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What would a tour pro shoot

Posted by: user41897 | Sat 18th Jul 2009 21:07 | Last Reply

He's a question.

Were a tour pro to play on of our usual pay and play courses say, SSS70, how many strokes do you think they would take?

I guess they should birdie most of the par 3's, all of the par 5's and a good number of par 4's so potentially they could go round in the high 50's.

I know it depends on the course and the layout but with the length they drive and the consistency they have they should be able to eat a course that we all struggle on.

What do people think? 

re: What would a tour pro shoot
user231854
Reply : Sat 18th Jul 2009 22:09

 

Sadly I think you are wrong about Tour pros. 

I am a 23 handicaper, have played the Ailsa course about 20 times. Other than the 17th, I have parred every hole at one time. This weeks performance at the Open, by the pros shows that they are not gods.

They did not birdie every par 3 on Thursday.  Look at the trouble they a with the 4th hole yesterday. 170 par 3 straight into the wind, just about selecting the right club. they only score about 10 birdies.

 They will drive longer than most of us, perhaps getting nearer to the green, however we all know single figure handicapers who who hit the ball 320 yards on regular basis.

The main difference is they have practiced more and make fewer mistakes

unless I am wrong?  

re: What would a tour pro shoot
user202037 [FORUM MODERATOR]
Reply : Sat 18th Jul 2009 23:01

Gordon,

The Ailsa course this week is set up nothing like the way you have played it. The 20 times you have been round there will not have been off the Championship Tees and with the rough grown up so thick. I have played most of the Open venues both in Championship set up and normal set up. There is a vast difference between the two. The guys this week have been confronted with a real test. Three months of no golfers tramping down the rough which is now 10yds nearer the fairways each side. It shows how good these guys are when the worst score of the day is a 79.

TheLyth

re: What would a tour pro shoot
user81455
Reply : Sat 18th Jul 2009 23:36

Gordon

I agree with David.  Watch closely and listen to the yardages given out on the tee shots and you'll realise how long the carries are to reach the fairways from the championship tees.  That course setup would be unplayble for me.  It would be interesting if someone calculated the CSS based on the scores this week. 

I do agree though that some of the pros may struggle on pay and play courses with some of the greens and bunker conditions.  However I suspect that it wouldn't take long for them to adjust to the greens and they could probably avoid most of the bunkers. 

re: What would a tour pro shoot
user52922
Reply : Sun 19th Jul 2009 10:05

Being professionals they do have this ability to hit the ball long and straight most of the time, what makes this course so difficult is the rough. This does not seem to have been trampled down on by spectators. as the organisers have kept the spectators out of it with the way they have marshalled the course.

The fairway bunkers are a one shot penalty, you cannnot get in them and hit long irons to the green.

On the plus side for them is the quality of the putting surfaces and we have all seen many putts of great length being holed. It is only by holing putts that they can get under par.

The course is unplayable for the likes of me as I would never reach the fairway off those tees, but if I had he capability to hit the samer distances as them then it woud be just another good golf course.

As regards to Ians comments, I agree that they would shoot under par at most pay and play courses because of the par fives alone, after all, I used to count them as birdie chances many years ago, now I cannot reach them in three.

Taking a nine iron for 191 yards is not the game with which I am familiar.

Having said that, I too, like The Lyth, have played all the Open courses under competition when I was an amateur and did not find any of them any more difficult that other courses I have played that are not on the Open Rota. The difference is that they build special championship tees, the rough is grown in tighter making the fairways narrower and they set pretty demnding pin positions, although having said that our own sadistic greenkeeper at my club does the same thing.

Marino hit one drive 365 yards leaving a short iron to one very long hole. I have been pretty disappointed in some the round the green work, but I feel that old Tom has everything in his favour to lift the trophy.

re: What would a tour pro shoot
user231854
Reply : Sun 19th Jul 2009 14:31

 

My point was to disagree with the original comment about birdie on every par 3.

Some holes at Turnberry are longer, than the tess I have played, howvever they have only lenghtened the course by 250 yards. The 3rd has the largest extension, some 96 yards.

I played the course on the 11th June this year. the rough was well up and no spectators to trample it. We were reminded not to take our trolleies into the rough too.

I don't doubt the pos are fantastic players and I will never reach single figure handicap, I am just glad they have not taken my favouite course apart!!

The course and the setting is as beautiful as it looks on TV. I walked round on thursday and was impressed with the condition and facilities they have laid on

Tom Watson to win!

re: What would a tour pro shoot
user20126 [FORUM MODERATOR]
Reply : Sun 19th Jul 2009 20:33

I would expect one of the top tour pros to go around most course in this country under par.

As already stated most of the par fives would be birdie chances for these boys.

Then with their added distance from the tee and accuracy with their approach shots I would expect a few more birdies on the par fours.

The par threes again would offer a good chance of birdie, but not all of them would be taken.

I think the problem is that these people are so busy that the chances of finding one of them playing your local course would be very rare indeed.

Russ

re: What would a tour pro shoot
user202037 [FORUM MODERATOR]
Reply : Sun 19th Jul 2009 20:48

I always check out the Course Records when I visit a club. It is interesting to see who holds them and which Pro set the Professional Course Record.

Roundhay (a 9 hole Muni) used to have Maurice Bembridge with a 62 as the Pro Record and Howard Clark as the Am with a 64. But the lowest Pro Score is a 54, done by the then Club Pro Hedley Muscroft (27 - 27)

TheLyth

re: What would a tour pro shoot
user204647
Reply : Sun 19th Jul 2009 22:15

I personally know amatuer's who have equalled course records, under championship conditions, on top golf courses along side the greats such as tiger.


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