Ernie Responds To Wentworth Design Bashing: "I do not believe you will find better surfaces to putt on anywhere in the world."

The only thing worse than player architects who have no business messing around with a classic course is a player architect who hasn't a clue how to defend his work. Lawrence Donegan on continued criticism of Ernie Els' latest redo of Wentworth, with Ernie's reply to Ian Poulter.

Understandably, Els was unhappy to find his work once again under such scrutiny, although this year he was more measured in its defence. "Wentworth is now a fair and honest test of golf," he said. "Players who don't have a good time on the 18th will have a go and I understand that. But you have to look at the overall picture and I do not believe you will find better surfaces to putt on anywhere in the world."

Alistair Tait also reports on the bickering and quotes Paul Casey, who last year saw the changes and suggested that older classics be protected from the likes of Els. This year, he's much less kind in his critique.

“This is a golf course where you can do not a lot wrong and walk away double bogeys,” Casey said. “That’s just because of the way the golf course is designed now, and the way it’s been changed.

“I used to really enjoy playing this golf course, but now it’s a grind.”

Tait also shares this defense from the Big Easy:

“Wentworth is now a fair and honest test of golf,” Els said. “In two weeks at Congressional (for the U.S. Open), if you are marginally off, you will pay the price. This is by no means the U.S. Open, but it’s a great warm up.

“It’s two weeks before the U.S. Open, it’s the (European) Tour’s flagship event and should be played on a major championship style layout. The course is by no means unfair. It was last year, but it’s not this. It’s a true test of golf.”

In writing about the course, Kevin Garside notes a few things of interest, including a subtle hint from Els that he wasn't wild about the setup.

Though Wentworth is 100 yards shorter at 7,251 in the Els configuration, many of the greens have been reprofiled, the bunkering changed radically and a water hazard, the blight of American course design, added at the 18th.

After much criticism, Els remodelled the 18th and eighth greens for this year’s tournament, and believes Wentworth is a fair challenge for a tournament that vies with the Players Championship at Sawgrass for the accolade ‘fifth major’.

“I can understand players saying things in the heat of the moment,” he said. “A guy comes off 18 when he’s just made a double and he’s going to be hot. I have said that this could be England’s Augusta because the golf course has never looked better. I think the Tour could have set it up a little easier. I’m sure the players will get more of a break over the weekend.