Thompson: I’ve never played a course like this
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Chris Thompson hits a drive on No. 2 at the 2014 U.S. Open. Photo by: Seth Jones

I spoke with professional golfer Chris Thompson yesterday, a member of the Web.com Tour and a veteran of the mini tours. I asked him if he had ever seen a course like this, and he had an interesting answer:

“I don’t think I’ve ever played (a course) quite like this. Even, for instance, at Prairie Dunes, that have the native areas, there’s rough between the native areas and the fairway. Here it’s either fairway or the bad stuff.

It is unique. It has the single-line irrigation right down the middle of the fairways. So the further away from the middle you get, the less green it is. For the most part you’re going to get a good lie in the fairway no matter what. You get over there in the native stuff? Bad things are going to happen.

It’s a true test of golf. The biggest challenge is driving the ball. You have to hit the ball in the fairway. You can get away with a couple errant shots, into the native areas, but you can’t make a living over there. If you can get the ball on the fairway, you at least have a chance to get the ball on the green.”