Zoeller is designing enjoyment
AIKEN - Fuzzy Zoeller says he has no plans of replicating Augusta National Golf Club's new length at the course he's designing in Aiken.
"It's too ... damn long," Zoeller said Monday. "They've eliminated a lot of golfers - let's put it that way. It's all power now."
Zoeller and partner Clyde Johnston are designing a course at The Reserve Club at Woodside Plantation, their seventh together since teaming up in 1988.
The men spent part of Monday touring land reserved for the course and said construction is supposed to start in June, with hopes that some of the holes would be playable within a year.
At its longest, the course would play at 7,236 yards, according to predesign yardage estimates provided by Johnston. That's 209 yards shorter than Augusta National.
"We build courses to enjoy the game," Zoeller said. "We don't want to run them off."
Indeed, Augusta National is not the same course where Zoeller won his only green jacket, in 1979. He was the first competitor since 1935 to win the tournament on his first trip.
The course was lengthened nearly 300 yards in 2002 and was 155 yards more for this year's tournament. Zoeller played the National on Sunday and said there were holes he didn't recognize. At hole No. 7, for example, he recalled using a wedge on his second shot in years past. Now, because the tee box was moved back 35 to 40 yards, he is using a 5-iron, Zoeller said.
"Next year, we'll come, we'll be playing out of Butler Cabin," he said jokingly.
He hinted that this year's Masters might be his last but tempered his prediction with enthusiasm for the event's history and his place among its winners.
"Trust me: It's fun to play," Zoeller said.
"I just got lucky," he said of his Masters win. "I just happened to be at the right place at the right time."
Reach Josh Gelinas at (803) 648-1395, ext. 110, or josh.gelinas@augustachronicle.com.
