Madrid Open.....Is it the best course in Madrid?

soundsham

Have to say had a bit of interest in this event when Shane Lowry was thereabouts on fri,didn't see any yesterday so looked online this morning to see he has fallen away unfortunately,but I suppose what interests me is what do people think of pro events being played on a course where guys are having 63's and 64's very easily and a few have shot 62 and 63,leader shot 60 yesterday........

Cant imagine it to be much of a course (maybe someone here has played it?) -4 needed to make cut,
I have to say birdie-fest tournaments do nothing for me I'd rather see the pro's have to work harder or struggle a little to make a score,I just think you see the more imaginative shots from the better golfers who come to the fore when conditions are less favourable

Not that i want us open conditions every week but the winner this week could break -30(currently-24 after a 60 yesterday), imagine shooting 4 X 67's and losing by 10...ffs

I know Gonzo is the host and is friendly with the spanish royalty so no doubt there's pull to get an event to madrid but how did this course get the gig? Surely there is a better course......

Any thoughts.......

Adiaga 2

Haven't seen much of the event but agree with what you're saying. I noticed there was placing on friday so chances are the course is pretty soft which the pros love and generally leads to lower scores. Madrid is also a fair bit above sea level giving the players an extra few yards on their shots. So maybe not so surprising scores are so good. You still have to get the ball in the hole though so fairplay to Ross McGowan and his impressive 7 shot lead. Mikko Ilonen shot back-to-back 63s too! I guess that course needs to be firm and for the wind to blow to protect itself. It's not the prettiest looking course either. I'd say most of the other courses around the city(like club de campo) are seen as just too short to host big pro events now.

conman

ive watched a fair bit of it on tv, and it looks fairly crap. the course itself used to be a rubbish dump, until it was bought out and redeveloped. its so close to the main road, that you can hear cars, sirens, everything on nearly every shot. there is a car park only a few yards from one of the greens, so on the first day many pros were reported to be surprised that they were hitting out of bounds (the car park is just beyond a ridge, which is above the green)..

i have no desire to play that course, and find it hard to think that there are not far superior courses in Madrid.. but then again, this is where their Golf Union resides too..

GUI would never stage an event in a course like this, there would be uproar!

Aidric

Agree with the OP. It's a mockery of a course. I had a flick through yesterdays scoring and I counted only six players in the field shooting over par, Lowry one of them unfortunately.

heavyballs

i didn't hear the reason why but i beleive this course didn't have sufficient time to get it up to touney standard ,so i presume some other course must have pulled out for some reason

soundsham

no doubt €uro's comes into the equation somewhere when prizefunds have to be put together , but doesn't look like a course to be put on any must play lists

Mister Sifter

conman wrote: »

GUI would never stage an event in a course like this, there would be uproar!

As rotten as the course looks, the greens look superb.

Just watched McGowan hit his second into a par 4 on the back nine there... the backdrop looked like the Madrid equivalent of Ballymun.

Irish Open for Sillogue next year...

conman

Mister Sifter wrote: »

As rotten as the course looks, the greens look superb.

Just watched McGowan hit his second into a par 4 on the back nine there... the backdrop looked like the Madrid equivalent of Ballymun.

Irish Open for Sillogue next year...

i dont have a problem with the course, its everything else
carparks, approximity to the road and noise polution, etc etc.. plus it doesnt look to sharp from the sky views :P