Queensland's Royal Pines Course's Fairways Lengthened, Narrowed For Australian PGA

Queensland's Royal Pines golf course "may be a royal pain after all," according to Brent Read of THE AUSTRALIAN. Amid fears the "host course for this year's Australian PGA could be slaughtered by some of the hottest players on the planet," PGA Tour of Australasia officials on Tuesday insisted the "resort layout on Queensland's Gold Coast would more than hold its own when the tournament starts next week." As insurance to protect the course from "Adam Scott and co, the tour has lengthened and narrowed the fairways, and added unseemly length to the rough." PGA of Australia Tournaments Dir Andrew Langford-Jones said, "To be honest with you, I don't think they're going to find it easy. I don't know what the winning score will be but the course has had near 180m added to it, there would be seven new tees and we have certainly grown the rough on each side so the fairways are now under 30m (wide) in most places. They were 45 meters in most places" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 10/30).