Went down a YouTube rabbit hole today and watched this remastered Shell's Wonderful World of Golf match of Sam Snead vs Jack Nicklaus. Crazy to see how much Pebble has changed and how slloooooow the greens used to be.

NIcklaus hit his drive on 2 300 yards.

But it is mostly a completely different game now. Just like everything else.

How about those approach shots at 16:30. Sneed hits a iron and Nicklaus a 2 iron

Older footages show most golfers had wristy putting strokes. Slow greens and light putters.

the guys with the flags chasing after the ball while it is still moving is just nuts

Love how rough the course looks outside of the fairway. Hardpan, dirt, dry grass. Those fairways look super spongy too, the ball is almost sitting down and their irons descend down into the sponginess.

Gig-Em2003 said:

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Love how rough the course looks outside of the fairway. Hardpan, dirt, dry grass. Those fairways look super spongy too, the ball is almost sitting down and their irons descend down into the sponginess.

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The bunkers were just beach sand so everything just plugged.


Just wild how often they'd be short sided and have no problem getting the ball to stop on those slow and soft greens. Now-a-days, you'd be lucky to stop the ball within 20' on a lot of those shots.

Lt. Joe Bookman said:

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Gig-Em2003 said:

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Love how rough the course looks outside of the fairway. Hardpan, dirt, dry grass. Those fairways look super spongy too, the ball is almost sitting down and their irons descend down into the sponginess.

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The bunkers were just beach sand so everything just plugged.


Just wild how often they'd be short sided and have no problem getting the ball to stop on those slow and soft greens. Now-a-days, you'd be lucky to stop the ball within 20' on a lot of those shots.

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Explains why they used so many 7-8-9 irons for pitch shots.

I was taught that way in the late 80s as a kid and never really understood it. When I got to high school I abandoned it but still occasionally use a PW chipping on to slow greens. But I never see anyone younger than me doing that.

Fried egg for Nicklaus on 7 and he just plops it to 6'. Ball had no spin but the greens just grab it.

But the scores today aren't much better. Good players figure out a way.

Funky Winkerbean said:

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But the scores today aren't much better. Good players figure out a way.

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This is because the courses are MUCH HARDER. If the greens were as slow as back then, scores would definitely be better. As the tour sped up greens, members at high end clubs demanded the same and it has filtered all the way down now to most golf courses. Slow greens are tons easier to putt if you're accustomed to it.

Lt. Joe Bookman said:

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Gig-Em2003 said:

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Love how rough the course looks outside of the fairway. Hardpan, dirt, dry grass. Those fairways look super spongy too, the ball is almost sitting down and their irons descend down into the sponginess.

---

The bunkers were just beach sand so everything just plugged.


Just wild how often they'd be short sided and have no problem getting the ball to stop on those slow and soft greens. Now-a-days, you'd be lucky to stop the ball within 20' on a lot of those shots.

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The bunkers at pebble are still garbage, and a good caddie will tell you that. I've played in better bunkers at munis than those things…

I agree with that about the slow greens. Also easy to chip close to the hole from just about anywhere off the green. Back then being shortsighted wasn't all that big of a deal. Now it can be certain bogey or worse on just about every hole.