If there's one hole that could stir some serious debate this week, it might be the 257-yard par-3 9th. The hole has been lengthened 37 yards, making it so that players will have to hit hybrids and fairway woods. Though Alex Miceli called it "a great hole" on Golfweek's Tuesday Conversation, Bradley Klein reports in the August 2 issue that the tees have been misaligned to the right. He adds:
...anything hit askance here leaves a tough recovery to a green that does not hold well given its severe perimeter sloping.
The PGA generously describes the hole on it's website as such:
The green slopes severely from back to front and the contouring is very severe. Both the front left plateau and back right are protected by bunkers and make for difficult hole locations.
And why did the hole have to be lengthened?
(Photo courtesy of PGA.com)
