Pinehurst No. 2 prepares to host the U.S. Open once more subsequent week.
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PINEHURST, N.C. — I don’t suggest taking part in Pinehurst No. 2 drained.
I don’t suggest taking part in it hungry.
And I most actually don’t suggest taking part in it hungover.
However, must you be all three of these issues throughout your spherical on the Twelfth-ranked course within the U.S., there may be hope for you continue to. As a result of I managed to maintain my spherical of golf on the rails on Pinehurst No. 2 regardless of affected by all the above … barely.
The story of my misfortune doesn’t really contain all that a lot misfortune. As a member of the golf media, I often obtain invitations to attend what are referred to as “media days” — primarily golf outings previewing among the programs internet hosting main championships. It’s a reasonably good gig; a free spherical of golf in alternate for the belief that your protection of the match (or, on this case, the championship) shall be extra knowledgeable, incisive, and maybe barely extra attention-grabbing.
The draw back of those occasions is that I don’t get to decide on after they happen. Generally they’ll be throughout an open block in my schedule, and typically they’ll be, proper after my sister’s marriage ceremony.
The latter is what introduced me to certainly one of my favourite locations on earth — the North Carolina sandhills — with my physique nonetheless recovering from the unwell results of someplace between eight and 28 tequila-sodas. And it’s how I know the teachings I’m about to share with you from my spherical at Pinehurst No. 2 — worldwide golf Mecca and host of subsequent week’s U.S. Open — are ok for anybody who ought to they discover their strategy to golf heaven within the coming months.
Lesson 1: Don’t be drained, hungry and hungover
Sorry to beat a useless horse right here, however these are all issues you possibly can largely keep away from when scheduling a spherical at Pinehurst No. 2. Let your spherical on No. 2 be towards the entrance finish of your golf journey so your limbs are feeling lots limber, ensure you depart ample time earlier than your spherical to have a meal, and, for the love of god, skip the tequila the night time earlier than.
Lesson 2: Skip the driving vary
Yeah, yeah, it is a horrible concept for many of you.
In a perfect world, you’d have an hour or extra to heat up for No. 2, leaving ample time to make it to the driving vary and make sure the swing is grooved. However in the actual world, you’ll be attending to the observe space inside a couple of minutes of teeing off, and meaning you’ll have to make a couple of essential selections about what lies forward.
And right here is the plain reality about what lies forward: In the event you’d like to attain lower than 200, you’re greatest served spending your observe time on the short-game space and Thistle Due placing inexperienced. It’s right here that you could work out the form of hardpan chips and squirrely putts that may come to dominate the following four-plus hours of your life, and right here that you could set a respectable technique for minimizing catastrophe when you find yourself confronted with them.
Seventy-five balls on the vary will aid you preserve it between the goalposts, however finally, your rating will come all the way down to what occurs across the placing floor. Work on that earlier than anything.
Lesson 3: Distance management
The distinction between a 75 and a 95 on No. 2 is sort of at all times the variety of photographs taken from inside 25 yards of the flagstick. In the event you’re a nasty short-game participant, learn to play a hybrid, putter, or 8-iron off the hardpan — and extra importantly, learn the way far that membership goes if you strike it. Leaving your self in two-putt distance might be the distinction between glory and catastrophe.
Lesson 4: Find out about wire grass
In the event you’ve seen pictures of Pinehurst No. 2, maybe you’ve discovered that there’s nary a blade of tough on the property.
However James, how can a golf course host a U.S. Open with out having any tough?
Effectively, expensive reader, as a result of this golf course has tufts of golf’s final danger/reward plant: wire grass.
You will discover clumps of wire grass off of practically each fairway on No. 2, dotted throughout the sandy panorama. Hit into it and there’s a likelihood your ball is safely within the sand, leaving a transparent shot into the inexperienced. However there’s a a lot greater likelihood your ball has gotten caught behind certainly one of these shrubs, leaving a near-impossible chunk out again to security.
Although it may not look it, the wire grass is the final word protection of Donald Ross‘ in any other case wide-open fairways, and it’s certain to boost hell for most of the greatest within the sport come U.S. Open week.
Lesson 5: Neglect the photograph opp
I’d argue that Pinehurst No. 2 is essentially the most deceptively good golf course I’ve ever performed. There isn’t a single “signature” gap. There isn’t actually even a single visually beautiful gap to {photograph}.
Pinehurst unveils ‘Pinehurst Sandmines’ as house to new No. 10 course, teases extra to come back
However like so many different issues in life, the sweetness is within the subtlety. In the event you spend your spherical wanting by way of the digicam lens, you’ll miss all the tiny nuances that make Pinehurst No. 2 precisely as good as it’s: slopes that punish wrong-side approaches and reward right-side ones, bunkering that collects golf balls like a whole bunch of little vacuums, visible cues that play thoughts video games from the tee field. You’ll be a greater golfer when your spherical is over when you’re not apprehensive about your Instagram first.
Lesson 6: Get a caddie … severely.
As certainly one of golf media’s many caddie evangelists, I do know I come at this from a spot of bias, however I severely can not suggest using a Pinehurst caddie sufficient. These nuances I discussed above? The caddies at Pinehurst know all of ’em back and front, and their steerage will help you recognize them.
Lyle, who helped me by way of my spherical at No. 2, was well worth the full freight of his payment if just for the half-dozen or so instances he mentioned “no matter you do, don’t miss it right here.” The remainder of his recommendation was unheeded for fundamental efficiency causes, however I appreciated each phrase of it.
Lesson 7: Take the correct tees
Chances are you’ll be tempted to check out ol’ No. 2 from the U.S. Open tees, proving your virility and basic masculinity to these round you.
Don’t.
No. 2 is a beast from the ahead tees. It’s a beast from 100 yards out and sitting in the course of the golf green. Hell, it’s a beast when staring down 15 ft for birdie! In the event you’re actually hankering to see issues from the U.S. Open perspective, take a couple of minutes — like on the 14th tee field, for instance — and stroll again to the U.S. Open tees. (And sure, I meant a couple of minutes, it is going to take you that lengthy to get again.)
Don’t amplify your diploma of issue by taking part in from the flawed tees. You’ll remorse it each step of the best way, and also you’ll have nobody in charge however your self.
Lesson 8: Study the fantastic thing about the Bermuda lag putt
You received’t make a lot placing on No. 2. The greens are like glass. However you can two-putt virtually something with the correct strategy to tempo and line. Don’t be an aggressive putter, like yours actually, making an attempt to stuff your putts into the again of the outlet — that’s the best strategy to wind up buying and selling your putter for a sand wedge.
Putt with grain and tempo in thoughts, and let the ball do the remainder of the work.
Lesson 9: Don’t underestimate
Like all actually nice golf programs, No. 2 is extra of a psychological problem than a bodily one. The course will discover the second you’re taking your foot off the gasoline, simply as it is going to discover if you’ve been fastidiously considering by way of each shot alongside the best way.
Like with all nice programs, the chances of constructing a birdie all through your spherical are good … however not fairly nearly as good as the chances of constructing double-par.
Play nicely, and most significantly, play quick.
