EVIAN-LES-BAINS – Nestled on the side of the Alps and overlooking Lake Geneva, it’s easy to be distracted by the beauty of Evian Golf Club. But players wise enough to look beyond its alluring facade know the challenge that lies at Evian Golf Club.

The course plays host this week to the Evian Championship, the fifth and final major of the 2016 season. With warm and dry conditions in recent weeks, LPGA Tour Agronomist John Miller says the course is ready to present a major championship test.

“The golf course is in very good condition,” Miller told LPGA.com via email. “If the weather continues to cooperate we are expecting major championship conditions, fast firm greens, difficult rough and beautiful fairways.”

The weather, however, doesn’t look likely to cooperate with rain and thunderstorms in the forecast during all four days of competition. While Miller says that won’t change any of the team’s plans heading into the weekend he adds it could affect the set up.

“The rules officials may adjust the set up to compensate for the changing conditions,” said Miller. “The good news is the winds look like they will remain light so from a set up position that will make it easier but from a drying perspective it won’t help much.”

According to Miller, keeping the fairways dry is already a challenge on this course with its position on the side of the Alps.

“This golf course sits on a very unique piece of land,” Miller said. “When it rains in the mountains, the golf course may not get the rain but there are springs that run under the golf course and they become active when there is excess moisture in the mountains. This will be a challenge for keeping the golf course fairways dry and firm if there are rains in the mountains.”

Mother Nature is just one of many challenges facing players this week in Evian where a premium is put on ball placement which will be critical for players hoping to claim the season’s final major.

“This is a very difficult golf course, the player must put the ball in a spot in the fairway to make the hole location as accessible as possible. There are times a player may actually need to play away from the hole and allow the slope of the land take the ball to the hole. The difficulty of the course and the added pressure of this being a major will be the biggest challenges for the players.”

The course will play to a par 71 at 6,582 yards for the week, just nine yards longer than 2015 with the tees pushed back at both the par five, ninth and par three, 14th holes. Greens are expected to run around 11.6 on the stimpmeter. In 2015, defending champion Lydia Ko carded four consecutive rounds in the 60’s including a final round 63 to claim her first major championship at Evian Golf Club.

A Premium On Ball Placement at Evian Golf Club

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