"What we're saying is, 'Guys, you've got to lay back of this cliff because you won't have any rough to stop your ball if you hit it too long.'"

We've heard a lot about the elimination of turf buffers along the cliffs at Pebble Beach but haven't seen much in the way of images. The look of turf right into the cliffs is sensational, though I can already hear the bitching by players!

Brett Avery reports on some additional last minute tweaks to the U.S. Open setup and provides some images of the changes. The work on No. 8 seems sure to make players a little less aggressive with their tee shot lay-ups.

The aiming rock was removed and the fairway shifted dramatically to the right, toward the cliff, long ago in preparation for the event. But only a few days ago the mowers removed all rough at the end of the fairway, too.

Update on Monday, May 17, 2010 at 05:04 PM by Geoff

Rob Matre offers some perspective on how the buffer between golf course and cliff looked at Pebble Beach prior to this change.

Comments

[TXQ]

I simply refuse to even glance at any pic that doesn't say "Click to enlarge" underneath it.

Call me spoiled.

[Frank]

USGA's up to its tricks again. In '92, too much sand was put into the bunkers.

[jjshaka]

I hate tricked up crap like this instead of admitting Pebble is too short for the technology today.
What are they going to do at Merion- release the Kraken ?

[Jordan]

Mowing rough? To allow balls to enter hazards? Will wonders never cease?

[Jim S]

I don't think this is tricking it up, it's playing to the nature of the site. The site has beautiful, dramatic cliffs, and hopefully they won't just be a scenic backdrop, but will also be key to determining the best golfer of the week.

[pasaplayer]

I love this! Just put a little spin on your 3 iron tee shot to keep the ball in play for that amazing second shot. My God! A shot makers' Open? Who'd a thunk it. I only hope Arnold, Clint and Peter don't lose any mowers over the edge.

[Ky Laffoon's Ghost]

Oh noes! The greatest players in the world might have to think before hitting the ball on the "most magnificent stretch of par-4s" in the world. Oh, the humanity! "Tricked up crap" was playing the second(?) as a par-4 in 2000.

[not so fast]

Davis is good but not everything he does is the right decision. Take #8 for example. Mow the rough...ball rolls over the cliff...drop 2, hit 3 onto the green...can still make par. The old way if the ball got into the long stuff it was very iffy being able to get the ball to the green. In the hazard in 2....drop 3 hit 4.....bogey at best. Just another way of looking at things.

[chico]

Never been to Pebble.Whats the status of the cliffs?-hazard,OB or play it?

[jstiles]

In days of yore, the cliff along the beachfront holes was a lateral hazard. If you could find it, like right of 10, even on the beach, you could play it.

Think it is still a lateral hazard, but have not played it in 20 years now !!

But with low interest rates today, I am reconsidering.

[KDK]

Even more noticeable is the fairway cut all the way to the cliff on the right side on 6. Only a strong wind kept my tee shot dry last week.

[tlavin]

Does anybody think that any of the setup decisions will keep the winner and twenty other players from breaking par? Does anybody care about par anymore? It's just interesting to me that the early chatter here is about making Pebble tougher for the Open. I know that they want to make it different from the AT&T, but the weather and ground conditions should take care of most of that, true?

[OWGR Fan]

Having never played PB how far is it to the end of the fairway on #8 from the championship tees? Does mowing the grass down to the edge of the cliff take driver out of most players hands?

[jb]

owgr - they won't hit a driver on #8, whether rough or not. I don't hit a long tee ball and hit 3-wood.

[Wisconsin Reader]

I agree with "not so fast" . . . having rough at the edge of the fairway is way more problematic than having your golf ball simply roll into oblivion. . . After the drop it is a pretty simple shot leading to a routine bogey (and maybe a par 1/3 of the time?)

[pasaplayer]

Sorry, WR, but I've never found the second shot at 8 (or third, after a drop) to be "pretty simple. The green is very small with lots of movement; bunkers all around; oblivion to the right; and all that marvelous history and beauty weighing on you, as stunning a second shot as I know of.

[Matt]

This is what it looked like on cliff side of the 10th last week:

http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/619/img4911y.jpg