PGA Features

Time hogs the fast lane when you're getting ready to host one of the World's biggest sporting occasions.

Evolution not revolution. That's the mantra chanted by the team at Gleneagles charged with preparing the renowned Scottish resort's PGA Centenary course for the 2014 Ryder Cup. However, with three showdowns between Europe and the USA still to be contested before then, it could be suggested that David McLay Kidd, a leading golf course architect, and Gleneagles head PGA professional Russell Smith are being somewhat previous in tweaking Jack Nicklaus' original design in readiness for the contest.

But as Smith points out, time hogs the fast lane when you're getting ready to host one of the World's biggest sporting occasions.

"The years have flown by since 2001 when we were told Gleneagles would stage the Ryder Cup in 2014," said Smith. "And I'm sure the six left will go even more quickly."

The choice of Gleneagles means the Ryder Cup will return to Scotland for the first time since 1973 when it was staged at Muirfield.

Some observers felt, however, that a more traditional Scottish course such as Muirfield, Carnoustie or one of The PGA Centenary's elder siblings at Gleneagles - the King's or Queen's - rather than one designed by an American would have boosted Europe's chances of victory.

But Ryder Cup veteran, Scotland's Colin Montgomerie, is delighted with the decision.

"We already know this course well and we have another six years here," said Montgomerie, chairman of the Johnnie Walker Championship, which will be staged at The PGA Centenary later this month. "I think the course is getting better each year."

It's a view shared by Smith, who added: "It was created by an American, Jack Nicklaus. But it's not an American course. It's a modern course."

And, having played a part in the changes that have been made to it, Smith should know.

Those changes have, to date, involved a third of the course - holes four, six, eight, 12, 13 and 14. But, unlike alterations made to Championship venues elsewhere, they are not based solely on length. At 7,300 plus yards off the blue tees, The PGA Centenary is the longest inland course in Scotland but, as Smith explained, size isn't everything.

"When the course was designed it was felt that 7,000 yards would be more than enough to contain the biggest hitters," he said. "But that is no longer the case because modern equipment enables players to hit the ball even further and there is no telling where that will end."

So rather than annex chunks of stunning Perthshire countryside to extend the course in what would probably be a Canutesque attempt to hold back golf's boffins, Kidd and his team have adopted a more subtle approach to shackle the big hitters and create an exacting test of the game's arts.

Nevertheless, with five par fives in the lay-out, there are plenty of rewards on offer for the big hitter.

Likewise on the revamped par three uphill 239-yard fourth hole where a prodigious, not to mention accurate, tee shot employing a club that is becoming increasingly redundant in the modern game, the long iron. However, with the tee facing the prevailing wind, one is likely to be needed here.

The sixth is also a par three but there the similarities end. Downhill and with the prevailing wind behind, distance control is paramount - not least because of the ridge that has been introduced on the green. Players who land their tee shots on the wrong side of it will face two demanding putts.

The seventh hole, meanwhile, has been extended - by almost 60 yards to 468 - as has the 14th. In the case of the former, playing downhill and with the prevailing wind helping, precise approach play is needed to reach the green in two.

By contrast, the latter, formerly a par three, has been lengthened to 320 yards specifically with the Ryder Cup fourballs in mind.

"One player can take the safe route," explained Smith. "And if he is successful, his partner can go for broke. This hole is sure to be a crowd pleaser both during the tournament and in years to come as amateurs try to emulate 'great shots' they saw at the Ryder Cup."

The changes to the course are not likely to end there, however. Kidd, who was born in nearby Auchterarder, and Smith have an ally in nature insomuch that the more mature the course becomes, so do the surrounding trees and vegetation.

Furthermore, plans are being mooted to make the 18th a more spectacular finishing hole for the Ryder Cup while others will be made elsewhere to improve the experience for golfers of differing abilities.

"The changes that we have implemented are part of the long-term plan to ensure the course is in perfect condition for the Ryder Cup," added Smith.

"But it is also vital that we keep looking at ways to improve and develop the playing experience of The PGA Centenary Course for all levels of golfers."

Russell Smith is the head PGA professional at Gleneagles and avialable on 0800 389 3737.