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Earlier this week we shared how Wolf Point Club has three times as much fairway as this week's PGA Championship course, The Ocean Course at Kiawah. One would have to hit a bad shot to miss that much fairway at Wolf Point. Often the average player may hit every fairway from the tee. What they don't know is that one can hit the fairway, and it still may be a bad shot. When their location in the fairway doesn't allow a chance to aim at the day's hole location, or if one does try from the wrong angle it will wind up even worse if not perfect.
The picture below is what Wolf Point would look like if the USGA or PGA got their hands on the setup of the course. They both like narrow fairways that challenge the driving accuracy of the pros. The striped areas are the fairways as designed and maintained. The dark green fairways are how the course would look with 28 acres of fairway - the same as this week's PGA. It may not be obvious, but the average player certainly wouldn't hit 1/2 as many fairways.
What we don't like about the USGA & PGA's methodology is that they have to change the existing golf course to suit their needs, even though big fairways do challenge the best players, as long as the greens are well designed.
This week the PGA Championship is being contested at The Ocean Course at Kiawah. It is a very good golf course and certainly challenging, especially with so many angled fairways. The course has 28 acres of fairway, not always easy to hit, and in my opinion way too tight for the average player.
When I tell people about Wolf Point, I describe the course as fairway everywhere. When I say we have over 84 acres of fairway, the average player has no idea what that means. It means we have three times as much fairway as a "Championship" golf course.
How does that effect a game a Wolf Point? It means you can keep playing, instead of fighting off alligators, in stead of looking for your ball. It certainly doesn't mean it is easy.
I would like to know if any golf course in the world has more fairway than Wolf Point? I doubt it.
*Later this week I have an illustration of what our course would look like with 28 acres of fairway.
