#peteralliss

The 2015 Valspar Championship proved to be an excellent contest, taking us right to the end we saw Jordan Spieth take the title in a 3 way play-off with Sean O’Hair and Patrick reed.

Going into this year’s championship, now ranked No.1 we are sure that Jordan Spieth not only wants to defend his title but do so with a more convincing win. Yet somehow, like all golf tournaments, we don’t believe it’s going to be quite as simple as that!

There are some great golfers gracing the fairways this year and many of them in top form, no doubt looking to storm ahead.

Yet it isn’t just the competition Spieth has to be aware of. . . The Copperhead course has had a make-over, while not too drastic and sticking with its style and layout to the most part, there will still be some differences. The fairways and the Greens have been relayed, opting for the ever popular Celebration Bermudagrass and TifEagle Bermuda Greens, not to mention a couple of extra bunkers that may prove to be hazardous in the 4 day stretch.

The Copperhead, considered one of the toughest par 71s on the PGA Tour presents us with the Snake Pit; A final 3 hole challenge from the 16th – 18th that, like the Bear Trap a couple of weeks ago, may prove to be a crucial section of the Championship – not just as they are the closing holes.

After Spieth’s victory last year it has been said that the course favours accurate and consistent putters, though with narrow fairways, new foundations, large hazards and some sharp dog-legs we believe this weekend is going to come down to accuracy from the tee. We believe that Fairways in Regulation is going to be a crucial statistic for the winner of this tournament. While no doubt it’s important to hit the green, each player will need to navigate the course and take advantage of the fairways to optimise their spin and consistency in hitting greens.

Some players we will be looking out for:

Of course, Jordan Spieth. Defending his win from last year, ranked No.1 and in good form he has to be the one to beat. He will need a strong start for this weekend though otherwise it will be an uphill battle against some tough competition.

Patrick Reed and Sean O’Hair; these guys will be looking to take what they almost had last year!

Patrick Reed is no doubt notable as World No.10 having had a great end to 2015. He continued his form early on in 2016 at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions with 2nd place and have recently finished 6th at the AT&T Pebble Beach. Otherwise he is due a win and could look to turn his form back around this weekend. Sean O’Hair; winner of the Valspar Championship in 2008 and P2 last year. The Copperhead is not doubt a favoured course of his; ranked as one of the best putters inside 10 feet if he hits the greens in regulation he could be in for a strong finish.

Valspar also has the South African duo Louis Oosthuizen and Ernie ‘The Big Easy’ Els.

With a recent win under Oosthuizens belt at The Perth International and a former World Number 1 in Els these two could prove to be tough competition. Certainly a duo to keep your eyes on!

We can’t forget Danny Willett, his first appearance at The Copperhead this weekend so sure he will be raring to go. T3 at The Doral last week so a good groundings to get him ready for this weekend.

And of course Russell Knox, competing this weekend and we hope he is going to find his 2016 form. He had a great end to 2015 with a 1st place finish at the WBC-HSBC and T2 at the OHL Classic. Yet he hasn’t managed to continue that so far in 2016. Having been CUT twice and a highest place of T26 maybe this weekend could be his chance!

We believe this weekend is going to be a great competition and hope you all enjoy watching!

Keep an eye on the players mentioned above and see if you can spot the changes from last year and the players that fall behind in the Snake Pit.  

Whether you’re an experienced golfer or relatively new to the sport I wonder how many different styles of golf courses you have played?

Have you even considered just how many variations there are?

Now I’m not about to get out my scientific calculator and start plugging in the variables to find the many combinations... but what I will do is run through a summary of them. That way, next time you’re out on the course or perhaps in the process of selecting where to play you can take into account where you’re playing or where you would like to play!

Style difference number 1:

How accessible is the golf course?

Some courses are known as Pay and Play, a nice open entry course where anybody, usually of any ability can turn up or book to play a round of golf. Sometimes these courses are considered to be less challenging or perhaps not in the same condition as other types of courses. From personal experience there are a few pay and play courses in my local area and the vast majority are in excellent condition, some to the extent that I would argue better condition than other styles (Which I’ll get to in a minute). The Challenge...? Well this obviously depends on your ability, but those I am thinking of above vary in forgiveness, hazards and lengths so I would say there are plenty of options available.

Alternatively, you have two other styles of accessibility. You have Members Only and Guests Only. While similar there is a small difference which is usually related to ownership and how the course is run.

Member’s only. . . These courses are like a gated community – some are more private than others but the underlying factor is that you need to pay a yearly membership to access and use of the facilities and the course. Some like I mention are more exclusive and to become a member you would need to be invited or recommended. Others have, particularly in recent years, designed more flexible memberships – usually in relation to payments and commitments.

Guests Only. . . These courses are usually associated with hotels or resorts and are made available only to those who are staying with them. So while open to anybody to play – they require you to be slightly more scheduled with your visits. Of course while these are not made specifically exclusive like a member’s only course in the form of recommendations and invites, there is no doubt some resorts and hotels can restrict visitors simply by upping their prices – which naturally creates exclusions.

 Style difference number 2:

As previously mentioned, Ownership is a factor that can play a large part in the style of a golf course. It may affect accessibility, depending on what the owner(s) intend for the course and it may well affect the condition, layout and nature of a golf course too.  

There are 3 types of owners. You have council owned, privately owned and hotel resorts which are run by the hotel company.

It is pretty clear how they match up to accessibility.

While not always the case, more often than not you will find that Hotel Resorts run a Guest Only policy, privately owned courses tend to be Members only, though can sometimes be pay and play.

Council run courses tend to be known as Municipal Golf Courses and these are usually pay-and-play courses. Though as I mentioned, this isn’t always the case – there are 3 courses nearby to myself that are privately owned and still run as pay-and-play.

Style difference number 3:

The one you have all been waiting for!!!

There are 6 main differences in golf courses in their nature of layout, surroundings and environment.

The more traditional courses are your Links Courses and Parkland Courses.

Links Courses are the ‘Original Courses’ just like the Home of Golf St Andrews Links these courses are usually set between the sea and agricultural land. Usually very challenging courses, not only because weather conditions can become unpredictable with wind and rain, especially as the majority of these courses are found in the UK, but also because golfers will be faced with undulating fairways and while usually not trees to create an obstacle links courses boast deep and challenging bunkers.

Parkland courses are your traditional luscious green courses that are often depicted when describing a stereotypical vision of golf. These courses are known for their inland settings, with trees crowding the fairways to add the already challenging layout of bunkers and rough. Depending on the venue, these courses can be very tough in winter months, particularly if you find yourself in the rough.

Perhaps the more unusual courses that can be found are Heath-land and Desert courses. Heath-land have a lot of similarities to a parkland course though you may find the fairways aren’t as verdant and the course may be lined with smaller hazards, such as shrubs and bushes, as opposed to narrowing effect of trees on a parkland course.

Desert courses, most commonly found in southern areas of the U.S. and of course the desert itself Dubai and Abu Dhabi. While the name may make you think of these courses as barren and unsightly I believe you will be pleasantly surprised.

If Emirates Golf Club in Dubai is anything to go by then while fairways, greens and tees are surrounded by desert and courses obviously boast large ominous bunkers, fairways and greens are kept in pristine condition. With fortunes being spent on a vast number of gallons of water to keep courses and water hazards in nothing but the best condition.

Quite a difference to Browns courses, as the name suggests there isn’t anything green about them. The perfect example is Kabul Golf Club, the only course to grace Afghanistan with our precious and loved sport.

You can find it on our site at

http://www.golfworlddirectory.com/index.php?page=golf-course-info&course=Kabul+Golf+Club

Finally, there are Resort courses. I am confident that many of you will have had the opportunity to play one of these courses at some stage in your golfing ‘career.’

These courses, usually a centre piece at many of the resorts are kept in the best of condition. Designed for the golfer’s enjoyment and pleasure they are often made wide and forgiving to improve chances of success. No doubt there are still hazards and golfers of all abilities will enjoy playing these courses. Sometimes you will find resorts that have more than one course, to tailor their approach for the different levels of golfers they may have visit them.

So next time you’re searching for golf course to play, remember two things:

1.      There are so many courses to choose from, so mix it up, take your time in selection and choose the course you really want to play.

And

As both golfer and television commentator, I have been fortunate enough to travel to most countries where golf is played. Over the past 2 decades the expansion of Golf Courses worldwide means that as a Golfer, Society or Corporate group there are now vast opportunities for you to travel and experience the adventures of different golf challenges around the world. Golf World Directory Limited have worked and continue to work tirelessly on providing a comprehensive worldwide golf directory to provide the information and connections you need to explore the world of golf. By visiting www.golfworlddirectory.com you can interact and discover hidden gems or search old favourites. If you need further details then they connect you to the course or club via their websites wherever it is available. The joys of playing golf in far away places are many. The views, the flora and fauna, the many types of courses but perhaps most of all, the pleasure of meeting new people from different cultures whose common interest is the game of golf, all with an ambition one day to perhaps beat par. This website is a must for every golfer who plays ‘away from home’. Enjoy your travel, enjoy your golf and enjoy reading the content within this Blog – I’m sure you will.

Peter Alliss