Ah...Back To Reality: A Course Setup Boondoggle To Savor!

Remember the good old days when we bloggers had to harp on about course setup boondoggles instead of TMZ reports? I feel refreshed after reading about the latest Australian Open debacle that players apparently saw coming, even though the folks in charge did not. (BTW, love the picture of Ogilvy and Goggin, right. They look like they're having fun!).

Adam Lucius for Sportal:

Australian Open director Trevor Herden has been forced to defend the state of the greens and the decision to start play in 60km winds as the second day of the tournament began in a blaze of controversy at the NSW Golf Club on Friday.

In a move that angered many in the field, 39 players teed off in the treacherous conditions only for play to be suspended after just 80 minutes as balls began rolling off the greens.

Several of the greens were already under the spotlight for being too fast, the strong winds only exacerbating the problem at the exposed coastal course.

But naturally, it was someone else's fault. I think this is the first time a forecaster was directly blamed:

But Herden rejected any suggestion play should not have started, claiming the players had taken the decision 'in their stride' despite strong rumours to the contrary.

He said weather forecasters had got it wrong in predicting the southerly would hit in the late afternoon, not early morning.

And he used a stimpmeter reading, which he said indicated the NSW GC greens were not too fast, to douse criticism of the putting surfaces.

"We've done everything to protect those greens. The greens are not fast," he said.

"We've done all we can to protect those three or four greens (that are considered too fast)."

You have to love the backtrack immediately following the defense!

And you know it's bad when the leader says this.

After firing a second successive 66 to lead after an incomplete second round, Stuart Appleby said the delay was "totally, absolutely avoidable".

Bernie Pramberg writes:

"The players were in agreement that the greens should have been a lot slower," said experienced Craig Parry. 

"I've played in a lot stronger winds at the British Open where the greens are slower to handle the conditions."

Forty-two players were on the course when play was suspended at 8.30am after Peter O'Malley's putt on the 13th green was blown 5m past the hole.

"It takes a lot to get me upset and I was upset today," O'Malley said. "The greens were obviously too fast for the conditions."