[neil]

I have just come back from working as a spotter at Hoylake for ABC TV. My job was to relay the clubs the players were using on a par 3 hole. On Thursday and Saturday I was on the 198 yard 9th and on Friday I worked the198 yard 13th . The 9th played a lot easier as it was more inland and most of the clubs were in the 8 to 7 iron range although Cabrera got on with a 9 iron. The 13th played longer as there tended to be an into wind and was mainly a 6 iron although 5s and 4 were used into the wind. I don't know how the Championship looked on TV but IMO the venue was not worthy of holding the British Open. The course was bland the fairways too flat and the rough was not at all penal as the grass was bone dry and brittle . The course needed a lot of wind to test the players but there was almost no wind over the 4 days apart from a little in the afternoon on Sunday. It felt like a major championship held at a public municipal course. The course was too compact and spectators could not get around easily . The practice ground was tiny and set up on another course across the road and the parking was miles away.. The greens were awful and were not consistent within the green or to each other . On the same green you had green and burned out brown patches and on a long putt the ball could go over several different type of green before it got to the hole. Hensby and Pampling were talking about this on the 13th tee and were not impressed. Other than this and a run in with Steve Williams Tiger's caddy had a good time.

As someone who has played Hoylake,I'm disappointed that at your opinion....and ,after a bad week ,I have come to the conclusion that some people "do not get" THE OPEN .If you want to talk about greens "being awful" how do you think the members are at shinnecock hills! THE USGA killed the greens for a spectacle!-and even TIGER said it was unfair.So ,Carnoustie was too tough and Hoylake was crap.Hensby and Pampling were up there(?)
You should read G olf Digest they say thr R&A IS OBSOLETE and every OPEN venue should be scrapped-......but you probably already know that.