Ryan Palmer On Chambers Bay Green Complexes: "Put a quarter in the machine and go for a ride."
/Steve DiMeglio of USA Today talks to Ryan Palmer about his scouting trip to Chambers Bay and he's got some issues with the green complex designs.
In particular, Palmer sees issues with the contours and some of the potential hole locations.
But … "We played it soft. The greens were rolling 9s (on the Stimpmeter). If they get it rolling 10 and 12, it will be interesting," Palmer said of the massive green complexes on the course. The greens feature large mounds, plenty of bumps and are largely unpredictable and will bring luck and plenty of it into play. "Put a quarter in the machine and go for a ride.
" … The green complexes are something else. With some of the pin placements, you will see some guys play it 30 yards left, 30 yards right or 30 yards long, and next thing you know you'll have a 2 footer. Or you'll be 75 feet from the pin. … You have to spend so much time on the greens, practice rounds are going to take eight hours. Every green has like five or six greens on it."
Palmer also provided the first review of the USGA's possible use of less-than-flat areas on tee boxes.
"(Davis') idea of tee boxes on down hills, up hills and side hills is ridiculous. That's not golf. I don't care what anybody says," Palmer said. "It will get a lot of bad press from the players. It is a joke. I don't understand it. I just don't know why they would do it."