"No two holes are the same, and it's a great mixture of short holes and long holes. It just has a good flow."

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MPCC's Par-3 9th (click to enlarge)Ron Kroichick reports on day one of Mike Strantz's Monterey Peninsula Shore Course debuting as part of the AT&T Pro-Am:

Phil Mickelson (2-under) called it a "terrific track" and instantly elevated it among his favorites on the PGA Tour. Jason Gore (1-under) described the Shore Course as one of his top 10 layouts anywhere, though he acknowledged it wouldn't make his top three on the Monterey Peninsula (spots reserved for Pebble, Spyglass and Cypress).

But all the twisting fairways and stirring aesthetics couldn't stop players from wading in red numbers. Thirty-three of the 52 pros who played the Shore Course on Thursday eclipsed par.

"This course is all based on wind - if you get wind coming off that water, it's going to be brutal," Gore said. "The course has a great feeling to it. No two holes are the same, and it's a great mixture of short holes and long holes. It just has a good flow."

Said Maggert, who hit 12 of 13 fairways while coasting to a bogey-free 65: "I think the biggest thing is the fairways are pretty wide. When they're soft, it's pretty easy to drive the ball in the fairway - so if you can hit your irons close to the hole, you've got an opportunity to make some putts."

I wonder how long before the fun police start demanding changes at MPCC Shore? Well if they do, they'll have to lump Pebble Beach in their remarks as well:

This week, tour officials converted two par-5s (Nos. 1 and 16) into par-4s, turning the Shore Course into a par-70. (Pebble and Spyglass are par-72 for the AT&T). Pebble played the easiest in relation to par Thursday, at 70.89, with the Shore Course at 68.98 and Spyglass at 71.52

"Prepping For Pebble"

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Jim Moriarty narrates this video talking about the setup nuances at Pebble Beach that will impact this week's play as well as this summer's U.S. Open. Interesting to hear how positive players are about the conditioning this week. Obviously this was recorded before the amateur slugs dig their mud-covered Softspikes ino the poa greens.
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"But is a barbecue chicken pizza adequate recompense for the tournament raising its ticket price from $30 to $50?"

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The PGA Tour continues to hear about their decision to raise Northern Trust Open tickets $20. John Strege in his Golf World game story:

The $20 increase over the cost of a walk-up ticket a year ago was, said Bone, necessary to offset the cost of some of the improvements made. "I wouldn't say the tournament has slipped as a golf tournament, but the sports landscape has changed everywhere, certainly here in Los Angeles. Everybody has suites now -- Staples Center, UCLA, the Angels, Dodgers, everybody. The sports landscape changed underneath the feet of the L.A. Junior Chamber. In today's market you need to make some significant investments."

The event focused on being more fan-friendly, which might have been accomplished with the Grove, an interactive area featuring food, a putting green and a pro offering swing analysis. For the first time, the tournament had branded food on site, a California Pizza Kitchen. It also increased the number of bleachers it erected around the course from two to seven, Bone said.

But is a barbecue chicken pizza adequate recompense for the tournament raising its ticket price from $30 to $50?

Bob Harig also raises this fine point, one that sails over the heads of the Ponte Vedra Value Proposition Police:

Golf tournaments ultimately do not depend on gate sales for their survival. It is about selling sponsorships, corporate hospitality, pro-am spots, etc. Those are the big-ticket items that pay the bills.

But the guy on the street is what gives a tournament its life, its buzz. Economics 101: Would you rather have one spectator paying $50 or two paying $25 each? Obviously those guys paying $25 are going to pay to park their cars and might buy souvenirs and concessions. You collect the same amount at the gate, but you give yourself a chance to make more on the back end.

More important, however, it means you create more excitement with more people attending the tournament.