The Lady Awaits

Those are three lovelies in the above picture, my wife, my daughter and Pebble Beach Golf Links. What do they all have in common besides their obvious comeliness? All three command and deserve respect. They have earned as much.

In the case of "our lady of golfdom" Pebble Beach, 156 expert golfers will tee it up in 17 days in a herculean attempt to earn the majestic crown at the 110th US Open Championship. It will surely prove to be a stern test for the courageous field.

On a regular resort day, the lady makes grown men and women simultaneously sing her praises while singing the blues. Between the mercurial winds off the Pacific, the distracting drop dead views, teeny greens and not so teeny $500 greens fees, she always protects par. But when The US Open comes to town, the lady readies herself in a manner only seen every ten years.

In anticipation of this edition of The Open, penal bunkers have been added...seems like everywhere. About 200 yards were added to the links by creating new back tees. In the case of #10, an already stout par 4 along Carmel Beach, a new back tee added 50 yards to the hole, now measuring 495 yards. And the grass. Whew! I ran into Chris Dalhammer, the superb superintendent in charge of the course, who told me the primary rough will be 4.5" long. A golf ball is 1.68" in diameter. An almost 3" differential. So once you find your ball in the rough, the ball will be barely hittable out of thick-bladed damp rye grass. (Note to players, bring wrist supports and Advil.) But that's just half the grass story.

The strategic turf change the brainiacs at the USGA have implemented across the lady's countenance is that they have grown the rough up on the left side and moved the fairway lines to the cliff edge. On ocean fronting holes #6,8,9,10,18 the centerlines of the golf holes have moved in some cases 25 yards towards the cliff edge and ocean below. The Pacific is now in play. The fairways are "pinched" by penal rough left and by "bye-bye ball" runoffs to Japan. A dandy move. (Check out the photo above and notice the "fairway trees" on #18 now bordering the rough. Typically, fairway is on both sides of the trees.)

Frankly, is there a better site for a major golf tournament in our country than Pebble Beach? Augusta in April is great but Pebble in June is pure brilliance. Even in the June fog, Pebble still represents.

So whomever wears the crown on Father's Day at The Open, remember this, the lady rules with a strong assist from her strongest ally, mister wind. After hosting four US Opens, she has earned her rightful lofty position. Enjoy the greatest show on grass.