Chevron Championship's new layout – and pond jump – more daunting

Poppie’s Pond lives! Well, kind of.

The traditional champion’s pond leap was believed to be a thing of the past when news broke that the Chevron Championship would change venues this year, moving from its longtime former home of Mission Hills Country Club in Palm Springs, California, to its new permanent digs at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas.

But come Sunday, the newest Chevron winner will still have the option to jump.

The club recently dredged a portion of the large lake that sits just off the 18th green at Carlton Woods’ Nicklaus Course, between the ninth and 18th holes. According to someone with knowledge of the work, the area used to only be a few feet deep, and the…