Reversing nines at Montreux could make for exciting finish

When the 2011 Reno-Tahoe Open begins this morning at Montreux Golf & Country Club, golfers will be looking at a different course - sort of.

Tournament officials decided to reverse the nines, meaning that what was the front side now becomes the back, and what was the back side becomes the front.

It mostly effects the finishing three holes. The old No. 16 was a 183-yard par-3, the old No. 17 was a 636-yard par-5 and the old No. 18 was a 429-yard par-4. The new No. 16 will be a 220-yard par-3, the new No. 17 will be a 464-yard par-4 and the new No. 18 will be risk-reward 616-yard par-5.

Simply put it's a change long overdue.

"We have been wanting to switch the nines for a long time," said tournament host Scott McCarron. "We just weren't quite sure how we were going to get the galleries logistically up to the top and walking down. I think now coming down 18, looking at how beautiful that is with the lake and the grandstands behind there and how well it's going to show on TV.

"The 9th hole now, which was our old 18th, for a Tour player is not that much of a hole: driver and a wedge. So you're not going to see many things happen there. We thought that the finishing hole at 18 is going to be a lot better."

And, when I saw No. 18 for the first time on Wednesday, I was impressed.

"I don't know if you guys noticed, but if you're in the grandstands there with binoculars you can actually look all the way back up the 18th," McCarron said. "It's 650 yards from that grandstand or something like that, but you can actually see the 18th tee from all the way back there. The people in the grandstands will be able to see the entire hole, which I think is fantastic.

"You're gonna see guys making 3s and guys making 7. So you could have a guy that's four or five back with three holes to go that can win by two. Unfortunately, you'll probably see some train wrecks coming down there. Hopefully I won't be one of 'em. But you'll see a lot lead changes and the whole bit with three holes to go. I think it's absolutely fantastic."

During a practice round several years ago, Jesper Parnevik made double-eagle from about 286 yards. That's what makes this move so exciting. If you hit the ball in the right spot off the tee, you can go for the green in two, and that's always an exciting play in golf.

"Jack Nicklaus did a great job when he designed the hole that you can actually play the ball 5 to 10 yards short of that green, and it's angled just perfectly and runs up on the green," McCarron said. "But if you miss that green anywhere, especially left, it's a very difficult up and down. And if you miss it right you're in the water. So I think it's great second shot par-5.

"But most guys, almost everybody out here, as long as there is no wind into, will be able to reach that green in two after a good drive."

McCarron was asked how he would approach No. 18, and his answer was situational.

"Well, you know, being a member here for 10 or 11 years now, when I come out here with my buddies it's just blast driver, get it down there, and knock it on the green," he said. "So if I'm somewhere near the lead, I'm probably going to do the same thing. If someone has a couple shot lead, I think you should probably play it as a three-shot hole. You could iron off the tee, hit another iron, and wedge it on there.

"But if you've got to make eagle or something like that, guys are going to be forced to hit driver, and then they're going to be forced to get something in that narrow little landing area and land it five yards short of the green and run it on."

Defending champion Matt Bettencourt talked about the Nos. 16 and 17. On No. 17, players will tee it up approximately 135-feet above the fairway. It's an intimidating shot because from the higher elevation the fairway looks a lot smaller than it actually is.

"Yeah, 17 is probably one of the most intimidating tee shots we play all year on Tour," Bettencourt said. "For me personally, it would be 17 and then 18 at Quail Hollow. You have to just be very precise. You don't want to have a long iron into the green, so most guys will hit a hybrid or even a 3-wood off the tee and sometimes a 3-iron. It's just a great hole.

"Going back a step further, 16 is a phenomenal par-3. You know, last year's No. 16, it was a much shorter hole (183 yards), so you were hitting anywhere from a 9-iron to a wedge. This year it's gonna be anywhere from a 4-iron to a 6-iron."

Either way it could make for some interesting golf down the stretch.