The verdict is in: Castle Pines Golf Club is hilly

Pros say they don’t fear the elevation or the course’s length; the hills, however, have their attention

By Jim Bebbington

For the past three days the best PGA Tour pros have played practice rounds at Castle Pines Golf Club in prepration for the BMW Championship.

When they’ve come off the course they’ve been asked repeatedly – what do you think of the course? How are you handling the elevation here in Colorado?

And to a player they have said many kind and supportive things, but between the lines seemed to be telling the same story: we are going to roast this course alive if the greens don’t firm up. The length is not an issue, they say, despite the course being set up at longer than 8,100 yards.

But one aspect of Castle Pines Golf Club has their attention: the walking.

“Visually it’s very nice but it’s quite the walk,” said Ludvig Aberg after his Wednesday practice rounds. “I was telling Joe, my caddie, I don’t think we’re going to have a lot of conversations uphill this week. It’s just going to be focusing on breathing.”

Aberg is 24 years old. He is in great shape.

If the hills are speaking to him, how are they affecting some of the more veteran players?

Justin Thomas, who is comparatively ancient at age 31, said the hills are part of what makes the course a challenge.

“It’s a very cool course,” he said. “It’s all right in front of you. Obviously like everybody else this week, I’m just trying to get engaged for the altitude and catch your breath when you have to hit after walking up some big hills.”

“It’s a very cool place, and I think it’s one that maybe requires a little bit of strategy and some clubs you can hit off tees, but for the most part it’s just going to be who can control their distance the best and take advantage of those opportunities when they get them.”

Xander Schauffele, age 30 and the only PGA Tour golfer not named Scottie Scheffler who is under discussion for Player of the Year, said “I think if you’re first up on some par-3s after a long walk, you might be huffing and puffing a little bit more than normal.”

Scottie Scheffler, a grizzled veteran at the age of 28, said he vacationed earlier this summer in Telluride (elevation 8,700 feet) partly to try to get ready for this week.

“I was working out in the gym yesterday and I was definitely getting out of breath a lot faster than I would at home, but I feel like I’m doing a good job of getting adjusted,” he said.