2019 Houston Open

[scott_Donald]

 

 

Wait, you like to hit those ball with zero compression that go nowhere? I work right by it so i go just to hit balls on occasion( and to see what is going around memorial on the trail) but i dont take much stock in how i hit them b/c the balls are so old.

 

hmmm well I am car less so I pack my back pack with 5 clubs then cycle from the heights there so its handy!

 

yes agreed you can't take any fact about the distance but flights etc are fine.

[Lagavulin62]

very interesting latest idea.

 

and I like the driving range at memorial, go there in the summer three times a week.

 

 

Not a carpet fan here.

 

Really that’s a big drawback for this course. My office used to be blocks from Memorial and for years I ran that path after work. Great eye candy. I miss that. We are now located on Almeda/Genoa, worst place ever and the view is junk yards and fried chicken places. ... Back to the range, what a shame such a nice course has that lousy range.

 

[lc1342]

Crane saved the Houston Open.

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.click2houston.com/news/astros-owner-jim-crane-takes-over-houston-open-sources-say

[rebby]

Crane saved the Houston Open.

 

https://www.google.c...pen-sources-say

 

Best possible scenario here. The Houston Open will stick around and move to a palatable date and a June/July date opens for 3m to host an event in MN (sounds like it will be June, right before the US Open). I have a feeling that my home club will be under construction to prep for a PGA Tour event in 2019. I believe that the 3m Champions Tour event move has already been confirmed (going to Sioux Falls, SD IIRC).

[TLUBulldogGolf]

I'm actually quite interested to see how this progresses. Memorial is going to need a massive overhaul but I think it could be a great course. I think parking will have to be at the Northwest Mall or find some space in the park, not sure.

[Darth Putter]

Hopefully, we'll have a 2018-2019 PGA Tour schedule next week.

[lc1342]

Hopefully, we'll have a 2018-2019 PGA Tour schedule next week.

 

Read that the Houston Open will be the 2nd weekend in October. Definitely going to be a different schedule!

[grm24]

Hopefully, we'll have a 2018-2019 PGA Tour schedule next week.

Looks like the HO will not be on the 2018/19 schedule. Will next be played October 2019.

 

http://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/23771785/astros-owner-takes-control-houston-open

 

The PGA Tour announced Tuesday that it has a five-year agreement with the Astros Foundation to run the Houston Open starting in the fall of 2019. The date of the tournament was not announced. The prize money will be $7.5 million.

 

Next season will be the first time the Houston Open is not part of the PGA Tour season since 1969, when it was held at Champions Golf Club. Champions hosted the U.S. Open that year.

[Jag80]

Big money talks! My concern is Memorial Park would turn $75+ a round after redo.

[mbbrewer]

Not a big deal. Should make it easier to get on.

[rockinar]

Memorial Park is a $25 goat ranch. I cant believe this place is even mentioned, much less a consideration.

[TLUBulldogGolf]

Memorial Park is a $25 goat ranch. I cant believe this place is even mentioned, much less a consideration.

 

Goat ranch? It's far from that when they play the city am there. If they had the funding for a redo knowing a PGA event was going to be held there I'd like to see what they can do with it. There is certainly potential in it, the bigger issues are a new practice area an clubhouse/locker room area.

[grm24]

Memorial Park is a $25 goat ranch. I cant believe this place is even mentioned, much less a consideration.

Well they aren't going to play Memorial as is. Memorial Park is going to be completely redesigned to make it PGA Tour worthy. That's been mentioned in many articles.

[ND2005]

Memorial Park is a $25 goat ranch. I cant believe this place is even mentioned, much less a consideration.

Well they aren't going to play Memorial as is. Memorial Park is going to be completely redesigned to make it PGA Tour worthy. That's been mentioned in many articles.

 

It’s been mentioned but I’ve yet to see a real plan of any sort.

 

The course would need a full-on top to bottom Reno - the kind that closes your course for a year and costs millions (not even accounting for a season of lost revenue). And that’s just for the course alone. The facilities would also need a massive upgrade.

 

They’d also then need a sustainability plan and a maintenance budget/staff to match if they are gonna keep the course PGA worthy.

 

I just don’t see it.

[Corsair]

The Houston Open was played at Memorial before - either the late 50's or early 60's and once in the 40's... Also, the front and back nines have been flipped at least once - after the last upgrade.

 

Personally, I think it should be played there. No doubt the course will be changed.

[lc1342]

Is there even going to be a Houston Open going forward? Y'all know that date slot went to the Texas Open

starting next year...........and the players are happy about it. They say the greens at the AT&T Oaks course

at TPC San Antonio are much more like Augusta than the greens at the GC of Houston.

 

And Valero has inked a 10 year extension and so now they get rewarded with a better date the week before

the Master's. Expecting an even better field next year.

 

Hm.

[tiderider]

http://www.friedegg.co/golf-courses/doak-redesign-memorial-park

 

doak to renovate (redesign) memorial park ... so my fav tree on #4 will hopefully be taken OUT ... pretty big 'get' for the organization to have someone like doak come in ...

The current design stretches over 7,300 yards on a relatively flat property with natural ravines.

The Memorial Park news comes on the heels of Doak being tapped for the latest Sand Valley course and will offer the renowned architect a new challenge. While his design at The Renaissance Club, in East Lothian, will host the European PGA Tour’s 2019 & 2020 Scottish Opens, this will be Doak’s first design project with a regular professional tournament in mind, and the first PGA Tour event to take place on a Doak design.

Doak told The Fried Egg, “I’ve always been interested in doing a course for the Tour players, especially the more people say, ‘Oh he’s not the guy to do that, that’s not his thing.’ And especially the more people say, ‘It can’t be done. They hit it so far now it’s impossible. You just have to build entirely separate courses for them.’ You can’t take that cop-out here. It’s still going to be a municipal course that plays 60,000 rounds the other 51 weeks of the year.”

[Roadking2003]

Memorial Park is a $25 goat ranch. I cant believe this place is even mentioned, much less a consideration.

 

Goat Ranch + $10 million = PGA Tour site

[Boognish]

Much more info in this local story:

 

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/texas-sports-nation/general/article/The-plan-to-turn-Memorial-Park-golf-into-a-PGA-13434228.php?utm_campaign=chrontxsn

 

The TOUR has not yet released next fall's schedule, but the timing of the reopening will be close to the expected dates of the 2019 Houston Open, which will be held at Golf Club of Houston. The tournament plans to move to Memorial Park in 2020.

[lc1342]

Koepka helping Tom Doak with design for Memorial.

 

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/golf/article/Brooks-Koepka-the-latest-step-in-turning-Memorial-13494214.php

[lc1342]

"Memorial Park golf course renovations for Houston Open hits snag"

 

 

https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Memorial-Park-golf-course-renovations-delayed-13503486.php?ipid=hpsportsctp

[lc1342]

https://www.golf.com/travel/2019/01/10/houston-open-renovation-memorial-park/

 

Construction has begun.

[lc1342]

October 10-13th

 

https://golfweek.com/2019/01/16/dates-set-for-2019-houston-open/

[bighitlama]

It's amazing how fast they started construction and how much they have already done.

 

This is where the #10 green used to be. They have removed the cart path behind it and have significant room to move the green back. Just speculating, but this would allow moving the tee boxes up for much more area around the club house.

[bighitlama]

On 16 they are digging a lake in front of the green. Based on how close it is to the lake already on the right and how they have lowered the water level, I expect it to be one L shaped lake when they are finished. Every day I drive by it's amazing how much dirt is being moved around. I hope you can still recognize my home course when it is finished. No more running one up on 16... tough to get old.

[WHC888]

I heard the new #9 will be a par 3, driving range will be east-west direction instead of current north-south.

[bighitlama]

I heard the new #9 will be a par 3, driving range will be east-west direction instead of current north-south.

I also heard an upper deck on the range. It is the busiest range in the Houston area. East-West would allow them to utilize the area east of the park road. I wonder if the tennis center will stay where it is at. There are so many changes going on in the park.

[WHC888]

I heard the new #9 will be a par 3, driving range will be east-west direction instead of current north-south.

I also heard an upper deck on the range. It is the busiest range in the Houston area. East-West would allow them to utilize the area east of the park road. I wonder if the tennis center will stay where it is at. There are so many changes going on in the park.

current Golf Club of Houston's driving range is about 200yd x 350yd, I don't see how they can fit that into Memorial park without cutting into the tennis courts, trees alongside #10, trials/road, parking lot...etc

And unfortunately we will still be hitting off the mats, grass range will only be used for tournament!!

[tiderider]

if i remember correctly, those courts get used quite a bit ... they won't have to lengthen 16 too much, though, and the water will make it a true decision for some golfers ... i'm assuming they're changing the turf they use on the greens ...

[msd71]

I hope this won't be a "remove thousands of trees" kind of project a la Oakmont.