Course
The Course is going through a 3-year redesign programme carried out by Jose Maria Olazabal. For this year's event the following has been changed:
1st fairway
- mounding on both sides and new bunkers to the right.
1st Green
- New bigger Green with mounding at the back and new bunker.
11th Green
- extended
14th Green
- Much bigger Green with mounding at the back and a lake next to the Green on the left
16th Hole
- 3 bunkers to the right of landing area, 2 lakes to the left of landing area with second one next to the Green. New Green complex much bigger with mounding at the back.
17th Hole
- New Green complex that has been moved to the right by 20 metres and lowered by 3-4 metres. Much bigger Green with bunkers left and right.
18th Green
- Much bigger Green with 3 levels and bunkers left and right. Mounding has also been created to the left and right of the hole.
For 2005 Holes 2, 3, 10, 11, 12 and 13 will be changed.
Grasses
Greens: Penncross and Poa Annua
Fairways: Bermuda, Penncross and little bit of Rye Grass
Tees: Predominantly Bermuda with little Penncross
Semi-rough and Rough: As Fairways
Greens
Greens cutting height: 3.10m
Stimpmeter reading on Monday: 9.8
We are trying to keep similar speed between new Greens (1, 14, 11, 16, 17 and 18) and old Greens through different mowing regimes:
Old Greens - Double
New Greens - Single
Rough
Semi-rough: 25mm - 1 band (3m) arounf Fairways and 2 bands (6m) around Greens.
Intermediate rough: 60mm (only around Fairways)
Rough: 93mm - will be topped on Tuesday then left for the rest of the week.
Fairways
Fairways are quite generous, however there are many out of bounds close to playing areas therefore hitting straight off the tee is very important.
Fairways cutting height: 10mm
