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Designing Golf's Future: OCM's Modern TPC Vision
10 Mar
Summary
- Original TPC Sawgrass was a severe test, nicknamed a 'hyena' by players.
- Architects OCM focus on angles, masking distances, and varied lies.
- New course designs prioritize strategic doubt over sheer length.
Pete Dye's 1980 Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass was designed to be a severe test, but its difficulty led to player complaints and subsequent modifications.
Architects Mike Cocking and Geoff Ogilvy of OCM are now envisioning a modern PGA Tour venue, drawing inspiration from Dye's innovative use of angles and routing.
Their approach prioritizes masking distances to create psychological doubt, a tactic Dye employed effectively.
OCM also emphasizes strategic width and multiple shot options off the tee to challenge players' decision-making.
They advocate for varied fairway contours and uneven lies to penalize imprecise shots cumulatively.
Short-grass runoff areas around greens are also favored over deep bunkers for a different kind of challenge.
While acknowledging the need for increased length, OCM believes a modern course should still include shorter holes and drivable par 4s.
Their design philosophy leans towards psychologically taxing layouts rather than purely physically punitive ones, using subtly deceptive rough and fairway conditions.
