Take The Ryder Cup Bus All The Way To Medinah. The 39th Ryder Cup
Sept. of 2012. Europe vs USA. (Photo by Barry Garrett/Medinah CC).

The story about Medinah for the last two months has been the
condition of it's golf courses. Come mid-summer all three had
issues in conditioning.

Everyone was wondering why. Members were upset, guests
did come away without the Medinah experience they had
hoped for or expected.

What was amazing was how the stories grew and grew to a
point where, people were saying the Ryder was going to have
to be moved to another course. One major Chicago paper
even stooped as low to run a photo of Medinah during it's
renovations, while construction was on-going. Then suggested
that it was the current state of course conditions. Low blow
indeed.

All the rumors had Medinah's water supply with too much salt,
and more. The man on the hot seat was Curtis Tyrrell, Medinah's
Director of Golf Course Operations.

During Mondays Ryder Cup media day Tyrrell was there at the
press conference in plain view and not in hiding like some might
expect. The same can be said for Ryder Cup Chairman Don
Larson, club president Joe Ebner and others. None of them
refused questions or hid behind answers like "no comment".
A sure sign that one is guilty as charged.

Tyrrell explained that the current situation has to do with weather
conditions that were extreme the last two years, while the club
has incorporated new grasses and green surfaces into it's three 
courses. This is a process that isn't done over night, it takes a
few years in good conditions to complete. Medinah hasn't had
those conditions. The current plan was put into place so it would
have a few years to complete, before the 2012 Ryder Cup was
on the schedule. This is a plan that should last the club for 30 years
or more. 

Course number three and in fact all Medinah courses were made
open for media inspection on Monday. Nothing was off limits go
look for yourselfs. So we did,and the findings were.

That inspite of the fact there is yet work to be done, course # 3
is greatly improved in the last few weeks. Even more so in the
last 30 days. Tyrrell and his team of three superintendents he
calls the best in the country,Jimmy Wallace, Jake Mendoza,
and Ross Lavster and their staffs have come a long way with
Medinah's courses. At this time with another 365 days to be
ready, it appears that Medinah will be a pristine venue for the
39th Ryder Cup, now just a year away. 

To hear Rory's Interview with Curtis Tyrrell click here:

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