT FIGURES IN THE GAME AND WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RESTORATION HERE AT OAKMONT, MANY OTHER GREAT GOLF COURSES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THAT IS GIL HANSE AND LOOKED AT THE FRONT NINE AND NOW LET’S GO OUT ON THAT BACK SIDE, GIL AND START AT NUMBER 10. >> TERRIFIC. THANKS FOR GIVING ME A CHANCE TO CATCH MY BREATH. >> YOU AND THE GUYS WILL TEE IT UP TOMORROW. >> EXACTLY. >> YOU KNOW HOW WE ALL FEEL AT THE DESK. >> NUMBER 10, YOU START OFF THE BACK NINE JUST REALLY SPECTACULAR HOLE GOING DOWN THE HILL. SORRY, I’M HAVING A HARD TIME SEEING THAT. IT’S COMING UP NUMBER 9, THAT’S WHY. WRAPPING — I THINK WE’LL MAKE THE TURN HERE. YOU KNOW, IT’S ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE NUMBER ONE IS AMAZING INTRODUCTION OF THE GOLF COURSE AND IF YOU’RE TEEING OFF ON 10 IT’S NO EASIER, SIMILAR KIND OF HOLE PLAYING AWAY FROM THE CLUBHOUSE, DOWN THE HILL AND, YOU KNOW, SIMILAR TYPE OF GREEN, MAYBE NOT FALLING AWAY AS DRAMATICALLY BUT CERTAINLY FALLING AWAY INTO THE LEFT-HAND SIDE SO YOU’VE GOT — IT’S NOT A GENTLE HANDSHAKE OPENING ON THE BACK NINE EITHER SO HERE WE ADDED ABOUT TEN YARDS TO THE BACK OF THE TEE AND THE BUNKERING YOU CAN SEE DOWN THERE ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE. WE ACTUALLY SHIFTED FURTHER BACK TOWARDS THE TEE. MORE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DEFEND PLAYERS WHO WERE TRYING TO GO DOWN NUMBER 10 FROM 11 SO WE TRIED TO PUSH THOSE BUNKERS BACK INTO THEIR WHEELHOUSE IF THEY DECIDED TO DO IT. WE MOVED A LOT OF BUNKERS SHORT RIGHT AND EXPANDED THE FAIRWAY AND RESTORED THE DITCH ACROSS THE FAIRWAY, AN ORIGINAL PART OF THE FOWNES DESIGN. I DON’T THINK YOU WILL SEE MANY PLAYERS, BRYSON DID ON A YUBOL VIDEO BOUNCE IT ACROSS THE DITCH BUT IT’S PRETTY FAR DOWN THERE. ONE OF THE GREEN ITSELF, ONE OF THE MOST TREACHEROUS AND TOOK A BUNKER THAT HAD BEEN PUT IN FRONT OF THE RIGHT FRONT AND SHIFTED IT BACK OVER FURTHER RIGHT AS THE FOWNES — THAT’S REALLY THE ONLY PLACE TO LAND A BALL AND HAVE IT FEED ON SO THE FOWNES HAD THAT WIDE OPEN AND RESTORED THAT SHOT. HAD A GOOD CONVERSATION WITH ADAM SCOTT AND MENTIONED THAT CHANGE RIGHT OFF THE BAT AND PLAYED HERE THREE TYPES IN U.S. OPENS AND FELT LIKE THERE WAS ROOM TO HIT A SHOT INTO THE GREEN WHEREAS BEFORE THERE WASN’T MUCH ROOM AT ALL AND WE’LL SEE A LOT OF CURLING PUTTS ON THE HOLE AND TOOK AWAY A LOT OF THE BUNKER BUILDUP ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE GREEN IN ORDER TO CREATE MORE HOLE LOCATIONS AND FLATTEN IT A LITTLE IN THE BACK AREA. AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, DURING THE U.S. AM TORE SOME OF THE PLAYERS WERE TAKING MORE CROSS-COUNTRY ROUTES AND LOOKED AT A LOT OF THEM, DIDN’T THINK MANY WERE APPLICABLE TO A U.S. OPEN WITH FIVE-INCH ROUGH BUT THIS ONE DID CATCH OUR EYE WITH PLAYERS PLAYING FROM 11 TRYING TO DRIVE IT INTO 10 FAIRWAY WHICH HAS A GOOD ANGLE INTO 11 GREEN FROM OVER THERE SO WE ADDED A BACK TEE ABOUT 25 YARDS, SET THAT TEE DOWN LOWER, SO NOW TO GET TO 10 FAIRWAY, 290-YARD CARRY UPHILL GENERALLY INTO THE WIND. WE EXPANDED THIS FAIRWAY OVER TO THE DITCH ON THE RIGHT. WE RAISED THE RIGHT SIDE OF IT ABOUT THREE OR FOUR FEET IN ORDER TO CREATE ENOUGH SLOPE TO HOLE THE BALL AND WIDER LANDING AREA AND MORE CONDUCIVE TO PLAYERS PLAYING IT THE WAY IT WAS DESIGNED. DITCH RUNS ACROSS IT AND EXTENDED IT FURTHER UP THE LEFT-HAND SIDE OF THE HOLE AGAIN AS PART OF A DEFENSE FOR PLAYERS IF THEY’RE THINKING ABOUT GOING THAT WAY. A BEAUTIFUL GREEN, SITTING UP ABOVE THESE BUNKERS. PEELED AWAY A LOT OF THE BUILDUP ALONG THE EDGES, NEW HOLE LOCATIONS BACK LEFT. KIND OF A FALSE FRONT TO IT EVEN THOUGH YOU’RE NOT REALLY PLAYING INTO THE GREEN FROM THE ANGLE WHERE THE FALSE FRONT IS BUT ANYTHING THAT DOESN’T GET ABOUT 20 YARDS INTO THAT GREEN IS GOING TO COME BACK OFF THE FRONT OF IT BECAUSE OF THE SEVERITY OF THE SLOPE. NUMBER 12, WE ADDED A BACK TEE ABOUT 20, 25 YARDS AND IN THE PAST THEY PLAYED A JOINT TEE WITH NUMBER 10 WHERE THEY MOVED IT BACK ON 12 IN ORDER TO GAIN MORE LENGTH AND FELT LIKE 12 SHOULD HAVE ITS OWN TEE AND USGA AGREED THAT THEY WOULDN’T STRETCH IT ALL THE WAY BACK ONTO THE 10th TEE WHICH WAS OVER 680 YARDS. SHORTENED THE START OF THE FAIRWAY IN ORDER TO GUARD AGAINST PLAYERS PLAYING FROM 14 INTO 12 SO A LOT OF THE CHANGES WE MADE FOR THE CROSS-COUNTRY ROUTE WERE MORE GRASS MOWING LINES AS OPPOSED TO PHYSICALLY ADJUSTING THE HOLE. SIGNIFICANT SLOPE FROM LEFT TO RIGHT ON THIS SO PLAYERS WILL HAVE TO FLIRT WITH THE COMBFKS, TRY AND CARRY THEM IN ORDER TO HOLD THIS FAIRWAY AS THIS GOLF COURSE FIRMS UP. YOU’LL SEE A LOT OF BALLS GATHERING. THAT BUNKER IN THE PHOTO WAS ADDED OR RESTORED TO THE GOLF COURSE. IT’S 380 YARDS FROM THE TEE. WE REALLY DIDN’T THINK IT WAS GOING TO BE IN PLAY FOR THE TEE SHOT. LOOKING AT SOME OF THE SCATTER SHOT, CHARTS THAT THE USGA ALREADY HAS TWO BALLS IN AT 380 YARDS, SO THESE GUYS WHEN IT GETS FIRM AND DOWNWIND THEY CAN HIT THE BALL ALL THE WAY DOWN AND THEY’VE GOT TO CONTROL THE TRAJECTORY OR HOW IT MOVES ACROSS THE FAIRWAY. SECOND SHOT IF HIT IT THOSE WILL GO FOR IT AND OTHERS WILL COMPLICATE THAT APPROACH AND CANNOT MISS YOUR SECOND SHOT IN THE ROUGH HERE BECAUSE THERE’S NO WAY TO HOLE THE GREEN IF YOU’RE COMING OUT OF THE ROUGH. THE GREEN WAS EXPANDED FORWARD. WE RESTORED A LITTLE NOOK OVER THERE ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE THAT WAS PART OF THE ORIGINAL DESIGN, HAD BEEN LOST OVER TIME. OBVIOUSLY THIS GREEN FALLS PRETTY SEVERELY FROM FRONT TO BACK AND IT’S GOT SOME REALLY LOVELY LITTLE RUMBLES THROUGH IT. I ALWAYS LOVE WATCHING BALLS LAND SHORT OF THIS GREEN AND JUST SEE THEM FEED AND SLOWLY WORK THEIR WAY DOWN TO — THEY GENERALLY WIND UP ON THE BACK OF IT BUT IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO GET THERE. BEAUTIFUL DESIGN. SOMETHING YOU REALLY DON’T SEE ANYMORE IS FALLAWAY HOLES ON GOLF COURSES. NUMBER 13 IS THE QUOTE, UNQUOTE SHORT HOLE ON THE GOLF COURSE. WE’RE HOPEFUL THAT THEY’LL PLAY IT A LITTLE SHORTER FROM ON ANY GIVEN DAY. ON THE GREENS’ RENOVATION/RESTORATION WE DID THE EXPANSION ON 20% TO TIE EVERYTHING IN. ON THE 13th TEE WE HAD ABOUT 15% OF THE GRASS WAS LEFT ON IT. THIS WAS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT RESTORATION OF PUTTING SURFACE AS YOU CAN SEE IT’S SURROUNDED BY BUNKERS SO THE BUNKERS, THE SAND THAT ACCUMULATED AROUND THE EDGES WAS SIGNIFICANT WHICH REALLY FORCED A LOT OF THE HOLE LOCATIONS FURTHER INTO THE GREEN SO NOW YOU’LL GET A LOT OF HOLE LOCATIONS RIGHT OVER THE TOPS OF THE BUNKERS. ONE OF THE COOLEST HOLE LOCATIONS ON THE ENTIRE GOLF COURSE IS THIS BACK PIN, BACK UP THERE IN THE RIGHT AND THE SHELF AND FLATTENED IT OUT AND THERE’S A WONDERFUL ROLL AND RUMPLE IF GUYS HIT A BAD SHOT THEY CAN FEED IT OFF AND IT’S HITTING THAT PUTT THIS MORNING IS SO MUCH FUN TO HIT. I DON’T KNOW IF THEY’LL FIGURE IT OUT BUT IT’S AN AMAZING GREEN COMPLEX AND DEFINITELY THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CHANGE ON THE GOLF COURSE AS IT RELATES TO THE GREEN COMPLEXES. FROM HERE YOU CLIMB UP THE HILL. WE ADDED ROUGHLY 15 TO 20 YARDS. YOU SEE THAT BACKSLOPE COMING OFF THE BACK OF 14 TEE, BEFORE THIS RESTORATION IT WAS ALMOST A VERTICAL SLOPE. IT KIND OF WAS A VERY ODD-LOOKING LAND FORM OUT THERE AND WANTED TO TRY TO ADD YARDAGE TO THE HOLE BUT TO SOFTEN THE BACKSLOPE SO NOW YOU SEE A GRANDSTAND, NOT AS PROMINENT BUT IN THE PAST WHEN YOU LOOK ACROSS THE LANDSCAPE SEEING THAT WAS A BIT ODD. SHORT PAR 4, VERY TIGHT LANDING AREA AND 16 ALMOST ALL THE PLAYERS JUST HIT IRON OFF THE TEE TO STAY BACK SHORT OF THE BUNKERS. WE EXPANDED THE FAIRWAY BEYOND THIS SET OF BUNKERS, YOU SEE WHERE THE TWO GUYS ARE STANDING ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE TO TRY TO ENTICE PLAYERS TO PUSH IT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER UP THE HOLE. DIDN’T REALLY SEE ANYBODY TRY TO DRIVE THE GREEN BUT STARTED TO SEE BALLS WIND UP IN THIS AREA BECAUSE IT’S SIGNIFICANTLY WIDER THAN IT WAS BEFORE. THE GREEN EXPANSION PUSHED ITS WAY BACK INTO THIS AND INTERESTINGLY FOR SUCH A SHORT PAR 4, PROBABLY THE SOFTEST FROM A CONTOUR STANDPOINT OF GREEN ON THE GOLF COURSE AND ONE OF THE LARGEST GREENS ON THE GOLF COURSE, SOMEWHAT COUNTERINTUITIVE TO A SHORT PAR 4 BUT WORKS HERE. A TON OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR DIFFERENT HOLE LOCATIONS. THAT FRONT RIGHT SIDE, THAT BUNKER LIP WAS DROPPED DRAMATICALLY SO NOW YOU CAN TUCK PINS RIGHT UP AGAINST THE BUNKER AND THEN ALSO RIGHT BACK THERE WHERE THE GUY IS ROLLING IS A PRETTY INTERESTING HOLE LOCATION THAT FALLS AWAY TOWARDS THE BUNKER IN THAT AREA. >> AS YOU CAN SEE, ONE OF THE THINGS WE LOVE ABOUT THESE GREAT OLD GOLF COURSES, SHORT WALK TO THE NEXT TEE SO YOU’RE JUST MOVING OVER TO 15, WHICH, I KNOW 1 AND 10 TRADITIONALLY PLAYS AS THE MOST DIFFICULT. THIS YEAR 7 AND 15 MIGHT SNEAK INTO THAT CONVERSATION. ADDED 15 TO 20 YARDS TO THE BACK OF THIS TEE YOU SEE 507 UP THE HILL, BLIND TEE SHOT, SO YOU’RE GOING TO SEE SOME PLAYERS JUST LAY BACK, BECAUSE THE PIANO KEY BUNKER IS OVER HERE ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE AND THOSE FESCUE MOUNDS ARE SERIOUSLY HIGH, AND IF YOUR BALL GETS HIGH IN THE FESCUE YOU’LL STRUGGLE TO GET IT OUT AND SERPENTINE DIFFERS DOWN THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE, THE WAY THESE TWO HAZARDS PINCH THAT LANDING AREA, I THINK YOU’RE GOING TO SEE PLAYERS SAY DISCRETION IS THE BETTER PART OF VALOR AND I’LL HIT SOMETHING SHORTER. EVEN IF I HAVE 220 IN THE GREEN I’D RATHER HAVE THAT THAN HAVE TO POP IT OUT FROM ONE OF THE HAZARDS. MAYBE THE LARGEST GREEN ON THE COURSE, I’M NOT EXACTLY SURE, WIDE OPEN IN FRONT TO RUN A BALL INTO IT. LONGEST BUNKER ON THE GOLF COURSE THERE SO THE SCALE OF THE FEATURES THAT THE FOWNES CREATED MATCH THE SCALE OF THIS LANDSCAPE. BIG LANDSCAPE, OPEN, BRAWNY GOLF COURSE AND SEE THESE HUGE FEATURES ON THE COURSE SUBTLY DIFFICULT GREEN. LOOKS FLAT BUT THERE ARE A NICE UNDUE LAYINGS IN IT SO YOU HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION TO HOW YOU’RE PUTTING ON THE GREEN AND HAVE 90 OR 100-FOOT PUTT IF YOU WIND UP SHORT AND MUTTING TO THE BACK. 16, WE ADDED 25 YARDS TO THIS TEE, BROUGHT IT BACK, HOLE CAN PLAY UP TO ABOUT 250 NOW INTO THAT AREA. THERE WAS A BUNKER IN 2016, SHORT RIGHT. THAT’S BEEN REMOVED. THIS VERSION OF THE GOLF HOLE IS THE FOWNES AND HOW THEY ADD IT, SHARP GRASS BANK WHICH FOR THE AVERAGE GROWER WHEN THEY MOW THE ROUGH AT 2 1/4 INCHES IT’S EASIER. FOR A TOUR PLAYER IT’S A MUCH MORE DIFFICULT SITUATION INSTEAD OF BEING IN A GREENSIDE BUNKER. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SCALE AND SLOPE AND DIFFICULTY, LOOK AT THIS BUNKER THAT STRETCHES ALL ALONG THE LEFT-HAND SIDE. IT IS DEFINITELY A TRENCH. IT’S VERY NARROW. GET IN THERE. IT’S REALLY DEEP AND WILL BE A DIFFICULT UP AND DOWN FROM DOWN IN THAT BUNKER. ANOTHER FALSE FRONT TO THE GREEN, IF YOU GET — IF YOUR BALL DOESN’T GET UP IN THERE THE FIRST 40 FEET OF IT IT’S COMING BACK AT YOU BUT THIS ALSO, THERE’S A KICKER SLOPE THERE ON THE FRONT LEFT THAT YOU IF PLAY A LOWER TRAJECTORY SHOT YOUR BALL WILL RUN AND FEED ITS WAY TO THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE OF THE GREEN, SO WITH THE SHORT 17th COMING UP, VERY, VERY DIFFICULT 15th. YOU CAN’T LOSE TRACK OF THIS HOLE BECAUSE IT’LL COME OUT AND BITE YOU IN THE WAY IT’S SET UP. I LOVE THE FACT THAT THERE’S THIS REALLY, REALLY DIFFICULT GOLF COURSE AND THEN THE PENULTIMATE HOLE HAS A SHORT PAR 4 WHERE THERE’S REALLY A CHANCE TO SCORE, BUT IT’S NOT AN EASY SHORT PAR 4. TEE IS WELL BELOW THE SURFACE OF THE FAIRWAY. WELL BELOW THE GREEN, SO YOU’RE DOWN BELOW LOOKING UP AT THIS GREEN PERCHED UP ON TOP. AS PART OF THE DRIVING RANGE EXPANSION WE REMOVED ALL THE TREES BEHIND THIS GREEN, SO NOW IT IS LITERALLY A SKYLINE GREEN SITTING UP THERE. WE SIMPLIFIED THE BUNKER COMPLEX AND 2016 I THINK THERE WERE SIX BUNKERS IN THE COMPLEX OVER THERE. ONE OF THE ITERATIONS THE FOWNES HAD WERE JUST TWO LARGE BUNKERS, THE ONE CLOSE TO THE GREEN HAS GOT ONE OF THE STEEPEST FACES ON IT. WE BROUGHT THE FESCUE IN FROM THE LEFT-HAND SIDE IN ORDER — PLAYERS WERE USING THAT AS THEIR BAILOUT IN 2016 AND ’07 HITTING IT OVER IN THE ROUGH AND PLAYING CHIPPING UP THE LENGTH OF THE GREEN. NOW YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE FESCUE, BIG MOUTH BUNKER THERE, FRONT RIGHT, YOU KNOW, JUSTIFIABLY FAMOUS, IT’S DIFFICULT, IT’S DEEP, YOU DON’T WANT TO BE IN THERE. YOU CAN START GETTING BACK AND FORTH ACROSS THE GREEN WITH THESE BUNKERS THAT ARE SET IN THERE. SIMPLE LOOKING GREEN, BUT HARD GREEN TO PUTT. YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WHEN YOU’RE ON GREENS AND YOU’VE GOT ALL THESE WONDERFUL UNDULATIONS AND YOU’RE CONSTANTLY SEEING SLOPE, WHEN YOU GET ON THE GREENS IF YOU HAVE JUST THE TINIEST UNDULATIONS YOUR MIND CAN’T HELP BUT THINK THERE’S MORE GOING ON THAN THERE IS SO I THINK YOU’LL SEE GUYS MISS LITTLE NIGGLY PUTTS ON THIS BECAUSE THEY’RE READING MORE INTO THIS. 18, WE EXTENDED THE TEE BACK ANOTHER 30 YARDS AND PUSHED IT 502. I’VE HEARD THIS REFERRED TO AS THE QUINTESSENTIAL CLOSING GOLF HOLE IN AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF, AND I TOTALLY AGREE. I MEAN, YOU LOOK AT THAT VIEW, YOU LOOK AT THE CLUBHOUSE, YOU LOOK AT THE BUNKER CONFIGURATION, THE DITCHES, IT’S LIKE EVERY ELEMENT OF OAKMONT MERGES ON THIS 18th HOLE. THE TEE SHOT IS SO DEMANDING. I MEAN, WHEN D.J. HIT THAT SHOT IN ’16, IT WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST SHOTS IN CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF AND TO STEP UP THERE WITH ALL THE UNCERTAINTY AND HIT, I THINK, IT WAS A 6 IRON INTO THAT GREEN AND I MEAN THAT WAS SOME GOOD GOLFING AND THAT’S WHAT THIS HOLE REQUIRES, IT REQUIRES YOU TO HILT NOTHING LESS THAN TWO EXCEPTIONAL GOLF SHOTS. YOU GET THIS TROUBLE OFF THE TEE, THAT IS IN YOUR WHEELHOUSE, DO I STAY SHORT OR TRY TO GET UP AND OVER IT TO GET A SHORTER SHOT INTO IT SO IT PLAYS A GREAT ROLL INTO IT. ANOTHER FALSE FRONT, FAIRLY STEEP COMING BACK AT YOU. SO BALLS COME UP. THERE IS A REASON THERE’S NETTING DOWN THERE AND SHORT ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE BECAUSE A LOT OF BALLS ARE GOING TO FEEDBACK DOWN TO WHERE THAT GUY IS. I THINK WE ALL KNOW WHERE THE HOLE LOCATION IS GOING TO BE ON SUNDAY. IT’S BEEN THAT TRADITIONAL SPOT JUST ABOVE THE SWALE ON THE BACK RIGHT. I MEAN, WHAT MORE COULD YOU ASK FOR IN A FINISHING GOLF HOLE AND SO IT HAS BEEN AN AMAZING HONOR AND PRIVILEGE, WE WERE DOING THIS W

Golf course architect Gil Hanse explains the different features and challenges of each hole on the back 9 at Oakmont Country Club from a bird’s eye view. #GolfChannel #Golf #USOpen
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Oakmont’s back 9 appears to be a challenging finish | Live From the U.S. Open | Golf Channel
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