Jack Nicklaus says he is satisfied with his revamp of Gleneagles, which will host the 2014 Ryder Cup.
While Nicklaus is a proponent of reversing the trend of golf balls that travel longer than ever before, he has remodeled the PGA Centenary Course he originally designed in 1993, to better withstand the distance modern players get off the tee.
Nicklaus made changes to 12 of the 18 holes.
After playing the revamped course on Wednesday, he said: "The golf course, first of all, was not meant to be the toughest golf course in the world. It was a golf course for Gleneagles and its hotel and guests.
"When I was asked to do the course more than 20 years ago, in those days it was a pretty challenging golf course.
"With the equipment and the golf ball and everything going so much further, it needed alterations.
"I would prefer golf balls being altered personally but until that happens, alterations need to happen to golf courses.
"I don't think it's going to be a golf course that breaks the back, it's not meant to be that.
"There are plenty of opportunities for birdies - birdies are exciting in the Ryder Cup - but it also makes you play golf.
"It's more about being a good test and a good place to have an event than breaking your back."
The much-maligned 18th hole now has eight new bunkers, an elevated tee, a re-modelled final 250 yards including a lowered fairway, and a new green.
"The 18th hole was the biggest change," Nicklaus said. "We dropped the green five or six metres and created an amphitheatre.
"It's not a very difficult hole but it's exciting, there will be birdies and eagles and bogies on it and you're going to get shots that change hands."
golf365.com