After administering six of the eight GolfStyles Solstice Survival events, I have picked up on something. I’ll get to it in a second.

We play three 18-hole rounds of stroke play in one day, and average just over four hours per round. For the third round, I have everyone move up to a shorter set of tees, usually about 6,200 yards or so. It’s to help the pace of play and give tired muscles a break, and believe it or not, the scores don’t drop dramatically.

The players think because they’re playing a shorter course, they can carry hazards from the tee. Usually, they end up in the bunkers, not over them.

And here’s my point: if tournaments on the PGA Tour really want to Tiger-proof their golf courses, don’t add 1,000 yards of length. Make them play at 6,800 yards. That gives everyone in the field a shot at winning, especially the shotmakers. Playing a 7,500 yard golf course virtually eliminates 90 percent of the field. A short course takes away the length advantage from the players who can hit it a mile. It might not be as exciting as watching someone drive the ball 400 yards, but who knows? Maybe they’ll go for it more often, the way players do on the Nationwide Tour, where if you don’t go low, you’re screwed.

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