Olympic With Bent Grass And Other Changes

Mark Purdy in the Contra Costa Times looks at how much Olympic Club has changed to keep up with the modern game, but also mentions this point, which I think could be the biggest and least sexy story of the week for handicapping purposes.

Yet probably the biggest change at Olympic is one that's not blatantly visible. The greens are now covered with bentgrass instead of the dastardly poa annua strain. This means the greens should roll more true throughout the day. (Poa annua, common on the West Coast, is a hardier strain with thicker blades and it grows rapidly, so those with afternoon tee times risk bumpy putts.) But the greens will also roll more quickly and be more treacherous.

After seeing such benign rough and watching players roll the ball on the greens today, I have no doubt we'll see good scoring simply because superintendent Pat Finlen has the greens rolling so beautifully after struggles not too long ago due to excessive wear and tear. But also--and Tiger watchers take note--because they are not Poa, certain players who do not believe they get a fair shake on Poa greens will have a much better shot at contending.