With cooler temperatures, wind picking up and low cloud floating in off of the Pacific, the Olympic Course is going to be a different test to the first three days. Here's how the course is set up.
Weather Forecast –The forecast for today is vastly more complicated than the last two days. Although the majority of the Bay Area stayed mostly clear overnight, low clouds are rapidly building at this hour just offshore from The Olympic Club. Mostly sunny and hazy this morning, but some low clouds may mix with sunshine around mid-morning. The balance of the midday hours are expected to be mostly sunny through late afternoon, while low clouds with fog/mist possibly may gather strength over the Pacific. Look for the transition from sunshine to low clouds with fog/mist possible to occur between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., with hopefully the thickest clouds waiting until after sunset. The winds will be 6–12 m.p.h. out of the southwest.
Green Speeds
This morning’s green speeds once again averaged in the low 13s on the USGA Stimpmeter immediately after the cut and roll. As in the past several days, the greens will settle out again in the mid 12s by midday.
Water Management
Hand-watering was applied to all greens last night; additional water was applied to the greens this morning as needed, based on firmness and moisture readings. There has been an attempt to mimic firmness conditions from rounds 1 through 3.
Total Course Yardage for Round 1 (tee marker settings to flagstick)
3,522 yards out, 3,477 yards in for 6,999 total yards
Hole-by-Hole Information
Hole 1– 532 yards; the hole location is in the back center of the green.
Hole 2– 428 yards; the hole location is in the far-right quadrant, tucked behind the bunker that fronts the green.
Hole 3– 224 yards; the tee markers are on the penultimate teeing ground; the hole location is center right; putts from the front have a right-to-left break; balls landing hole high will very likely release to the back of the fall-away green.
Hole 4– 449 yards; the hole location is in the far back center, only a few paces from the closely mown fall-off behind the green.
Hole 5– 491 yards; the tee markers are on back teeing ground; the hole location is front left; most putts will be downhill and very fast.
Hole 6– 488 yards; the hole location in the front-right portion of this green, which slopes right to left.
Hole 7– 264 yards; the tee markers are again on the back of the penultimate teeing ground; the hole location is front right, against the ridge that separates the front and back portions of the green; missing long in any direction will make recovery very difficult.
Hole 8– 188 yards; the tee markers are on the back of the penultimate teeing ground; the hole location is back left, several paces over a subtle undulation.
Hole 9– 458 yards; the hole location is back left, near the closely mown fall-off behind and left of the green.
Hole 10– 412 yards; the hole location is in the front-right lobe, which is difficult to access.
Hole 11– 423 yards; the hole location is above the ridge on the left side, making the approach shot more challenging.
Hole 12– 446 yards; the tee markers are on the back teeing ground; the hole location is tucked over the front-right bunker.
Hole 13– 211 yards; the tee markers are on the back teeing ground; the hole location is back right; this green slopes right to left, making a miss to the right of the green a very challenging recovery.
Hole 14– 407 yards; the hole location is in the center, close to the subtle fall-off left of the green.
Hole 15– 164 yards; the tee markers are on the back teeing ground; the hole location is far back right.
Hole 16– 569 yards; tee markers are moved up roughly 100 yards; players will be forced to make a decision off the tee: hit a driver and turn it aggressively right to left or lay back with a shorter club; in order to reach the green area in two shots, the player must aggressively curve two shots right to left; the hole location is front left, just above the run-up to the green; putts from the middle of the green will be very fast.
Hole 17– 510 yards; tee markers are on the left teeing ground; the hole location is center, about two-thirds back; putts from above and to the left of this hole will be very fast.
Hole 18– 335 yards; the hole is the traditional fourth-round hole location, in the front left and just four paces on.
