A fairway to go: some some radical changes to help make what's good into something great.

It wasn't all Ernie's fault though. Take the par-5 17th (Pic A). It is obvious to even the most casual observer that such a perverse piece of land - fairway bends right-to-left, land slopes left-to-right - was never meant to form a golf hole. Two golf holes maybe, but never one. When a player - Australian Peter O'Malley - hits a perfect drive 275 yards up the middle then has to literally snap-hook his next shot round the dogleg, something is clearly amiss.

Another Sky commentator, Ewen Murray, made particular reference to Wentworth's final hole (Pic B) and the dip/ditch that crosses the fairway at just about the point where a perfect drive should finish.

"The dip needs to be filled in," contends the Scot. "All the way across. I'd also bank it left-to-right so that it follows the shape of the hole. That will restore the playing of the hole to what Colt intended. He wouldn't have had people hitting off down-slopes over water, which is what many did last week.

"If you do all that, the temptation will be there for players to try to slide the ball round the corner with their drives. The more to the right they are brave enough to go, the shorter the second shot becomes. That's all that is needed, along with more sensible pin positions, to bring back the excitement that was lost this year."

All of which got your correspondent thinking of other iconic holes that, while already good or even great, could do with a bit of work, either architecturally or on their set-ups.

TURNBERRY

Holes 9 (Pic C), 10 and 11

Whisper it, but the 9th on the Ailsa course is one of the biggest frauds in golf, even if the breathtaking tee out there on the rocks does make it one of the most photographed holes in the game. Unfortunately, compared with perception, the golfing reality is a big disappointment, the overly narrow and cambered fairway all but unhittable, even for the most accomplished strikers.

Here's the solution: a new 9th green, set against the wall that surrounds the famous lighthouse. From the present tee, that would form a suitable climax to a par-3, one that would be both picturesque and offer a more achievable challenge. The 10th - already one of the Ailsa's more scenic holes - would then be a spectacular par-5 sweeping around the bay.And the 11th? Right now it is easily the weakest of the 18, a flat, bland par-3 with nothing to recommend it. Instead, it could be transformed into a short, almost driveable par-4 to a green behind and slightly "round the corner" from the present putting surface, again making maximum use of the beautiful coastline.

So, instead of two bad holes surrounding a pretty good par-4, we've got three great and memorable holes. Not a bad trade.

MUIRFIELD

Hole 9

Before we go any further, it must be acknowledged that the 9th at Muirfield is - especially now that a new back tee has been introduced - one of the world's best par-5s. Which isn't to say it can't be improved.

Here's how. At present, heavy rough and a new bunker challenge the right side of what is the only sensible tee-shot available.

To the left of the landing area is a bunker and left of that, between the sand and the wall that runs the length of the hole, is a sizeable expanse of heavy rough. It is the rough on the left that needs to go. Think about it. With nothing but fairway between bunker and dyke, the player on the tee will inevitably be tempted to "go" for the gap, thereby shortening the hole and gaining a more inviting angle for the second shot.

In other words, the desire here is to create Muirfield's version of Carnoustie's "Hogan's Alley", one that offers golfers more than one way to play one of the game's greatest holes. Short grass, never forget, is golf's most interesting hazard.

ST ANDREWS

Hole 17 (Pic D)

Only last year, this column lambasted the R&A for the thoughtless way in which the world-famous Road Hole was presented (make that "screwed up") during the Open Championship. For those who need reminding, there was, in no particular order: too much rough on the left (way too much); too much rough on the right (see the left); and not enough fairway anywhere.

Apart from all that, everything was fine.

So let's get the mowers out. Let's create one huge fairway for a hole that is, because of the severity of the green complex, already one of the game's toughest tests and, more to the point, all about the approach shot. Given that, the strategic possibilities are almost endless. Players could attempt to drive into all sorts of places, depending on the prevailing weather conditions and the position of the pin. It would be a tactician's dream.

And here's what we won't see: players hacking mindlessly out of long grass when, from exactly the same spot, they should be a) bravely/misguidedly going for the elusive green behind the Road Bunker, or b) laying up short and right, or long and left, to leave the easiest possible third shot. All in all, interesting rather than boring, thought provoking rather than mind numbing.

PEBBLE BEACH

Holes 14 and 17 (Pic E)

At last year's US Open, these holes had lots in common. Both were bordering on unplayable.And each owned greens that had apparently been designed by either a mad scientist or a sadist. Or both, come to think of it.

Both holes had their moments of madness, but the 14th won the contest for most silliness. On occasions too numerous to count, world-class players were unable to find the putting surface with well-struck pitches or chips. Indeed, when the cup was cut to the left behind the greenside bunker, the only option for those whose approach shots came up short was a chip to the very back of the green. From there, it was a case of trying to two-putt back down the hill from as much as 40 feet. Daft.

The 17th was almost as bad, successfully hitting a long iron to a green measuring only a few yards from front to back being a scenario beyond all but the most fortunate. Still, at least the solution in both cases is simple: blow up the greens with high explosive and start again.

These are but a few examples. There are, of course, many more across the globe. The 3rd on the Kings course at Gleneagles springs to mind. As do the 11th and 17th at Augusta National. But all have one thing in common: whether through bedraggled design or thoughtless set-up, even iconic architecture isn't always as good as it seems at first glance.

The 17th at Wentworth would be better off as two holes. If you can't hit it 300 yards off tee you can't play this hole

Filling in the ditch and levelling off the slope on the 18th at Wentworth would encourage players to try more adventurous tee shots that would slide around the corner

Moving the green here would improve the ninth at Turnberry

Eliminating the rough and expanding the fairway would improve the Road Hole

The 17th green at Pebble Beach is too shallow and almost unhittable for even the best players