Why is the PGA Championship Still a Major?

[LICC]

I’ve played plenty of his designs. I didn’t say I played them poorly, not after you learn the tricks. Pete Dye 101: the fairways are always wider than you think. Divide the green into quadrants, aim center of green and move it into the quadrant if you can. If you can, good chance at birdie or easier par. If you can’t, hope your lag putting is great that day.

Are you sure you've played a lot of Dye courses? You described Trent Jones' greens, not Pete Dye's. Dye varied his greens and used rolls and swales, but usually not extreme contours. Although he did different things at different times. He liked greens to have depth but not necessarily be overly large.

 

[MWard]

Are you sure you've played a lot of Dye courses? You described Trent Jones' greens, not Pete Dye's. Dye varied his greens and used rolls and swales, but usually not extreme contours. Although he did different things at different times. He liked greens to have depth but not necessarily be overly large.

played more than you ever have, can confirm.

 

[LICC]

played more than you ever have, can confirm.

Maybe but you definitely confused his general greens style.

 

[MWard]

Maybe but you definitely confused his general greens style.

I assure you, I haven’t. They’re usually open in the front and more difficult long, so the bad player has room to use the front of the green, and the better player will be punished for hitting a poorly executed shot. Visually they look intimidating, but they’re much more playable than what you see. Fairways usually are wider than you think, or help funnel the ball into more playable spots.

His greens though are often super intricate in their breaks. Large, often over ridges, and with many subtle breaks. The worst putt you can have on a Pete Dye green is a straight putt. You’ll second and third guess yourself all day. Thus, why you kinda want to play off the center and shape the ball in. Avoid being on the wrong side of the ridges, yet use them to help bring the ball closer to the hole.

 

[LICC]

I assure you, I haven’t. They’re usually open in the front and more difficult long, so the bad player has room to use the front of the green, and the better player will be punished for hitting a poorly executed shot. Visually they look intimidating, but they’re much more playable than what you see. Fairways usually are wider than you think, or help funnel the ball into more playable spots.

His greens though are often super intricate in their breaks. Large, often over ridges, and with many subtle breaks. The worst putt you can have on a Pete Dye green is a straight putt. You’ll second and third guess yourself all day. Thus, why you kinda want to play off the center and shape the ball in. Avoid being on the wrong side of the ridges, yet use them to help bring the ball closer to the hole.

Dye is not generally known for large greens. The courses of his that I have played did not have large greens. Trent Jones, Fazio, Hanse, and Doak to an extent, will usually have very large to large greens. Dye, Nicklaus, definitely not. That said, all will have some courses with greens that are larger than others.