Golfdom, December 2011
A fleet of fairway mowers makes short work of a fairway at Congressional CC site of the 2011 U S Open AS IF THE DREADFUL economy wasnt enough to compound golf industry misery 2011 will long be remembered for extreme weather wreaking havoc on courses majors and livelihoods But 2011 will be remembered for more than just the trials and tribulations of another rough golf season Take a step back with me and lets take a look at 2011 in the rearview The majors The golf year peaked in April when The Masters produced one of the most exciting finishes the game has ever seen With idyllic weather and a star studded leaderboard that included Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson the second largest audience of the last 10 years tuned in to see Charl Schwartzel emerge from a tightly packed group of charging greats to birdie the final four holes A wet spring and strong rye overseed made the course just a bit softer the hazard banks a little more forgiving and the fairway lies just improved enough to reduce the overall extreme nature of Masters conditions The difference for fans was noticeable and while Schwartzel and several others finished with those blood red double digit under par scores the sun has continued to rise in the East every day since the South Africans birdie barrage Weather was not as kind to Congressional superintendent Mike Giuffre who had the Blue Course humming along until brutal heat 18 Golfdom December 2011 in the REARVIEW
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