good luck guys, dont cap golf but always watch some of byron nelson and colonial, been to the nelson a couple of times--anyway a little more on the Colonial course--
from dallasnews
FORT WORTH ? In this era of juiced-up golf balls and titanium drivers, Colonial Country Club stands as a beacon to the past.
The old-fashioned course along the Trinity River has withstood the advances in technology, presenting a refreshing challenge to tour players with its tree-lined doglegs and small greens.
The cozy layout, so rich in tradition, remains a thinking man's course, one that requires even the longest drivers to be creative and hit most of the clubs in their bags.
"It doesn't have nearly enough length to compete against all of the technology out there and the strength of the players," said Austin's Tom Kite, making his 30th start here. "But it's still a test. It's one of the few courses where you have to shape the ball. It's got plenty of tightness that forces you to hit quality shots, and if you don't hit quality shots you're going to get penalized."
Many courses have gone to great lengths to avoid getting outgrown by technology. Colonial, with virtually no room to grow, has primarily used the elements to keep up; keeping the fairways firm, the greens fast and letting the wind take care of the rest.
It made its most dramatic revisions in 2000, when it redid the greens and bunkers, added 68 trees and reworked six tee boxes. But only 70 yards were added, going from 7,010 to 7,080.
The primary focus of that project was to restore the greens and bunkers to the original aesthetics.
"You don't find the members here talking about how they're going to lengthen this hole and change this hole and move this green back so they can lengthen this tee box, as you do at a number of other courses," 2000 champion Phil Mickelson said. "That says a lot about what kind of golf course this is. It's held up better than most."
Mickelson and Sergio Garcia, the defending champion, are long hitters. But none of the winners in the 1990s, such as Nick Price in 1994, Tom Lehman in 1995 and Tom Watson in 1998, were known for their length.
Shot making is still the key element at Colonial.
"I can't think of one hole where you can just step up and swing as hard as you can," said David Toms, who finished fourth and eighth the past two years. "Every hole has something that you have to pay attention to. A lot of courses we play, you just hit it high and long and it just kind of stops where it lands. It's a different type of golf. We just don't get to play many courses like this."
Scores show the course adapting well to equipment improvements. Mickelson won with a 12-under 268, the same score shot by 1978 champion Lee Trevino.
Fulton Allem set the tournament record of 264 in 1993, the same year Keith Clearwater and Lee Janzen posted course-record rounds of 61.
Good scores are out there, but overly aggressive play can lead to trouble.
Mickelson said that long players can overpower Colonial if they keep their ball out of the rough. On the par-4 18th, which players used to reach with 5-irons, Mickelson usually hits pitching wedge or sand wedge.
"To play this course most effectively, you need to hit driver," he said. "With the fairways being fast, it's difficult to hit fairways with drivers. But if I'm driving well, I'd like to be aggressive on this course, see if I can get wedges in and make some birdies."
Under normal conditions, players can struggle with the firm fairways because balls will roll through them and into the rough. If it rains, Colonial has little defense because the fairways get soft. Wind makes the layout extremely difficult.
"You go from hitting a lot of drivers to hitting a lot of 2-irons off the tee and stuff like that," Garcia said. "It makes you think a lot. I think the good players stand out here."
One of Colonial's unique aspects is the Horrible Horeshoe of Nos. 3, 4 and 5.
Players are greeted with one of the most difficult stretches on tour early in their round. No. 3 is a demanding dogleg left that requires a perfect drive; No. 4 is a 246-yard par-3; and No. 5 is a 470-yard par-4.
"If you play those holes even-par for the tournament, then you have a good chance to win the tournament," said 1998 champion Tom Watson said. "Those holes eat most people's lunches. At some courses, it's the late holes that you have to play well. Here, it's the opening holes."
