"Just seems like you take a little bit of the skill out of it when it's that long a hole."
/Players were asked the long par-3 15th, which can stretch to at least 260 yards and the answers were eloquent. So much so I can see some superintendents and architects clipping these comments for the Green Committee.
First, the Animal Killer:
Q. We talked a little bit about the length of that 265-yard par-4 as you called it. I've heard some different theories on how to change golf courses: Narrow the fairways, grow the rough. Just kind of what are some of your thoughts in terms of how to adjust courses to improve them?
CHARL SCHWARTZEL: You know, I think my personal opinion, that there is too much emphasis on length on these golf courses lately. I still think that these golf courses that are the very old-style golf courses where there's a huge variety of shots that you've got to play; just not a driver on every single hole for 14 holes off the tee. Your best golf courses are still the ones where it makes you think off the tee; that you've got an option off say hitting a 5-wood off the tee for position, or really taking it on with a driver.
It gives you a lot of variety, where courses like these that's long, it sort of takes away all of that thinking. You've just got to be so good with a driver and hit it on every single hole, and it almost becomes a slog, and sometimes very unexciting. That's sort of my opinion.
I think there's got to be more variety to a golf course, not just length, length, length. Your best par-3s are not your 265-yard par-3s. Pebble Beach has a 110 yard par-3 down the hill, and lots of guys make lots of birdies and lots make mistakes on that little hole, and that's very exciting. That's my opinion.
Q. Your thoughts on a 265-yard par 3?
LUKE DONALD: I'm never a big fan of long par 3s. I think some of the world's greatest par 3s are very short. The 7th at Pebble, 12th at Augusta, Postage Stamp, you can keep naming quite a few that are short and at the same time quite tricky.
You know, today off the back tee, I hit a rescue. Just seems like you take a little bit of the skill out of it when it's that long a hole. But it is the same for everyone, and I'm going to have to learn to try and love it for this week. There's not too many really long par 3s that are very memorable that I can think of, the only one really being Cypress, 16th hole.
Again, I've never really been a fan of long par 3s. I think par 3s should be a little bit more shorter and more interesting.
