Easy Ryder

By Matt Cooper Last updated: 11th March 2010

Celtic Manor's 2010 course will host the Ryder Cup later this year. Matt Cooper was guided around it by SkyCaddie.

Listen to Matt's views on the SkyCaddie
Watch Matt play the 18th at Celtic Manor

Arrival

The 2010 course at Celtic Manor Resort sits in the Usk Valley and on the morning of my arrival it was looking a little ethereal with mist lingering across the course whilst a golden sun tried to break over the top of the surrounding hills.

At the doors of the 2010 clubhouse I was greeted by a member of staff who took my golf bag and then walked me to my locker in the changing rooms. "Is this where the players will change in October?" I asked, a little excited. "Yes, a wall will be built down the middle, Europe one side, America the other."

That situated me with Team USA (for now) and I was therefore not too surprised to find Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus sharing a joke next to my locker (in a photograph I hasten to add).

After an introduction from the SkyCaddie team which explained the benefits of their latest model the SGX (click here for more details) we headed out onto the course, where I learned that I would be playing with Treeve Philp (responsible for the video that accompanies this story), Sue Gardiner (a SkyCaddie sales agent in the UK) and Richard Stamper (President and COO of SkyGolf).

We were playing the back nine of the 2010 course which, in theory at least, should be where the Ryder Cup is won and lost. Noting that Richard hails from Kentucky, I immediately came up with the idea of playing a Phoney Ryder Cup: unbeknownst to Richard, he was about to play the crunch singles match.

In my (all too vivid) imagination the vast bank alongside the final four holes was packed with spectators, the captains Corey Pavin and Colin Montgomerie were on buggies alongside us, glamorous Wags were imploring our greatest efforts and two continents were hanging on our every shot.

Let battle commence ...

(Note - the yardages below refer to the full championship tees. The Phoney Ryder Cup was, appropriately, played off what were effectively yellow tees.)

10th - par 3, 210 yards: A raised tee looks down on a green which is now, after substantial re-bunkering, protected by four sand-traps. The prevailing wind comes from the Bristol Channel which means the tee shot is usually hit into the wind, making it a more difficult shot.

"Nice number SkyCaddie": Two sand-traps front left of the green loom large, creating the impression that the green is shallower than it actually is. But the player doesn't know that on the tee - unless, of course, he refers to his SkyCaddie which provides an accurate yardage to clear the front bunkers, to the pin itself and also to the back of the putting surface.

The Phoney Cup: A good start in the Ryder Cup challenge with both of us hitting to roughly 15 feet (nice number, indeed, SkyCaddie!). My birdie putt was arrow straight but had roughly 25 feet of weight. It hit the back of the cup, hopped in the air and failed to drop. Hole halved.

11th - par 5, 562 yards: Whatever you do, do not go left because a lake lies just off the fairway for the entire length of the hole.

"Nice number SkyCaddie": From the tee there are two major considerations, both requiring accurate information. Two bunkers on the right-hand side of the fairway - can they be cleared? And for the really long-hitters - is it wise to go too far down the fairway and risk the narrow landing area that brings water into play? SkyCaddie have worked hard to produce a screen that provides brilliant images in bright sunshine - handy because the sun breaks out as we walk down the fairway.

The Phoney Cup: A chip to the edge of the cup from the back of the green earns Europe a one-up lead.

12th - par 4, 458 yards: This hole travels in the opposite direction to the 11th, on the other side of the lake, with another big water trap protecting the green. If the prevailing wind is strong it will pull balls to the left, where two fairways bunkers also pose a threat.

"Nice number SkyCaddie": The raised green calls for the correct club selection. Using SkyCaddie's HoleVue feature we observe that anything left or right can be gobbled by two large bunkers and anything short risks slipping down the slope and into the water.

The Phoney Cup: Another successful up and down for Europe, but it isn't enough to maintain the lead as USA win the hole.

13th - par 3, 189 yards: Anything short and/or right of this green finds water. Anything long can very easily find one of two bunkers, leaving a tricky shot onto a green that runs down to the water's edge.

"Nice number SkyCaddie": A short left pin position calls for a safe play from the tee because the landing area is small, something SkyCaddie's IntelliGreen technology makes quite clear. We observe the major contours, false front and yardages across the green.

The Phoney Cup: Europe and America ignore all advice from the SkyCaddie and, in a foolhardy display of Ryder Cup bravado, fire at the pin. USA finds the back bunker and then, intimidated by the water, thins the second shot through the green, landing with a splash. Europe's tee shot finds dry land initially but gravity is a stronger force than hope and the ball slips agonisingly backwards into the water. Sue and Treeve make excellent pars so we settle for a dishonourable half.

14th - par 4, 413 yards: More water. A large pond protects the right side of the fairway and a lake the left side of the green. The hole can be played in many ways, depending on the tournament director's intentions - and also the strategy of the player. If it is set up as a conventional par four the safe route from the tee (down the left) leaves a long shot to the green, over the left-hand water trap and from an angle that makes the landing area very shallow. The braver tee shot takes on the pond and leaves a short approach down the length of the putting surface. If set up as a driveable par four the hole strongly resembles the 10th at the Belfry.

"Nice number SkyCaddie": SkyCaddie's unique PivotPoint feature comes into its own. By dragging the PivotPoint around the screen you can organise your strategy, deciding which clubs to hit to and from your chosen PivotPoint on the fairway.

The Phoney Cup: Europe and USA play the hole in traditional Ryder Cup style: Europe in pre-1983 fashion and USA in Belfry-mode. That is, they both find water from the tee when taking the attacking route and then, when hitting their fourth shots from safe second tee shots, they find the water on the left. An even more dishonourable half than the 13th but at least we demonstrate every possible strategical error (in Technicolor).

15th - par 4, 377 yards: A sharp dog-leg par four that offers all sorts of options from the tee. The safe route is to the left, but the drive still needs care because two bunkers threaten a shot that is too long and anything too short is blocked by the trees. The disadvantage of taking this route is that the approach has to be inch perfect as the green is very shallow. The alternative route is to drive the green (or attempt to). The promise of a putt for eagle is the temptation, but the potential for disaster is huge: thick rough, a green that can kick the ball sideways and anything left disappears into a stream or finds deep sandy traps."Nice number SkyCaddie": Confession time. On the tee we looked at our SkyCaddie which revealed that from our forward tee the carry to the green was 235 yards (up quite a hill admittedly). That meant it was out of range for me, but I still stood there and said, "It doesn't look 235 yards to me." Which kind of defeats the purpose of SkyCaddie. A lesson learned (albeit retrospectively).

The Phoney Cup: Expectations for this perfect matchplay hole are huge ahead of the real Cup and the Phoney version didn't disappoint. America went for the green but found the rough after which Europe laid up and then hit a straight approach over the pin, but it slipped into the first cut. America's advantage was confirmed with a pitch to eight feet. But Europe chipped to four feet, watched the American birdie putt slide by and calmly slotted the par putt before issuing a little Mickelson-style fist pump.

16th - par 4, 477 yards: If the prevailing wind is in the valley the closing stretch will really test the players. The 16th is a long par four that calls for an accurate drive. Anything left can get stuck in rough and leave an awkward stance, anything right will kick off into scrub.

"Nice number SkyCaddie": SkyCaddie stresses that the difference between its technology and competitors is that flyovers and aerial shots cannot be precise. An undulating hole such as the 16th is a good example. SkyCaddie's TruePoint GPS is unmatched for accuracy and reliability.

The Phoney Cup: After the dramatic scenes on the previous hole the 16th is something of a letdown with both players failing to hole from eight feet (for, ahem, bogeys).

17th - par 3, 211 yards: Another hole that will test if the wind blows. The green is very different to most on the back nine in that it is deep - and appears so from the tee. Miss it at your peril however. If you avoid the bunkers, the steep slopes will kick the ball into potentially disastrous spots.

"Nice number SkyCaddie": IntelliGreen comes up trumps again - from the tee we can observe the big sloping step in the middle of the green.

The Phoney Cup: America tried to feed a slider in from the left but it stayed out wide, clipped a tree and fell into deep grass. Europe found the back of the green but a magnificent recovery from America dashed Europe's hopes of a one hole lead going down the last.

18th - par 5, 613 yards: The drive is hit partially blind over a hill that then sweeps down to a huge bowl. The green sits on a shelf beyond a deep water hazard that yawns in front of the player. If the player attempts to hit the green in two it requires an inch perfect approach because anything short will find water and anything other than a soft landing will kick through the green leaving an awkward up and down. But laying up is no easy task because you must pick the right yardage.

"Nice number SkyCaddie": After both hitting driver/3-wood to find the fairway the Phoney Ryder Cup reached a tense climax. SkyCaddie provided both players with the essential information: the pin is on the left of the green, with no more than 12 yards of green between the back bunker and the slope that leads down to the deep watery grave.

The Phoney Cup: America hit first but couldn't stop the ball on the putting surface - it bounced through into the bunker. Europe found the green and had a 25-foot putt for birdie. America failed to get up and down from the sand so (after Treeve holed a monster 50-foot putt) Europe's two-putt secured the phoney bragging rights.

SkyCaddie conclusions:

Golf365 editor Dave Tindall is a big fan of SkyCaddie but this was my debut and the news is that I'm a convert. I thought it might be tricky to use: but it's a doddle. I thought it might slow play down: but everyone knows the required information much more quickly than any reference to a course map. I wondered just how relevant perfect yardages were to a hacker: but - and this is my most dominant thought having finally used SkyCaddie - good information actually aides and promotes good shots. A great piece of kit.

The 2010 course conclusions:

I'll be honest - the first time I saw the 2010 course (at the 2008 Wales Open) I didn't like it. Perhaps, on reflection, the poor weather and the subsequent negative vibes affected me.

In 2009 I found myself warming to the course and, having played it, that better impression has grown. Certainly, being able to hit shots into the greens has made me appreciate the subtleties of the design and the potential for matchplay excitement seems huge with five par threes, four long holes and a couple of attackable par fours in the final five holes.

After my round I had a chat with the course designer Ross McMurray of European Golf design.

Golf365: Hi Ross, the course has an unusual configuration (5 par-threes, 4 par-fives and 9 par-fours). Did that happen naturally or was it planned?

McMurray: I had originally planned for 17 to be a par-four but an archaeological team made some finds in the area where the hole would have been so it became a par-three. That impacted on 16 and 18 a little but in retrospect I'm quite happy with the revision. I think the tough par-four, a par-three that can be tough in wind and then the par-five makes a really good finish.

Golf365: You've got two really long (600 yards plus) par-fives. Any reasons?

McMurray: I wanted flexibility. Originally the ninth was going to have a back tee that would allow it to be 650 yards but the river caused problems creating that. Wind is so important at the course. The second usually plays downwind, for example, but in both Wales Opens it has been played into the wind. I look to give options for the players and flexibility for the tournament directors. I also think we've got two par-fives that can be attacked in two and a couple that can play as genuine three shotters so good variety there.

Golf365: My initial response to playing the course was that the greens really tested distance control - either because (like 15 and 18) they were shallow or because perception made you feel you had less space to play with. Was that intentional?

McMurray: People have said that the approach to 18 is scary. Depending on where you lay up, the shot is very different. You can either approach from the distance you did (around 130/140 yards) or from nearer to the water when the shot might appear easier but the green is a long way above your eye line. So yeah, testing approach shots is a part of the challenge.

Golf365: There was a little more room than I was expecting. I assume it will be a little different for the Wales Open and Ryder Cup?

McMurray: I was down at the course the day after you were actually, chatting to the European Tour. And yes, we were discussing tightening the course. A good example is the 16th. You've been able to hit over the bunkers on the left and get a nice kick down the hill. We'll build the rough up there so that will now be more difficult to achieve. It tightens the tee shot and makes for a more difficult approach to the green.

Golf365: Looking ahead to the big one - the Ryder Cup - how have the two Wales Open helped with tinkering?

McMurray: We've re-configured a few bunkers but that is more to do with getting bunkers from the original holes to fit in with the new ones. You'll have seen some of that during your round. The two main things are: first, the right side of the fourth hole where I have introduced a bunker which I had ummed and ahhed about originally. We needed it to frame the tee shot. And second, I've introduced a back tee on the 14th which gives the tournament director more options. We just felt that if players didn't take driver over the water they didn't need it for the shot to the left.

Golf365: So it seems things are going well?

McMurray: We feel things have gone well. You'll know that we've had some trying conditions at the two Wales Opens but I'm quite happy with how the drainage has coped, especially after the very wet Saturday last year. I'm not worried about rain for the Ryder Cup, maybe fog worries me a little bit, but the course will cope with rain. I'm looking forward to it.

Matt Cooper