1!?!?!?. Are you serious? When the Women's US Open was in town a few weeks ago they rolled it at a 13.5 on Tuesday of the tournament week.
1) What's the name of the club, if you don't mind? 2) What kind of grass on the greens? 3) I'm more curious about slope and course ratings. I tend to agree with this statement, @shane0911 However, in this area, it can vary from an 8 at some clubs to the 12+ range on others. I mentioned Pine Forest in this thread. That course carries an 8 on the stimpmeter but also carries a slope of 138. (I want to say black comes in around 74 in the course rating.) OT: Have you watched any of the new ABC show, "Holey Moley?"
OT question: Have you tried any of the seafood from the Twisted Oak Tavern? Something about eating seafood, from the West coast in Oklahoma, just sits ... well, doesn't sit well with me. Now, people and seafood are a mixed breed. I can't tell you how many people I've heard brag about eating at Bubba Gump's on The Market and that place repulses me. You're literally eating in a group of sea gulls ...they are all over the place. [/OT] I could see a 13 on the stimpmeter on Bent Grass. I don't remember playing a course with Bermuda greens where they were running that fast. When I played Karsten Creek a few years ago they were running at a 12: on Bent Grass. On the same note, I played in a members only (as a guest) at Jimmie Austin during the same period. They were bragging on the meter reading 13. Nope. Maybe an 11 and that's being gracious. Fact is...if the average golfer is playing on 12-13 rated greens they are looking at three and four putts on each hole. @COTiger one thing I believe we have to keep in mind here. (Understand, I've got a pretty good bit of experience with turf management including golf course settings.) There has been a trend over the last decade or more of maintainance crews cutting greens a lot lower than they used to cut them. What was normal 15 years ago (0.155 recommended) has now shifted to your greenskeepers cutting at 1/8" (0.125.) There are some being cut lower than that. The point is they are cutting greens so closely now they are literally removing the vast majority of the leaf blade. I don't doubt anyone who tells me their green are running a lot faster than the are used to playing. That looks like a pretty tough track. 134, for a bogey golfer and they are expecting your scratch guys to play at +2 (assuming it's par 72.)
I want to apologize for some of the things I wrote yesterday. I think some of it may have been influenced by a reaction to the meds I take, but that's no excuse. Saw the link to the club you joined. Looks like a nice place. I played a few tracks in OKC when my Dad got transferred there. I'm still skeptical of the green speeds.
My general rule is I don't eat seafood if I'm not near the sea. So no, I have not tried any of the seafood there but I might one day. Cheeseburgers are pretty good though I've not played that course yet as it is a little deep for my pockets but it is beautiful. Every once in a while they will have a golf now deal of the day or something like that where you can play it for $50-$75 and I might grab one of those tee times if I see it again. As for the course I am talking about all I can tell you is what is posted and the conversations that I've had with the staff. They assure me they are running 12 and I can without a doubt tell you that they are lightning fast. To add to that you can't keep a ball on the damn things. Hit a towering approach pin high and it just scoots right off, they all do. That would be about right, although not many 3 putts at least for me. Who knows what happens next round but I'm figuring them out. Of course the amount of swing lube involved has a lot to do with that as well. They are mowed extremely short 71 (35/36) and it is a challenging track for sure, lots of dog legs I can only assume because of where they had to fit the course into geographically. If I could shape the ball off the tee I could mitigate some of the misery but oh well, once in a while I get lucky and find myself 120 out but most of the times I just drive it right through the fairway and punch out of the cabbage. No worries mate, I was just funnin with ya. Now that a@@ hole @lsutiga you gotta keep your eye on that one. His lil buddy with the buzzcut too. As for the speed, man I'm not sure what else to tell ya. Like I said, they are really fast, fastest I have ever played on and the crew assures me that they are 12 and I have no reason to doubt them having played them twice in the last week or so.
If it's a private club, then they can afford to keep the speed at 12. My best advice to you is keep the ball below the hole.
My old golf course at the Air Force Academy had fast bent grass greens with lots of undulation. It's a Robert Trent Jones design and is probably the best golf course in the military. They have hosted lots of tournaments over the years. I saw Tiger play in a Junior tournament there years ago. What did he bitch about? You got it, the speed of the greens.
