Putting a Renewed Emphasis on the Scoring Game

Oakland Hills will be toughened for the 2008 PGA, writes Vartan Kupelian in The Detroit News.

Rick Bayliss, chief operating officer, said 90 percent [of the membership] voted in favor of renovations that will stretch the course to 7,300 yards but, more importantly, put renewed emphasis on the scoring game. At last year's Ryder Cup, the South Course played 7,068 yards. Championship par is 70; members play to par 72. "Adding length is only a small component of what will be done," Bayliss said. "The changes will be about angles and bounces. The greens complexes are our resistance to scoring."

7300 in 2008?  Child's play!

"We're thrilled with Rees' efforts," Bayliss said. "It's a great story to have him do this after his father came in to make the changes in 1950. The challenges Rees faces are the same. It's about challenging the players' abilities."

The late Robert Trent Jones massaged the original work of the legendary Donald Ross, who designed both of Oakland Hills' courses. The North Course, directly across Maple Road, complements its more famous sister layout and will not be impacted.