PGLS

The greens keeper must have been hung over when he set the 1st round pin positions....

Well there is a lot of partying in the Olympic village (years past), so there could be some truth to that.

The course designer (PG) didn't do a very good job of pin planting with very sloped greens to give a setter a reasonable chance of making it fair.

So 90% designer failure, 10 % setter failure (IMHO).

After re-reading what I wrote, I've adjusted my opinion.

I picked the course for this week's event, and stuck Riddler with setting the pin and conditions. We're in the process of changing who sets pins for whatever tour. I'm taking both Division setups and Riddler is taking the PGLS Tour.

So I think it's more like 75% designer error, 24% course selector (me), and 1% pin setter. JMO

John

First, this course is not easy with the sloping greens. I struggled, like some of you did also, 1st round. Played with CharlieB and he did well playing smart where I just did not. Sometimes going for par is the answer and I hope to be smarter the next three rounds. I also hope, the pins I set, will be reasonable and fair but then again never set this course before so, if not, I am extremely sorry for anyone's frustration. I set the pins for Survivor, Pair9Up, Trifecta and PGLS Tour Continental (now I do American also) tours so not new to this. Just new to this one course. Thanks John for defending me. Much appreciated.

Guys, I was trying to be funny w/my comment....I actually enjoyed the round...
I think I heard Peter Alliss say on a broadcast, that the greens keeper probably had one too many last night...because the pins were in tough locations....

For what it's worth, I had more trouble with the hole locations in Round 2.

Riddler wrote: ↑Fri Jul 30, 2021 7:32 am First, this course is not easy with the sloping greens. I struggled, like some of you did also, 1st round. Played with CharlieB and he did well playing smart where I just did not. Sometimes going for par is the answer and I hope to be smarter the next three rounds.

Agree with those comments, I have landed balls nicely on the green only to see them roll off down steep embankments or into deep bunkers.

Definitely needs to be played carefully and strategically and as you said often just settle for par.

Yes, lads, the pins were tough but the greens were tougher - however we all face the same conditions so tighten your chin straps, lace up the shoes and get after it! Challenging courses and greens accelerate my curse mode and add another Bloody Mary to my round but it's fun in the end! Keep up the good work, you pin setters! :-)

The slopes are too close to the pins on many holes, can be frustrating but still a fun course to play and interesting greensites. Only one of the rounds had hard greens, probably softer greensin the olympics 5 years ago. My fellow swede Stenson won gold here if I remember right :)

Yes a very tricky course and one I often fall foul of due to the greens. Round 3 I knew would be tough with hard greens but I set off with the intention of going just to get pars, trying to land on the widest part of the green even if it did mean a long approach putt, was also looking for near greenside bunkers to get out of.
I got a few early birds which did help and a couple late on. But mainly it was the safe play that did the trick. Round of 66 is by far the best score I've had on this course.