Kyle Stanley, Torrey's Pond And The South Course Future

Many folks have voiced their discomfort with the sight of Kyle Stanley's third shot spinning back into the pond fronting Torrey's 18th. And while I wish the lake wasn't there or that the green complex worked better, I can't agree with the view that he received an unfair break.

A few random thoughts to consider...

--The pond is artificial in a location that otherwise would not be a natural spot for a lake. Meanwhile, the gentle, lovely ground of Torrey Pines rambles along at 18 only to be met with a hillocky, artificially-tiered overbuilt mess of a green complex. For those reasons alone, most golfers reject such an intrusion that is so clearly the work of man and not nature. (Whereas St. Andrews' Valley of Sin seems nature made, and therefore is less offensive when it gobbles up balls.)

--Most golfers abhor architecture like Torrey's 18th and other manmade holes of the same vein, which is why I'm a huge fan of seemingly-natural hazards and the work of minimalists who try to create natural-feeling courses. "Unfair" events are easier to stomach when bad things happen to otherwise nice people on architecture that seems natural.

--The 18th green is enormous. Stanley could have hit it to 3/4's of the surface, put a lot of spin on the ball, and not brought the water in play. As bad as the architecture is, he had plenty of green to play safely to.

--The bank shaving, while contrived, adds interest. The tour actually did not closely-mow this bank until the USGA started doing it for the 2008 U.S. Open, and the tour staff does not have the bank mown quite as closely as the USGA did.

--It pains me to say it, but the USGA is right to not return to Torrey Pines for a U.S. Open until the sense of artificiality can be taken out of the design. I've long been dumbfounded as to why the USGA hasn't rushed back to Torrey, but after seeing this extraordinary place  in amazing condition and with the tree situation making it more beautiful than ever, it reminds me what a stunning property this is and yet architecturally, it's a tragic mess in terms of function. Frankly, they were lucky to get the outcome they got in 2008.

--Just as the USGA is contributing to the cost of architectural improvements to Chambers Bay for the 2015 Open, they should also help pay for remodeling the South back into a course everyday golfers want to play, into one that fits better with an extraordinary site and one that elicits risk/reward golf. The previous regime pushed for a certain kind of design, got that design, and it just isn't as satisfying as it should be. Torrey Pines South should be the premier public course in the world.

Thoughts?