37 mon TreuX G&cc Reno, Nev.
Jack Nicklaus’ 1997 design offers “Some really fun, funky stuff
here with some blasé stuff too.” “Don’t be fooled by the 7,472-yard
scorecard yardage because it plays shorter due to the course’s 5,500-
foot elevation. “Altitude golf sucks,” said one, but players noted the
negatives are offset by “amazing conditioning” each year and a well-received 2011 switching of the nines to the configuration as created by
Nicklaus. “They went from a weak finisher to a reachable par 5 where
you can make 3 or 7 pretty easily,” said one player. “It’s way better for
fans and more fun for us.”
6. 45
Wal T diSney World reSor T (maGnolia)
Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
6. 41
Since 1998, architect Joe Lee’s 1971 design has been hosting the final
two rounds of tour events played here and is respected for being “fun”
and a “welcome change.” “Not much to say about it other than it’s
Florida, the kids love it and there are worse places to play.” One player
likes finishing the year here, because even with water on 10 of 18 holes,
“when you are trying to keep your card, it’s better than playing the Pete
Dye course on the property.” The par- 3 sixth pays tribute to a certain
Disney character. “A bunker has Mickey Mouse-shaped ears,” said one
player. “That’s all you need to know.”
40 Glen abbey Gc Oakville, Ontario
6.263
The 25-time host of the Canadian Open last saw the PGA Tour’s finest
in 2009, and players are not in a huge hurry to return. “Used to like it, but
other courses in the rotation have been a breath of fresh air,” said one.
Several praised recent changes to the routing including switching the
16th back to a par 5, yet some still aren’t excited. “How many redos do
you get?” This 1976 Jack Nicklaus design is home to the Royal Canadian
GA and Hall of Fame, prompting suspicions of excess course setup
measures to appease RCGA officials. “Another place hemmed in and
ruined by setup,” said one citing “too much rough discouraging recoveries. Do they not remember Tiger’s bunker shot?” That was a reference to
Woods’ famous 6-iron fairway bunker shot over the 18th-hole pond in a
2000 win. One veteran said even with the changes, “it’s a solid tournament course, but I liked it better before they over-tinkered.”
Tpc Summerlin
Las Vegas
6. 32
This Bobby Weed-designed TPC in Sin City offers “some solid shot
values” where “several holes make you consider what you’re doing with
your drive.” The Fall Finish event has perked up in recent years thanks to
Justin Timberlake’s involvement and great turfgrass. “Timberlake and
Vegas are the draw here, but the course is just fine with amazing conditioning this year.” Players noted the TPC has “some really fun holes,”
but that it “lacks one or two killer holes to make it stand out more.” The
short par- 4 15th “could have been one, but I still don’t understand what
they were trying for,” said one, while another said the 15th is “fun for us,
but the amateurs can’t play it.” Finally, player scores tend to not treat
“desert golf” very kindly because as one player asked rhetorically, “There
just isn’t much great desert golf architecture is there?”
Trump in Terna Tional Gc (ChampionShip)
Rio Grande, Puerto Rico
6.255
This “resorty” Donald Trump-managed development was noted for its
“tough winds,” “silly-long par 3s,” and as “a real driver’s course.” Designed
by Tom Kite in 2004, modified by the former U.S. Open champion in
2007 and tweaked again after the first Puerto Rico Open in 2008, players
complimented many of the course changes for “adding more strategy”
via modified landing areas and short-grass chipping areas to make the
course “more interesting around the greens.” The tour’s finest noted
“setup is key,” with the potential to stretch par 3s to 230 or 240 with gusty
winds. “The par 3s can come down to the guy who hits straightest with a
5-wood, or in this case a 2-iron, and then they’re no fun to play.” Another
player found the newly planted trees in landing areas “tacky,” but prefaced
his gripes about the 7,526-yard layout by saying, “I can’t get past what a
terrible event this is, and I think that clouds my judgment of the course.”
redSTone Gc (tournament)
Humble, Texas
6. 23
“Average course, great condition” was a theme with this Houston-area
design unveiled in 2006. Players rave about the “tightly mown” turfgrass
at this “always in very good shape” stop designed by Rees Jones. Since
moving before the Masters, conditions emulate the setup at Augusta
