LONGER COURSES ARE SHORTSIGHTED\TACTIC HELPS, NOT HINDERS, BIG HITTERS.

Byline: Steve Dilbeck Staff Writer

The short of it is, long doesn't play well.

Still, longer holes are the fashion these days, and as your average distance golfer is learning anew, it's hard to buck fashion.

If Riviera Country Club officials determine their course has dried up enough that they anticipate greater roll today, they are set to unveil longer tees at a pair of holes in the third round of the Nissan Open.

This comes under the heading of moderizing older, traditional courses. Some have referred to it as ``Tiger Proofing,'' as if the extra yards would bring Tiger Woods and his group of long-ball hitters back to the pack.

``Golf is becoming a power game,'' said Tom Scherrer. ``You look at the Top Ten guys in the world, they're athletes. They're strong - Greg Norman, Nick Price, Tiger, Ernie (Els), (Nick) Faldo. There are fit guys. There aren't too many big bellies.''

The theory is, golfers are bigger and stronger. The equipment is better. They drive the ball longer than in past generations.

So established courses - from Riviera to Torrey Pines to Augusta - have all taken to making some of their holes longer.

``In any sport, you can look at it over the last 20 years, and the athletes are getting bigger and stronger,'' said Corey Pavin. ``Yet they haven't changed the size of a tennis court. They haven't changed the size of a basketball court. They haven't changed the size of a football field.

``So why go changing a golf course? There are other ways to do it on the golf course. Making a course long just to make it long, under the guise of making it harder, is really going the wrong direction.''

Although many golfers favor the longer holes, most maintain the ultimate result is the exact opposite of the desired goal.

Head golf pro Todd Yoshitake said Riviera plans to add 38 yards to the 418-yard, par-4 ninth hole, and 50 yards to the 413-yard, par-4 12th hole.

Yet several golfers say a long-ball hitter like Woods can still hit a 300-yard tee shot and use a more accurate, lower club for his second shot.

``Lengthening the golf courses ends up backfiring,'' said Mark Brooks. ``It actually takes more people out of the game.

``It's going to be the bashers who keep rising to the top. That's kind of unfortunate. To me, that's not the skill factor the game was designed for.

``I just think our trend has gotten to where the bashers have a distinct advantage. The game is played in the air, you don't play the ball on the ground anymore.''

Ernie Els, who ranked 38th in driving distance on the PGA tour last year with a 278-yard average, is in favor of courses growing longer.

``But you have to bomb your tee shot, so it favors the longer hitter,'' Els said. ``I don't think Fred Funk is too excited about it.''

The 5-foot-8 Funk was first in driving accuracy last season . . . but tied for 137th in distance.

``People think lengthening the course is the easiest way of making it tougher, but it isn't,'' Price said. ``It just plays right into the hands of the long hitters.

``I'm dead against making courses longer. I think it's very short-sighted.''

Beyond the two current longer holes, Yoshitake said Riviera will continue to update its course next year.

``We decided to protect the architecturl design of the original George Thomas course from 1926,'' Yoshitake said. ``We're trying to take it back to its original design and shot value he wanted. Determine the intent of the hole, and then incorporate that back into the modern course.

``We're not trying to give anyone a playing advantage. We want a design the whole field can play.''

Yet Pavin, Brooks and others maintain the greens at nine and 12 don't lend themselves to receiving a long iron shot.

``You can look at this course and you have no idea who's going to win here,'' Pavin said. ``It could be anybody. And that to me, is the sign of a great golf course.

``I'm not for lengthening a golf course just to lengthen it. I know they want to get a U.S. Open here, but I think there are other ways to make a course harder to play than lengthening the golf course. All you have to do is grow a little rough and narrow the fairways a little bit.

``Everybody is saying they're trying to `Tiger-proof' courses by making them longer. All that does is make them easier for guys who hit them long.''

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Photo:

Ben Crenshaw, left, Notah Degay III and Jay Haas walk toward the 12th tee. The hole is one of the ones recently lengthened.

John McCoy/Staff Photographer