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1992-10-13
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PREPPING PEBBLE for the U.S. Open^
^
by Jack Nicklaus^
^
Editor's note: Now under new ownership, Pebble Beach Company has
made a considerable investment and commitment to assuring that
Pebble Beach Golf Links will be in prime condition-not only for the
1992 U.S. Open which will be played there, but for the future as well.
In this light, they hired Jack Nicklaus to take stock of the course and
restore it to its original condition. We asked Nicklaus to share his
thoughts on this prestigious undertaking with us.^
^
As Pebble Beach readies for the 1992 U.S. Open, I've been asked to
make my recommendations on how the course can be efficiently
returned to its original design.^
^
The layout of the course has easily survived the test of time, and after
more than 70 years of tournament and pleasure play, it remains one of
the great golf courses of the world. Without question, Jack Neville and
Douglas Grant, the two men responsible for Pebble back in 1919, are
to be praised for creating such an exciting and endurable golf course.^
^
It would seem then, that Pebble has escaped the normal aging
process that takes place with the passage of time. Unfortunately that
isn't the case. In fact, golf course design goes far beyond the
configuration of the hole-by-hole layout, and in some important ways
Pebble Beach has seen some evolution.^
^
Greens and bunkers, two extremely important design elements at
Pebble, gradually changed their shape and their precise location. Over
the years, little particles of sand, blasted onto the greens, eventually
build up, changing the size of the greens and the bunkers. On a day to
day basis, the sand built up is imperceptible, but by comparing a
green's current size to what it was in an earlier period, the difference
can be surprisingly significant.^
^
For accurate information on the greens, two forms of research have
been used: one new and one old.^
^
Thanks to modern technology, we have determined the shapes of
earlier greens by taking soil probes from the perimeter of the greens.
An analysis of these soil mixes revealed the exact location, shape and
size of the earlier greens. These findings were supported by observing
poa annua and creeping bentgrass that would typically be in the
greens rather than in the current collars or immediate rough.^
^
We also relied on traditional detective tricks: We looked at old
photographs from the Pebble Beach archives. By studying early
pictures of the course we were able to compare what the
photographer saw then to what we see now.
Based on our research, the following restorative changes will have
been made well in advance of the U.S. Open. Hole-by-hole:^
^
-The greens at one, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10, 11 and 12
have been completely rebuilt or restored to their original size and
shape, including an innovative soil heating system for number five
because it's in shade much of the time. All greens are poa annua. (It's
interesting to note that Jack Neville designed the greens even smaller
than was the fashion back in 1919 because he wanted to reward the
long iron hitter. It was his opinion that long irons took the most skill
and a golfer who could hit a tight target should be rewarded).^
^
-Because most of the greens have been returned to their original
size, there is now a greater choice of pin placement. This means less
wear on the green and more options for increasing the difficulty of the
hole.^
^
-Number three hole has been lengthened 15 yards by repositioning
the championship tee.^
^
-A total of 12 tees (one through five, seven through 12, and 17) were
either rebuilt, reseeded or resurfaced. Sometimes there were
combinations of changes at the tees, including enlarging some.^
^
-Kikuyu grass was eradicated from virtually every fairway. All
fairways and tees were reseeded in perennial rye grass.^
^
-All bunkers now conform to a links style and appearance that is
expected of an oceanside golf course. Over time they had become too
formal.^
^
The overall result has not been "change," but rather a polishing of a
rare and valuable gem. There is nothing at Pebble Beach that wasn't
there originally. After nearly two years of research and restoration,
Pebble Beach is in prime condition, and when the first round of the
1992 U.S. Open is played on June 15 it will be its old self-tough,
rugged and unforgiving.