When competing in tournaments, professional golfers will play the golf course in the best conditions, but also the toughest.
Firm and fast greens, narrow fairways and tough pin placements are usually the norm, but one other aspect is the rough which, at this week's Genesis Invitational, is set to be tough, especially if Ben Griffin's post on X/Twitter is anything to go by.
Better hit the fairways this week @thegenesisinv 👀👀 pic.twitter.com/Kkkb1v1QNtFebruary 10, 2025
Playing the third Signature Event of 2025, the tournament hosted by Tiger Woods is being staged at Torrey Pines' South Course instead of Riviera Country Club, due to the recent fires in Los Angeles.
Torrey Pines held the Farmers Insurance Open just a fortnight ago and, as the best of the PGA Tour head to California, Griffin has given viewers and fans an insight into what lies ahead for the game's elite.
Posting to his social media, Griffin holds the golf ball up to the camera before throwing it into the rough, with it digging in so deep that you can only just see the top of it. Along with the video, the caption sums up the scenario perfectly, as the American writes: "Better hit the fairways this week."
Over the last few years, videos of golf balls being dropped into thick rough have entertained many golf fans on social media. At Oak Hill during the 2023 PGA Championship, the thick, dense rough played a big part throughout the week as players and caddies claimed that the lowest lofted club they could use to get out of it was an 8-iron.
We often see The Open Championship and US Open providing players with a challenge in terms of long, thick rough, with Torrey Pines set to be a similar story.
Using primarily Kikuyu grass, which is known for its thick, tangled growth, it makes the rough particularly challenging to play from, while also providing great lies from fairways. What's more, it's a type of grass that needs almost constant warmth, which is why it is found in states like California.
