Who's Who At Hoylake

[metallion]

I have just come back from working as a spotter at Hoylake for ABC TV. My job was to relay the clubs the players were using on a par 3 hole. On Thursday and Saturday I was on the 198 yard 9th and on Friday I worked the198 yard 13th . The 9th played a lot easier as it was more inland and most of the clubs were in the 8 to 7 iron range although Cabrera got on with a 9 iron. The 13th played longer as there tended to be an into wind and was mainly a 6 iron although 5s and 4 were used into the wind.

Interesting, thanks!

I don't know how the Championship looked on TV but IMO the venue was not worthy of holding the British Open. The course was bland the fairways too flat and the rough was not at all penal as the grass was bone dry and brittle. The course needed a lot of wind to test the players but there was almost no wind over the 4 days apart from a little in the afternoon on Sunday. It felt like a major championship held at a public municipal course.

I disagree. I was there Friday and Saturday and really liked how they'd set up the course. No one got off that course with a score without thinking and being creative. Tiger has said numerous times that he thought that it was an awesome and faire test. First and foremost I thing it was a fair test. Seeing the best pleyers in the world chopping out of waist-high rough (for the simple reason of keeping the score within bounds) is not my idea of a good setup. Also from interviews it seems Tiger and the R&A were happy with the course. And Tiger is not known to hold back his comments. Not even if he wins.

The course was too compact and spectators could not get around easily.

As a spectator it was not easy to move around at neither Royal S:t Georges, Royal Troon or S:t Andrews either. I felt its just the way it always is. It was a bit tight at places, but I never saw a NEW problem.

The practice ground was tiny and set up on another course across the road

It was a bit tiny, but I spent a great deal of time there and did not suffer particulary. They used adjacent courses on Troon and S:t Andrews as well. You should see the current range at Augusta where the pros basically hit into a net. I don't see the big deal.

and the parking was miles away..

You need to go to Royal S:t Georges to see a really bad arrangement. 2-3 miles walking for the commuters. This time it did not matter much that the parking was miles away. I was impressed with the short waiting times for the buses. We stood in a line that was a mile long and it took less than 20 minutes to get out. The least chaotic transportation situation I've seen in my Opens. The huge benefit was the two fairly large airports rather near by and the fact there was rooms available withing striking distance even if you booked the day before. Not the case in abo of the other events. I think Hoylake had better overall infrastructure than the previous three. It proved in transfer times and hotel+flights availability.

The greens were awful and were not consistent within the green or to each other . On the same green you had green and burned out brown patches and on a long putt the ball could go over several different type of green before it got to the hole. Hensby and Pampling were talking about this on the 13th tee and were not impressed.

Hensby can be funny, but also seems to be one of the greatest whiners out there. The guys who can putt adjusted to the conditions and putted well.

Overall I think it was a great event and Hoylake is definietely on the list of courses I'd like to play. I agree that some holes were a bit anonymous, but also that the stretch along the (river) Dee were memorable anough.