[Andrew]

I haven’t played PGA National, but the commentators keep talking about the great finishing holes even though they have said that each of the last 4 holes requires a high fade to approach the green.

Being that ‘shot value’ seems to be important for the ranking panels, is this poor architecture & if so, why didn’t the architect realise this when he designed the course?

Are there any of Australia’s Top 50 that have 3 or 4 holes in a row that require the same approach shot?

[Lahinch]

Almost the entire back nine at Royal Sydney has greens which favour aerial left to right approach shots. I can't believe that a few of them couldn't have been altered to encourage a different type of shot.

[Andrew]

Good call on Royal Sydney. In fact, the entire course is strategically poor (or non-existent). Holes like #8 dumbfound me. It’s a short par 4 with the green favouring an approach from the left side, but the fairway bunkers are all up the right side. A hole that could have been interesting, but is basically pointless.

[Jim]

Andrew, two things.

1. What are you doing watching golf on TV? Next you will tell me you have been going to the driving range.
2. Why would you assume the commentator was correct?

I can't imagine the low draw being a favoured shot to many greens on the overwatered PGA tour - over the course of the entire year.

[Andrew]

1. What are you doing watching golf on TV? Next you will tell me you have been going to the driving range.

Having not played golf for almost 5 months since the knee surgery, I have found myself watching more golf on TV as the hiatus has continued.

Mind you, PGA National has had my two ‘favourite’ architects involved. Fazio originally designed it & Nicklaus did the redesign. Is that not a massive recipe for disaster or what?

[GordonC]

Commonwealth 4 5 and 6 all have greens running from front right up to back left, with bunkers on the left and no bunkering on the right. They favour approaches from the rights hand side of the fairway, a high soft draw to get to the back pin position.

Architecturally I like each of the holes and their approcahes however I did think it was a little odd that there were 3 greens in a row that were quite similar.

[Lahinch]

Gordon,

You forgot to add the 7th as well!!

[Jack]

GordonC,

It is a quirk of the course that those 3 holes angle that way, but the 5th especially doesn't really play like the other two (it has two bunkers on its RH greenside for a start.) The 4th and 6th greens feature runoffs to the right whereas 5 has a cradled green that allows you to work the ball off the right edge to pins cut in the back half of the green.

The three greens ask similar questions, but not exactly the same ones. You definitely have to the in the RHS of the fairway on 4 and 6 but not so on 5.

Gordon,

You forgot to add the 7th as well!!

It's a par 3, so no strategy required