The golfers will have to manage coastal winds, a major championship, and a course length that has never been seen at a PGA major event. The PGA Championship will stretch out longer than 7,800 yards, and thus making it the longest in major championship history. Little known is the fact that Kiawah Island built multiple tee boxes for this event due to how violent the winds can become.  If we see torrential gusts, the grounds crew can easily shorten this course if necessary. The course prides itself in the fact that they have more holes next to the Atlantic…literally. Six holes are going to play over 500 yards and distance will be a premium…maybe…more on that later.

Being that this is a major, the PGA Tour is looking to make this as difficult as possible. Being a coastal course leads tour pro’s to potential big numbers thanks to the wind gusts that could blow off the Atlantic. The undulation in the fairways could lead to tough lie angles, and it could be a recipe for disaster for anyone who struggles in windy conditions. While we would typically see Bermuda grass in the rough, the weather still hasn’t changed in order for it to have ideal growing conditions.  You’re going to see a thick track anywhere outside the fairway, but the grass has been overseeded with its winter kernal of rye grass. I have read that the warm spring is allowing the Paspalum to thicken, but to what degree is uncertain.

Most know this was the home or Rory’s PGA Championship win in 2012. Yet, one of the more famous moments that Kiawah holds dear is the 1991 Ryder Cup also known as the “War on the Shore”.  As it did in those environments, the fairways will play a little tighter while the rough will be allowed to get plenty thick. Driving distance is going to be the main topic this week. I find that its effect is limited in the fact that this course is only 200 yards longer from 2012, and the advances in golf technology is going to mitigate that additional length…and just for fun…200/18 is only 11.1 yards per hole.  It obviously does not have a linear hole by hole relationship, but you understand where we are going. It isn’t a massive change in what Tour Pro’s are used to. Look at how golfers struggle in adversity rather than how long they are to give yourself an edge in lineups construction. While distance is always an important factor, it does not directly correlate to winners at this course.

Architect: Pete and Alice Dye
Greens: Paspalum Grass Greens
Stimpmeter: 12+ for faster than average greens
Length: 7,876 – Par 72
Water Hazards: The Atlantic Ocean. 3 holes with marshes and inlets.
Bunkers: There are no bunkers, bu there is a beach.