Travelers Championship
TPC River Highlands
Hole 18
This week we have the Travelers Championship in good ol’ Connecticut. I know the Travelers and TPC River Highlands well, having worked the tournament myself. I watered the greens that helped Jim Furyk shoot the first and currently only 58 in a PGA Tour event, nbd. So Jim when you see this just throw a shout out my way. Although I like the routing of River Highlands, in terms of bunkering I’m actually not the biggest fan. It’s also an extremely slope-y course, not hilly in that it goes up and down but slope-y in that everything sort of finds its way to the central retaining pond. This makes for some good golf, but even more challenging maintenance. Imagine cutting grass on a 30 degree slope, mower barely hanging on, ready to flip over and crush you as you roll down onto the next fairway if not the pond. Now try to handle a constantly on the verge of slipping mower, while mowing lasers, I’d pay good money just to watch them cut the rough.
The BOTW is on hole 18, which is a good finishing hole made great by the surrounding stands, and natural stadium seating. When you come up to the green complex you’re entirely enveloped by spectators either on the grass or up in the stands. Even when there is no one there at all you can just feel the grandeur. The cherry on top are two smaller bunkers green side right that only add to the spectacle. They aren’t to hard to avoid for a pro but rolling down into one can make for a messy out that leads to a sloping green and a run out zone, add in the surrounding stands and the most people anywhere on the course, and it could make for a pretty hazardous end to one of the easier courses on tour.
If you want to see some good golf and live in the tristate area I’d really recommend going up there. The field is better than it’s ever been. The course will get chewed up though. They also have a great Pro Am if you somehow get sick on Wednesday and have to work from home, wink wink. TPC River Highlands is a fun parkland course that’s easy, but enjoyable. It’s like The Office, you’ve already rewatched it all the way through 10 times but you better believe if it’s on you’re not changing the channel.