"I don't like it" – Scottie Scheffler calls out modern golf course setups, hints at taking matters into his own hands

Scottie Scheffler isn't a big fan of how modern golf courses are designed, and he might have to take up course design once he's done playing to remedy that issue. After winning the CJ CUP Byron Nelson, he revealed his stance.

New golf courses are designed all the time, and they are all unique, but they fit under the modern umbrella. That, in Scheffler's eyes, isn't a good thing, and he would like to see it change.

He said (37:59) on Grant Horvat's channel:

"One of the reasons I would like to eventually get into some golf course design ... I don't like it ... They take out all the trees, and they make the greens bigger. They typically make the fairways a little bigger as well. And so, like, the only real barrier to guys just trying to hit it as far as they basically want to—or need to—is trees, right?"

He said playing without trees means golfers can hit the ball "wherever" they want. If he misses by 10 yards, he's in the thick rough. If he misses by 20 yards, he lands in the crowd.

Horvat said he'd never considered this, and he asked what Scheffler's ideal course is like. The American golfer said Augusta National, the home of the Masters Tournament, is "really good."

He added:

"Hitting it far is an advantage at Augusta. But the areas where you need to hit the ball are so small. And the big runoff areas—fairway around the green—I think is better in terms of shot-making and creativity."

Scheffler said there's "more to it" than just putting heavy rough off the side of the green every single time because it forces golfers to compete to get decent lies instead of just, as he said earlier, hitting it wherever they want.

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Scottie Scheffler is ready for the next Major

After shooting a (tied for) PGA Tour record -31 at the CJ CUP Byron Nelson over the weekend, Scottie Scheffler is in good touch. He's ready for the next Major for that reason, but he's also ready mentally.

Scottie Scheffler is ready (Image via Imagn)

The PGA Championship is later this month, and Scheffler said he's "fired up" to get there and compete. Last week, he said he was the best player, but after a week off before the PGA, the tournament will determine who's actually the best player.

He said via BBC:

"Rory has been playing some tremendous golf this year. The career Grand Slam was really special to watch. I was glad to be able to be there for it."

Nevertheless, he is ready to turn the tables on McIlroy:

"I think any time you're getting beat, you're always fired up just a little bit extra to go out and practice," Scheffler added. "I feel like my game is trending in a good direction. I'm excited to start the rest of the season."

The CJ CUP Byron Nelson was Scottie Scheffler's first win this season after a historic 2024.