The Artistry Of Pinehurst's Transitions

Even though I was here in February, the look and conditions of Pinehurst No. 2 exceeded my highest expectations Monday, which I noted with Gary Williams on Morning Drive.

The sandy areas of Pinehurst No. 2 are rightfully getting all of the attention because of the way they've transformed the look here.  The recapturing of sand, interspersed with thousands of plantings, gives the impression of weathering and maturation even though it's only been a little over two years of growing time. (Toby Cobb spearheaded this effort for Coore and Crenshaw and deserves great credit for such an artisinal touch in the planting, followed by deft maintenance by the No. 2 crew).

(Click on image to enlarge)But after walking the course again Monday of U.S. Open week, attention should turn to the transition zones from fairway to the sandy scrub. They should not pose a rules issue but these transitions will be noticed in HD, perhaps to a point that people think it's poor maintenance by super Kevin Robinson and crew. The opposite is the case: the pine scrub areas are the work of a master maintenance and irrigation design team.

To create a gentle shift from fairway to scrub takes artistry on a scale we rarely experience. How many times have you played a course lined by native areas, only to find the first five to ten feet more dense than areas well off the beaten path? All because of faulty irrigation design sending overspray into those natives. This is traditionally driven by the weird obsession with covering every inch of a property in irrigation "coverage," even at the expense of playability.

Pinehurst's return to a single row of irrigation heads that reduced the number by 700, has been key to the impressive playability of the transitions. The lack of a sharp contrast between fairway and scrub is beautiful to those who love their golf natural, though the look of the occasional exposed sand where there "should" be fairway may prompt cow pasture lines in 19th holes across the land. But we'd rather see a transition of sand and grass than tall stuff just off to the sides of play. The look also exudes naturalness. History tells us that the more natural a course seems or looks, the more we accept the arbitrary nature of things such as "waste" hazards.

So if you hear people criticizing the brown and rugged Pinehurst, remind them that it's all about accentuating the playability of Donald Ross's design. Even if the initial impression may not seem like the lush beauty that golf grew addicted to, to some of us the imperfection is just perfect.

Video: Even The King Is Dying To Play No. 2 Again

As the lowly media hotel WiFi grinds to the inevitable screeching halt, I was unable to watch this video of Arnold Palmer talking about the new/old look Pinehurst No. 2, but I hear he is so impressed by what he saw that he wants to tee it up.

The speeds here are so slow—they don’t call it the Microtel for nothing—that I can’t even get a YouTube video to play. One can imagine what all of my peers are doing with their Internet connections.

Anyway, The King:

Phil: “If nobody hit a green, I feel like my chances are the best"

Intriguing quote from Phil Mickelson, as quoted by Sean Martin of PGATour.com covering the FedEx St. Jude Classic, that might sound weird at first reading:

“If nobody hit a green, I feel like my chances are the best,” he said. “I’m excited about the prospect of a U.S. Open that has (the) short game as such an important element.”

I think this was the nicest way he could say that Pinehurst is all about scrambling, and I would agree.

If there is a U.S. Open course where players will miss a lot of greens, it's Pinehurst. A few of the pinched landing areas may force some longer irons in, while the sandy waste will probably result in a few more greens hit and a lot more recovery shots missing.

Which is why I love scramblers this week, if there is such a thing anymore. Something to factor in for your fantasy picks and pools. Not that I condone gambling of any kind.