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What a golf course. A strange one, certainly, to look at on TV and obviously for the American team of strangers to play than it was for the Europeans. As a test of elite play it had its moments. As a spectator experience it functioned beautifully – better than most championship venues.
Going into the event the biggest controversy about the golf course had to do with its design lineage. The par-71 layout, measuring 7,183 yards, was the product of an unusual design process involving architects Hubert Chesneau and Robert Von Hagge, with the collaboration of Pierre Thevenin.
The exact mix of credit due remains controversial. This being an example of creative European land art, it’s better to think of the place as the product of Picasso’s “Green Period" or inspired by cubist deconstruction. Halfway through Sunday’s telecast I expected to see a trailer on the screen, paraphrasing Rene Magritte: "This is not a golf course."
The important thing is that somehow a dead flat site on the western outskirts of Paris got massaged by an army of bulldozers into an exaggerated version of stadium golf, replete with ribbony fairways framed by spectator mounds and lots of lateral water. In a faux gesture of parkland influence, they even managed to sprinkle in enough hardwoods to make one hole on each nine look classical.
No doubt the Europeans had home field advantage. Every one of the squad’s 12 members had played the course in recent years during a French Open - including the event’s last two winners, Ryder Cup teammates Tommy Fleetwood (2017) and Alex Noren (2018).
There’s no doubt the set up favored target golf with irons off the tee and worked against the American team’s strength of power, aerial, “bomb and gouge” golf.
However studious the Americans were in their practice rounds, their unfamiliarity with the layout’s quirkiness under championship conditions put them at a disadvantage.
The issue was compounded by a setup overseen by European team captain Thomas Bjorn (a prerogative of all home-field Ryder Cup captains) that featured green speeds no faster than about 10 on the Stimpmeter, Barbie Doll-waist fairways, and incredibly dense, thick rough.
This is not to blame the American team’s loss on the setup. The course presented distinct challenges that were obvious to everyone. The U.S. squad simply did not hit the requisite shots or make the putts needed. But there’s no doubt the setup favored target golf with irons off the tee and worked against the American team’s strength of power, aerial, “bomb and gouge” golf.
Le Golf National is not a model for golf design. It is, however, one inventive solution to the problem of players who drive the ball 330 yards. Just put a pond at 340 yards and watch them all lay up. Of course for the average golfer out there the issue is how to get the ball over that cross hazard in two.
Only a few putting surfaces allowed even the slightest space for ground access. Almost everywhere, players faced perched greens heavily defended up front and that spilled off in convex fashion on the perimeter. The world’s best professionals can handle it – or should be expected to. But your average golfer will come away in a state of shock, as well as 10 golf balls lighter for the round.
All of which made for great drama because the Ryder Cup shows the emotional intensity of match play. In such events the golf course performs best as a neutral stage. This time it was a theatre of the absurd.
Comments (59)
A nonsense piece, from someone who should know better. Sounds a bit like s
Scott Hoch who said that links courses were 'not golf'. Americans just like playing easy courses. Anything that's not American is inferior! 'The PGA tour is better'. I wonder if it is. More money, certainly, but that is not proof of a better tour. Strength in depth -nothing in it.
The truth is, they knew the rough was difficult, so why hit it there? Was the water too deep?
Didn't like the greens, didn't like the rough, didn't like the water. Couldn't hit the fairways.
Mickelson now sounds like a spoiled child. 'I only want to play courses that suit me.' Not a golfer then.
Reed looks like he might be the next Phil. If anyone will play with him.
This was not a "theatre of the absurd". Instead it was a tough test of golf that emphasized the mental as well as shot-making demands of the game and exposed any player who could not adapt his style to the conditions he was presented with. Not a course I'd like to play every week - just as I'd hate to play TPC Sawgrass - and but a fantastic course for match play. The course wasn't the reason the USA lost, they just didn't play well enough. Woods, Mickelson and DJ combined were 1-10. US captains picks were 2-10, while Bjorn's picks went 9-4-1. The course was the same for all 24 players, can't blame it. The captains didn't hit a shot, can't blame them. The USA was outplayed, just as Euros were two years ago.
What a refreshing change to have a course on which par was invariably a good score.
Even the European Ryder cup players mentioned on television that the design of the course was to "disable" American players who can drive off the tee over 300 yards.
I m a french golfer and i m very proud with the European victory
I think it s a sign of weakness when as children do « it s not my fault it s because of... »
We are not use of such talks by USA which is a great country !
If this is the case, why Furic picks have the opposite skills?
Big dose of sour grapes here I think. Arguing that a mid to low handicapper would struggle is a weak argument in defence of a poor US performance.
Fitness and equipment improvements have taken the professional game beyond comparison with the average golfer. With the top players hitting wedges well over 150 yards, golf course design cannot serve two masters: new courses need to be either a championship course for professionals or playable for amateurs.
The golf governing bodies have been remiss in failing to act promptly (again) in dealing with this issue, producing a tournament compression golf ball is the no brainer solution. It cannot be sensible to keep lengthening courses to make them competitive for the professionals - not least from an economic perspective.
Lest Mr Klein forget, golf was invented in Scotland with unmanicured rough and windswept greens. I for one find USPGA courses dull and reduce the game to a putting competition. It is ironic that Mr Klein sees Le Golf National as lopsided when it actually requires a broader range of skills than bomb and gouge.
All I can say is. The Americans should have played the course a few times before they left for the Ryder cup.Golf is not just for the Dustin Johnson`s of this world and as the number one player in the world, does he not have the ability to hit an iron onto the fairway off he tee? Sour grapes my friend.YOUR TEAM WERE HAMMERED BY A BETTER TEAM. Lawrie Waters.
What Samuel Ryder envisioned as friendly competition with sportsmanship a key ingredient has sadly evolved into a marketing juggernaut. TV rights, ticket sales and merchandising generate huge revenue for the European Tour and U.S. PGA. Hopefully some of that money trickles down to programs like the First Tee, where kids learn what the game really means, friendly competition and sportsmanship. Lets grow the game but not lose sight of it's core values.
ce monsieur est un mauvais perdant car tous les joueurs ont trouvé le parcours fantastique !!!!!!