[Paul Richards]

From today's Chicago Tribune, a well-reasoned article about East Coast bias by Ed Sherman:

N.Y.: Big apple of USGA's eye

Ed Sherman

June 15, 2004


SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. -- Welcome to the New York Open, formerly known as the U.S. Open.

You haven't heard? The United States Golf Association has decided to hold every U.S. Open in the New York area. The location makes it much easier for USGA officials to drive from their offices in Far Hills, N.J. Airports can be quite the hassle, you know.

The USGA's official new theme song is "New York, New York."

OK, the situation isn't that bad, but it's close.

Just two years after staging the U.S. Open at Bethpage, the USGA's big event moves up Long Island to Shinnecock Hills this week.

After Pinehurst, N.C., gets its chance in 2005, the Open returns to the New York area for the 2006 Open at Winged Foot.

After taking a two-year break--can New Yorkers cope?--Bethpage gets yet another shot with the 2009 Open.

That's four U.S. Opens in eight years. Since when did former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani become head of the USGA?

It's bad enough that the Big Apple gets to play in a World Series almost every year. Where is it written in the rules that America's biggest golf tournament outside the Masters also requires a New York ZIP code?

And that isn't the worst part. While New York's golf cup runneth over, it appears last year's U.S. Open at Olympia Fields Country Club might be the last one to be held in the Midwest until at least 2012 and perhaps 2014 or 2015.

Currently, not one U.S. Open is scheduled for the Central time zone. The 2007 Open is set for Oakmont, just outside Pittsburgh. The 2008 Open moves to Torrey Pines in San Diego, and the 2010 Open also is in California, at Pebble Beach.

Congressional Country Club, in the Washington area, is considered the front-runner for the 2011 Open, and The Country Club in Brookline, Mass., is said to be the favorite for the 2013 Open, bringing the tournament back to the site for the 100th anniversary of Francis Ouimet's famous victory.

The Midwest does have a shot in 2012, with Whistling Straits a possible venue if it receives positive marks for playing host to this year's PGA Championship. The course in Kohler, Wis., already is down for the 2007 U.S. Senior Open, an indication it is in line for the biggie.

Of course, there's also Olympia Fields, which is bidding for another Open. Then again, judging by the current schedule, you know several of those Open slots in the next decade will go to New York courses.

By the time the Open returns to Chicago, Mark Prior could be going for his 300th victory.

We in the Midwest have reason to have an inferiority complex. And the rest of the country has every right to accuse the USGA of having an East Coast bias.

The USGA has its roots in the East, and much of its blueblood leadership hails from the region. Obviously, there's going to be a bias to stay close to home.

Also affecting the decision is the heavy concentration of high-quality courses out east. Given the success of Bethpage and the tradition of Shinnecock, it's hard to argue against returning to those courses on a regular basis.

But isn't it a bit much for Bethpage to get two Opens in one decade? The USGA needs to spread the wealth.

There's no excuse for the USGA to ignore an entire region like the Midwest for a decade or more, as appears to be a strong possibility. If there aren't enough choices, it has to work on finding new ones.

That's the strategy the PGA of America used in selecting Whistling Straits this year, even though the course opened only in 1998.

"We try to insert a new golf course periodically into the rotation because there are great golf courses being developed," said PGA of America Executive Director Jim Awtrey. "You can't go back to the same ones and say those are the only ones that will be there the next 50 years."

That seems to be the USGA's strategy. The informal rotation now consists of Bethpage, Shinnecock, Pebble Beach and Pinehurst. You can count on an Open being played on those courses at least once in a 10- to 12-year period, if not more.

New York is lucky to have two of those courses. Still, that leaves plenty of opportunity to go elsewhere.

If the U.S. Open truly is our national tournament, it should be played in the East, West, Midwest and even South, regardless of the heat issues. Currently, the Open is closed to too many parts of the country.

New York is a nice place to visit, but USGA, you shouldn't be living there when it comes to the U.S. Open.


Copyright © 2004, The Chicago Tribune

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Paul, this was the topic yesterday with deep concern for our friends on the west coast. I feel the bias is the northeast rather than east coast. I hate to continue to pitch for the south but it seems our newspapers are too preoocupied with the college world series to write articles on the Open. Or we just know that we are not part of Amercia and should not complain about being left out. Thank goodness the Masters shows we actually can host an event down here.

[Matt_Ward]

Paul:

Before starting let me lob a few tears in the direction of Chicago ...  

The issue with the Midwest is simple ...

The PGA of America has seen fit to tie up a few of the venues with their events -- e.g. PGA and Ryder Cup. Oakland Hills / South, Medinah and Hazeltine National have all gone in that direction.

What's left? Likely an Open may come to Whistling Straits pending how the PGA fares and the upcoming Senior Open.

I don't doubt that Olympia Fields got a tough end of the stick with the manner by which the course played for nearly the entire event. But, take off your Chicago area hat for a second and ask yourself does Olympia Fields really have the sizzle to be a consistent Open site? I don't think so.

And before you chomp my head off I think the same thing for places like Congressional and Baltusrol.

[A_Clay_Man]

Matt, We could place any golf course in the blank

does _______  really have the sizzle to be a consistent Open site?

Sizzle; 1.To burn, fry, quench, etc.,with or as with a hissing sound; emit a hissing sound under the action of heat. 2. To be extremely hot.--n. A hissing sound as from frying or effervescence.

Beside the easy one (who gets to decide what sizzle is) why does it have to be a consistent site?

I read somewhere recently that courses pay dues to the usga. Is that true? If it is, why shouldn't all the courses have the same opportunity to host an open, infrastructure (and score) be dammed!
 
For something to be bigger than it is (This is after all, just a golf tournament) it needs to have an air about it. A specialness, that should transcend the realities ($$$) and care more about the equity of process.

Holding a lottery, where every course has at least a chance to host, seems fair (and unpredictable) to me. It would remove the stigma of pettiness that seems to have been the criteria for acceptance as a venue. And before y'all get on me about all the B.S. involved, in hosting, blah blah bllah That's just shows the rut, the thought process is in, being set in stone. Oh, and the money.

[Matt_Ward]

Adam --

You're absolutely right -- that's some rut ...

Bethpage Black (2002), Shinnecock Hills (2004), Winged Foot / West (2006), Oakmont (2007) and Bethpage / Black again in 2009.

[Paul Richards]

Matt:

You are correct.  The courses you listed are all excellent.

However, there are excellent courses in areas outside of the New York area, and it's time that the USGA starts 'spreading the wealth.'

[Paul Richards]

By the way, Mark Mungeum wrote an excellent piece in this week's Golfweek Magazine that defended Olympia Fields.

I hope someone can post that article here because it is really quite informative.

[Scott_Burroughs]

I like how the writer conveniently forgets recent history.  He mentions Olympia Fields last year as if it was the only U.S. Open held in the midwest recently.  Any remember 2001?  Or 1996?  Both in the midwest.  2 in 3 years and 3 in 8 ain't bad.  In that 8 year span, NY was represented once, and that was at a muni.

I also like how the writer conveniently doesn't mention that the midwest is the MOST represented region for hosting majors BY FAR, notwithstanding the one-site Masters.

Including this year, the midwest will have hosted 10 of the last 14 PGA Championships (Louisville included).  Talk about a region hogging a major!  Throw in the 4 midwest U.S. Opens in the past 14 years, and that's an average of one major per year.

The northeast in that time?  8, if you include Congressional.

I think the midwest should stop hogging all of the majors.

[Wayne Freeman]

I think our national championship should be played at our greatest venues and except for a couple of them (Olympia and Torrey Pines),  I applaude the USGA for their choices. If they rotated Shinnecock, Bethpage, Winged Foot, Oakland Hills, Oakmont, Pebble, Olympic, and Pinehurst it would be ok with me.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Paul Richards,

The Midwest is a large region.

Can locations such as St Louis and others, in Mid-June guarantee quality putting surfaces and green speeds of 12' ?

Don't view the question solely in a Chicago context.

What courses in the Mid-West would you suggest ?

[Paul Richards]

Patrick:

As a Chicagoan, which is the third-largest city in our country, and bastion to an amazing wealth of golf and golf courses, I don't consider an Open in Minneapolis, or St. Louis or Indianapolis or Detroit or even Kohler as a 'Chicago' Open.

Hey, USGA, since Medinah seems to be on the PGA rota, put Olympia Fields on your rota and don't spend ALL your time on Long Island and across from it!

[Jay Carstens]

Please don't forget about Southern Hills CC!  

[JohnV]

As someone who lives in Oakmont I can assure you that the Pittsburgh area does not consider itself to be a part of the New York region or even the East Coast.  This city is much more closely identified to the mid-west than it is to Philadelphia or the north east.

Would you boys from Chicago like a little cheese with your whine?

And while we're at it, why hasn't the US Open EVER gone to the Northwest?

[Don_Mahaffey]

Pat,
Getting greens to roll 12 for a couple of weeks isn't really as hard as many think. The hard part, of course, is getting them to stay alive after the event.

With the newer strains of bermuda, 12+ can easily be achieved by courses in the south. What might not be so easy is firm, fast conditions through the green. Bermuda fwys in  high humidity just don't firm up like cool season turf on sand. The bounce just will not be there unless it's warm and dry. In the south in mid June, that's going to be tough.

[texsport]

If Mark Prior getting 300 career wins is the criteria, the U.S. Open will never come back to the midwest.

Prior has 25 career wins and with his physical problems, the odds are against him ever getting 200, much less 300.

His total major league record for his 3 years includes 6-6 in 2002, 18-6 in 2003 and 1-1 this season! One winning season does not make a 300 win career.

After Maddux and possibly Glavin, we've probably seen the last 300 game winning pitcher-at least until teams go back to 4 man rotations. Do the math! 162 games/ 5 = 30 starts a year. 20 wins out of 30 starts for 15 years = 300. 15 years of pitching is a lot at today's salary levels and 20 wins in 30 starts for 15 years is even less likely.

[Jeff_Brauer]

I like how the writer conveniently forgets recent history.  He mentions Olympia Fields last year as if it was the only U.S. Open held in the midwest recently.  Any remember 2001?  Or 1996?  Both in the midwest.  2 in 3 years and 3 in 8 ain't bad.  In that 8 year span, NY was represented once, and that was at a muni.

I also like how the writer conveniently doesn't mention that the midwest is the MOST represented region for hosting majors BY FAR, notwithstanding the one-site Masters.

Including this year, the midwest will have hosted 10 of the last 14 PGA Championships (Louisville included).  Talk about a region hogging a major!  Throw in the 4 midwest U.S. Opens in the past 14 years, and that's an average of one major per year.

The northeast in that time?  8, if you include Congressional.

I think the midwest should stop hogging all of the majors.

Scott,

Great to see you survived big D and got home okay.  Sorry to have missed you here.....

Thanks for the statistical analysis once again proving that things are not all they seem.....

Basically, Chicago could get more Opens if it started advertising itself as the "far west suburbs of NY" if it weren't for the fact that here in Texas, we already describe it as the "far north suburbs of Dallas....."

[Patrick_Mucci]

Don,

Pat,
Getting greens to roll 12 for a couple of weeks isn't really as hard as many think. The hard part, of course, is getting them to stay alive after the event.

Annandale, in Jackson, Mississippi almost lost their greens during the USGA Mid-Am tournament, and I'd hazard a guess that the post tournament conditions weren't too enjoyable for the members.

You can't discount the totality of the risk and potential damage pre, post and during the tournament.[/color]

With the newer strains of bermuda, 12+ can easily be achieved by courses in the south. What might not be so easy is firm, fast conditions through the green. Bermuda fwys in  high humidity just don't firm up like cool season turf on sand. The bounce just will not be there unless it's warm and dry. In the south in mid June, that's going to be tough.


I think you're correct, it's hard to bring the course to critical mass in every phase for a four day tournament, including the co-operation of the weather, and that difficulty, risk can't allow the club to guarantee or offer reasonable assurances that the golf course will meet USGA Open tournament conditions when the bell rings.

In addition, the facilities and infrastructure must be adequate to host what has become a HUGE event.[/b

Paul Richards,

You referenced the entire Midwest in the title of your thread and then dismissed every location but Chicago.

So you too agree with the USGA's decision as it applies outside of the Metro Chicago area.  

[Hunt]

Pat,

Bellerive in St. Louis could certainly host an Open. The '92 PGA was a huge success and there is ample space for parking, crowds, and hotels.

It's a monster of a course if you roll it out 7300+ yards and the weather would be fine in mid-June.

They had the WGC scheduled there but was cancelled on 9/11. US Senior Open is there this year and I'm sure a few USGA officials will be looking at that event with an eye towards the future.

Hunt

[Jeff Goldman]

OK last post on the Open issue for me.  The idea that the Open should go or does go to the "best" courses, whatever that means, is wrong.  Most here put Cypress Point, Crystal Downs, Pine Valley etc. well above virtually all open courses, and there are other courses fairly recognized to be "better" that will never host an open.  If Winged Foot or ___ had never hosted the open or was located in Chicago or Cleveland, it would have no history or tradition, and I am not sure it would sell today.

The Open goes where they can make the course play like a driving range, make a big pile of money, and sell it to the public using tradition or some other marketing hook (The People's Open, Pebble, Oakmont and Johnny Miller etc. etc.).  I think that the less regarded opens of the last few years are a result of these marketing failures as well as the unexciting leaderboards.  Relating back to Tommy Bolt and the Blast Furnace open, or Bobby Jones' loss in 1928, doesn't really do it.  The Southern Hills Open was great to watch, but had no "pizazz" for reasons unrelated to the course.  If Tiger had won there, or if someone besides Furyk could have played the last day at Olympia Fields, these opens might have been received differently, especially if someone had figured out a decent way to sell them (a very difficult task coming between Pebble, Bethpage, and before Shinnecock, Pinehurst, etc.).  

Jeff Goldman

[Paul Richards]

Patrick:

Actually, Chicago IS the Midwest.

 

[Paul Richards]

Hey, Jeff is correct here.

If the Open (both THE and the US) were only played on the BEST courses, the rota would be:

Cypress Point and Pine Valley in the US

and

Royal County Down as THE Open course.

 

[Gerry B]

Hunt:

The Bellerive did host an Open -1965 won by Gary Player

[Paul Richards]

from today's Chicago Tribune:


A long wait

As expected, Pebble Beach officially was awarded the 2010 U.S. Open on Wednesday. Meanwhile, don't count on another Open at Olympia Fields Country Club anytime soon.

While praising the club for last year's Open, Walter Driver, chairman of the USGA championship committee, said it could be 15 years before Olympia Fields gets another Open.

Driver also defended the USGA's decision to have four Opens in the New York area during an eight-year period.

"We were in Chicago last year, and we'll be on the West Coast [in 2008 and 2010]," Driver said. "There is a concentration here in the next couple of years, but overall in history we move it around pretty well."

[Paul Richards]

"Driver also defended the USGA's decision to have four Opens in the New York area during an eight-year period."


Ugh.  

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