Year in Review, Vol. 10: Old Course Setup

As wonderful as it was to watch Tiger dissect the Old Course again, the last memory of the 2005 Open Championship remains the R&A course setup antics.

Not only was there the movable out of bounds silliness, but the inclusion of rough all over the course showed just how desperate the governing bodies are to mask dramatic equipment-fueled changes in the game. Rough had to be cut down early in the Open week to help players unable to make the 290-yard carry on the 4th. But the most notable rough was found on the par-5 14th and Road Hole, where players were forced to lay-up off the tee, all so the R&A would not be embarrassed by flip-wedge approach shots.

John Huggan provided the strongest commentary in August when reviewing the majors, and again in this year in review column. I joined in the fun with this Golfobserver.com column.

Meanwhile on this website, Tommy Naccarrato provided the illustration of the year, using Alister MacKenzie's sketch of No. 14 to show how narrow the fairway had become, eliminating the A-C-D options so revered by MacKenzie (and Bobby Jones). Oh, and don't forget the out of bounds tee that Tommy added!