Some Pebble Beach 17th Photos Under Construction

Thanks to reader Jay for these photos of the revamped 17th at Pebble Beach under construction/grow in. The green has been sodded, in case you were wondering.

The reclaimed square footage and basic bunker shapes look excellent. The final details remain TBD.

Thanks Jay:

Plenty of drainage in the approach!

Update on 2015-05-18 16:06 by Geoff

**I finally found the side view from the old days and compared to today's NCGA image, it would appear the green will be more hourlass than in the original Chandler Egan design, which I wrote about in Golf World.

Tiger's Bluejack Has An Augusta National Flair

Tiger took to Instagram to post a few teaser photos of his Bluejack National redo and unlike his Cabo project, appears to be holding back on closers images until it's completely grown in.

But even in these shots, it's appears he was going for an Augusta vibe aesthetically.

A photo posted by Tiger Woods (@tigerwoods) on May 14, 2015 at 6:26pm PDT

Just 10 short months of construction. I couldn’t be happier with how the course at @bluejacknational is turning out.

A photo posted by Tiger Woods (@tigerwoods) on May 14, 2015 at 6:25pm PDT

Portrush Renovation Update: 2019 Open Seems More Secure

This week's YouTube upload depicting to captivating affect the Turnberry renovation plans got the Irish Golf Desk's Brian Keogh thinking about Royal Portrush's similar situation.

Keogh downloads and links to the 45.6 MB PDF by architects Mackenzie and Ebert, who have been charged with giving the course The Treatment finding two new holes while resolving what will happen to the Valley Course when those holes are created. And for anyone who has been to Royal Portrush, there has always been sadnessa bout what would happen to "Big Nellie," the 17th hole's larger-than-life fairway bunker.

He answers that question and more in analyzing the plans which should result in the R&A committing the 2019 Open to Portrush, as previously announced.

As for the two new holes, the downhill seventh will be a 572 yard par five, restoring the yardage lost with the elimination of the 17th, which features the much loved Big Nellie fairway bunker on the right.

Fear not, there will be a new Big Nellie on the new seventh for The Open, which will almost certainly be held in 2019 now that planning permission has been granted by the local authority.

“It is proposed that ‘Big Nellie’ from the existing 17th hole is recreated to the right of this new hole,” the architects explain. “It would fit in very well into the huge dune bank.”

The booklet is a must read for anyone interested in the evolution of a classic course and to see how much sand was exposed in the old days and how intimately-integrated golf and town once were.