Why Trinity Forest GC Won’t Play As Fast And Firm For The Pros This Week

Rick Arnett / May. 17th, 2018

There’s been much anticipation (and maybe a little fear) on how Trinity Forest GC will impress/depress the Tour pros the new AT&T Byron Nelson Championship’s venue. As the cliche goes, “You never get a second chance at a good first impression” so tournament officials and Trinity Forest members are crossing their fingers and toes that all goes well this week.

Part of that plan is to slow down the course and prevent long run outs of shots. With wind expected to gust in the 20mph range this weekend, that might be a prudent idea given how everyone slammed Chambers Bay for their severe conditions at the 2015 U.S. Open. Geoff Shackelford lays out the reasoning to hold back the course’s reigns.

The 150 or so members at Trinity Forest play the course firmer and faster than players will experience in this week’s AT&T Byron Nelson. Even the caddies, who played a preview event here a year ago, said they are surprised how much slower the course is playing.

The contributing factors are are mowing height and some recent spring weather finally sending the Trinity Zoysia on its merry warm-weather growing ways.

The PGA Tour has a long-term goal to make Trinity Forest into a beloved venue anchored by this marvelous, if unorthodox design. A Year 1 debacle – either in the form of Chambers Bay-like memories or six-hour rounds, would kill any chance of the venue succeeding.

“I haven’t heard any players say this place is unfair or real challenging or anything, because they’re able to control the speed of the greens and the speed of the grass,” Hunter Mahan said.

“The grass is a bit slower now than I’ve seen it, for sure,” Ogilvy said. “The Tour’s advanced set-up staff have pretty specific kind of set-up guidelines and I think it was probably a little bumping up against their extreme edge for set-up when they first saw it. So they’ve set it up how they like to set it up.”

Ogilvy wants to see the course succeed long term and is understanding of the slight raise in fairway mowing heights from what members enjoy.

“This is so different from what we do every week,” he said. “I don’t know what to expect and don’t want any crazy balls rolling 50 yards off greens.”

“I think the course is probably going to play slower than it’s intended to play, being the first year and being this course is still growing,” he said. “I think the true vision of this golf course isn’t going to be quite realized just yet.”

Of course, if you ask enough players their thoughts, you’re bound to find some skeptics. GolfChannel’s Will Gray posts his findings.

Even Jordan Spieth, a Trinity Forest member and de facto ambassador for the tournament, offered a tepid assessment when asked about the layout last week.

“It’s grown on me a lot over the past six months,” Spieth said.

As he readied the course to take center stage, Trinity Forest director of grounds Kasey Kauff appeared keenly aware that his layout is about to take some blowback from players who get blown sideways by the Texas winds.

“We are ready to showcase this place on TV,” Kauff tweeted Tuesday. “Nothing like exposing yourself to criticism from others.”

“Majorities just don’t like different, do they? This is just different than what we normally roll out and play,” said Adam Scott. “The greatest players have all managed to succeed out of their comfort zones, and learn to love links golf or parkland golf to succeed. … Whoever is going to win here this week will be someone who really embraces the different challenges of this golf.”