From the Dallas Morning News...

"Vijay Singh, a three-time winner of the Shell Houston Open, made a statement by not playing this week, and it went something like this: As a course designer, David Toms should stick to playing."


Personally, I agree. I think the course is bland and extremely uninteresting. I much prefer the old course.

Are you talking about the other Redstone course or the course prior to Redstone?

Thanks,
ALK

He's talking about the torunament course at Redstone. Here's the total blurb, I wouldn't take it for more than it's worth, a reporter putting words in a player's mouth:



This isn't a David Toms design either, he was a "player consultant" to Reese Jones who was the main designer. The Tournament Course is not one of his gems IMHO.

I think being the week before the Masters is a tough move for the Shell. It pretty much eliminated any chance of Tiger ever coming back to Houston and since it's so far from Georgia, Phil's not playing either. I still have a hard time understanding the PGA Tour's new schedule since they seem to be hopping across the country, but I guess it's better than having the tournament contracted like the International.

With that said, the Tournament course is not very good. There are hundreds of trees, but not a single one comes into play on any of the holes. It is very bland, and it's not too difficult (for hte best players in the world at least). What's worse is that it's not fan friendly at all. The walk from 1 green to 2 tee is close to a half mile, there is no shade for fans, and it's tough to follow your favorite player due to long walks between tees and greens. Getting to holes 4-7 and 12-16 are a nightmare, and most people just stick around 1 and 18.

HGA needs to stick their tail between their legs and move it back onto the members course that many players were raving about.

I have played the members course and I loved it.

I think the new PGA tour schedule has been much more efficient this year than in the past. This seems like the first event that is out of place to me. Keeping the Atlanta stop the week before the masters would have been perfect, close to Augusta, relatively similar course setups, and it spread out Atlanta's two pga tour events. They're never going to get the field the bellsouth got to go to Houston because of the distance and the course.

jlww3

That blurb is just another media attempt to try to stir things up using Vijay as the "bad guy." It's really old now.

TPC The Woodlands (now the East Course) was and is a much better course. You've got a great 6 holes coming in and excitement and disaster lurking at each one of them.

#13 - Huge island green, very reachable but it will require a long iron, hybrid or maybe even a FW. Really easy birdie if you lay up. Possible eagle, possible bogey or double if you go for it.
#14 - After redesigning the green, it has so much slope back to front, its easily 3-4 feet of slope in only 30-40 of green. The front is shaved so shots funnel into the water. Great par 3.
#15 - Very reachable par 5, easy birdie.
#16 - Par 3, with three to four club green, lined with traps, and very narrow.
#17 - Devil's Bathtub. No telling where the wind is coming from, but its there and will definitely be affecting your shot. Not a long hole, but requires an extremely accurate short iron to a very shallow depth wise green.
#18 - Long, and carry over all water for second shot. Green is one of the biggest you'll see. L shaped turned on its side 90* to the right. However on Sundays, the green's depth is only about 15 yards, and its all carry over water.

Plus the TPC was designed for tournaments (as was Redstone). But its much easier to walk it and get around if you need to get back to the clubhouse or to the other nine. There is ample room for the galleries and trees do come into play. After all this is the Piney Woods of Texas. The whole place is a forest.

The main reason why it was moved from TPC to Redstone was parking. Parking was bad at TPC, but its just as bad at Redstone, since you have to be bussed in.

Bottom line is TPC will always be a much better course than Redstone. Redstone is boring and requires no thinking at all playing it. Just hit as far as you can and go find it. I may be a bit biased as I grew up playing TPC all the time throughout high school and junior golf, but there is no comparison.

I agree that it should have stayed at the TPC. I will pass along everyones comments to the actual group that layed out the Redstone courses. This is the same group that built my home course and I see the owner many times a year.

I went up and played them both and you guys comments echo my own. I was also a little put off about the surrounding parts of town that it was built in. I have heard horror stories about cars being broken into and stuff on the course being stolen and things like that.

there were more problems than just the parking at the TPC. residents complained about people going through yards, damage to yards and homes, etc.... the facilities of the clubhouse were lacking for a pga event.

that said, a course to course comparison, the TPC is a far suppior course both in challenge to the player and excitment for the fan. its a real shame that the course went private.

Never been there, but I briefly watched to telecast today. It seemed like there was no one there and, as you said, that the fans were nowhere near the fairways, greens, or players. Talk about a dead atmosphere. This could possibly be the first PGA Tour event of this year that I don't watch at all on the weekend. It just bored me to pieces, and I attribute that to it seeming like there was no crowd or fan reaction. If you had listened to only the audio of the show, it probably sounded like one of GC's Nationwide Tour events (small crowds, no noise). Definitely missing the electric atmosphere of the Florida swing. Good news though, paradise is only a week away!

I don't care because I love the Vijay and Immelman commercial for the Fed Ex Cup. I appreciate his honesty and dry humor.

My understanding from a number of members is that'll never happen.

It's too bad, because the Member's Course could be tricked out to give a decent Masters prep.

Watching the first round telecast tonight: The greens are so sticky and slow---groundskeeper messed up there.

I love the member's course at Redstone...one of the best around town! The tournament SHOULD be moved to Memorial Park though!!

Vijay is never welcomed to Houston ever!!!!!!!!

Vijay is misunderstood by the public. He is very well liked by most of his peers. I watched him laugh with kids who interrupted him on the range at TPC Sawgrass. He stopped, shook each of their hands, and spoke to every one of them. I like Veej.

ahah yesss

Vijay/Immelman Fedex Cup Commercial