pebble’s greens 08

when tiger woods said pebble beach’s greens were “just awful” after a
disappointing three-over-par 74 in the first round of the u.s. open, few ar-
gued the point. pebble’s putting surfaces were splotchy, bumpy and, by most
accounts, not championship caliber. unless you’re with the usga that is.
how else to explain the June 25 edition of the usga’s green section weekly
update newsletter being devoted to the topic, starting off with “the greens
at pebble beach provided exceptional championship conditions.” really?
although woods was far from the only player to offer concerns, the usga
remains steadfast in its position. in the newsletter, patrick gross, director of
the usga’s southwest region, said, “the poa annua greens at pebble beach
are a combination of two construction methods—five different-aged usga
greens and 13 native soil greens—growing in multiple microclimates that re-
quire different management strategies.” well, that’s just dandy. what gross
provided was an explanation for why the greens weren’t up to snuff, not why
they were championship ready. the article was titled “beauty in eye of be-
holder.” in far too many eyes, pebble’s greens were more beast than beauty.
here’s hoping that instead of defending the putting surfaces, they change
them prior to the 2019 open.