Medinah overhauled for the Ryder Cup
Medinah golf course is all set to host the 2012 Ryder Cup. However it is not the golf that it used to be, there have been quite a few amendments made to the course. It has been made tougher and difficult for the players. The greens and have been re adjusted
and there is addition of few extra lakes around hole giving the golfers something to think about.
One major change that has taken place is that they have transformed the 15th hole into a par four hole. It was initially meant to be a par five but it was altered giving the long hitters a chance to have a go at the pin. However it is not that
simple as an extra lake has been carved out of the 100 yards that has been shortened and any miss hit of the ball can lead to serious damage on the score card.
"We are thrilled with the changes to the 15th hole and with the completion of the greens renovation project," said Medinah club president Joe Ebner.
All these dramatic changes are done by the architect Rees Jones. These changes were specifically meant for the Ryder Cup competition keeping in mind the general trend of the event.
"I felt that the 15th was a hole where the risk-reward challenge could be strengthened," Jones said, "I felt a pond adjacent to the 15th green would give it plenty [of the risk-reward element], in a fashion similar to the 12th hole. It's now an important
part of the round and extends one of the great finishing tests in golf."
Initially the 15th hole may sound a lottery but the pond beside the green will make things more complicated and a calculated approach would have to be made by the golfer at the 15th.
Everybody around the course is happy with changes even the members of the golf course are pretty happy though they find it tough going on the course.
Tyrrell the superintendent of the course feels that changes to course have been excellent and it give a very good feeling now.
"The idea is to give players a clear cut definition of the fairway and the rough," Tyrrell said.
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