Beverly to host US Open?????

[Paul Richards]

http://www.dailysouthtown.com/news/126088,3NWS3-07.article



Alderman wants to bring U.S. Open to Beverly

 

He plans to hold hearing on bringing golf tournament to country club in 2014

November 7, 2006

By Jonathan Lipman Staff writer

As Chicago prepares to bid for the Olympics in 2016, it also should look at bringing the U.S. Open golf tournament to the Beverly Country Club, one alderman says.

Ald. Ed Burke, chairman of the finance committee, said he plans to hold hearings on the feasibility of bringing the 2014 tournament to the Southwest Side institution. He has a resolution in committee calling on the U.S. Golf Association to consider Chicago.

"It would be a great shot in the arm for the South Side; it's a great golf course," Burke said.

The USGA has talked about bringing the tournament back to the Midwest for 2014, already having made plans to hold it on both coasts until then. South suburban courses such as Cog Hill and Olympia Fields are hoping for a chance, as is Erin Hills in Wisconsin.

But Burke thinks if Chicago has a shot at the Olympics in 2014, then the U.S. Open shouldn't be impossible. He said he got the idea from a friend, investment banker Carol Podesta Foley, a former Beverly resident and club member.

"I went to the U.S. Open at Wingfoot (in New York) this year ... and it just reminded me so much of Beverly because it had a clubhouse built in the last century," Foley said. "And it was also an arboretum, with all these beautiful trees, just like Beverly."

Foley, who said she has not spoken to club owners and doesn't represent them, said her family has been golfing at the club since the 1950s.

"I heard (the USGA) was looking for a site in the Midwest and was looking in Wisconsin," Foley said. "I thought, 'Why? Beverly is right here.' "

A call to the club's management was not immediately returned Monday.

 

[Jeff_Mingay]

A historic clubhouse, and trees = US Open?!

Jokes aside, Paul: what'd you think? Could Beverly do it... logistically, especially?

Seems, with 100s and 100s and 100s of acres, Erin Hills is definitely on the USGA's radar screen, eh. By 2014, Erin Hills will almost be 10 years old...

[Paul Richards]

Jeff

Beverly's course could hold its own, just fine, thank you.

The reality is that the property is not large enough to host this size of an event.

But it does have a great history......





 

[Jeff_Mingay]

That's why I ask in terms of logistics, especially, Paul.

My gut tells me Erin Hills might become for the USGA what Whistling Straits is for the PGA. Time will tell.  

[Geoffrey Childs]

Jeff

Having played it, I'm frankly puzzled by the USGA interest in Erin Hills.  It is built on a HUGE scale that absolutely must rely on its width for playability.  With that topography, if the USGA went in and grew rough and narrowed those fairways I think it would be a disaster.

[Adam Clayman]

Dr. Childs, It is a puzzeling question why these venues get tourneys before they are ready, or finished.

It smacks of some form of nepotism and is the kind of slap in the face many many course should rightly feel.

[Geoffrey Childs]

Adam

I have no insight into USGA politics and I would not speculate on your suspicions.

I understand their interest because

1- The logistics of holding an event there could work out fine.  Its not too far from hotels and the roads in don't normally get congested.

2- Its built on a scale akin to Sand Hills.  The place is huge and there is plenty of room.

3- The golf course has the length AND importantly the flexibility of length to hold an event like a US Open.  Shivas described very well the 11th which can be drivable at 311 yards or a ball buster 500 yard hole and play just fine at both lengths.  Very few if any other courses can boast this ability.

In its great scale and highly rolling landforms is a WIDE golf course.  I think that is necessary.  I would be very skeptical of the USGA's mindset about how the course would set up for an Open.  The golf course needs tweaking of greensites and bunkers but its got the potential.

Paul - Beverly is a terrific course but I think the circus that has become the US Open has past her by.

[Geoffrey Childs]

Shiv

I lost ONE golf ball at Erin Hills and didn't even have to look for any others.  The one I lost on a par 3 no less was probably 6 inches out of play and we were not stopping to look for balls having to get up to Kohler later in the day. I have not gone back and counted my GIR but it was pretty high.  I played well at EH.

You have altered my intended use of the word playability.  The design relies on width because those hills and sideslopes demand it.  

[Paul Richards]

Geoff


>Paul - Beverly is a terrific course but I think the circus that has become the US Open has past her by.


Agreed.


The vast areas necessary for all of the corporate tents and other infrastructure would make it impossible to hold a modern US Open.


But it sure would be a nice complement to a Chicago Olympics, as referenced in the article.


It's OK to dream....

[Adam Clayman]

So buy up enough adjoining real estate, level it, and viola. u.s open tents that will grosss 50m in a week.

You have to start thinking like an alderman.

[Phil McDade]

Shivas must have been watching election returns last night!

Back to Beverly and the Merion comparison -- does anyone know if the USGA has decided/is willing to take less of its usual cut by putting the Open at Merion? I know that sentiment has been expressed in some previous threads -- that the USGA ought to be willing to make a little less money in return for having the tourney at one of the game's great sites. I'm guessing the USGA may be willing to do that every once in a while, but perhaps not in back-to-back years.

[wsmorrison]

I think the alderman is either ignorant of the situation or posturing for his own sake.

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

I have a feeling that the USGA is only going to lose some of its ticket based revenue.  Merion has another property for corporate activity or they will use Havorford College as the coroporate village.  There is no room for the corporate stuff at Beverly, not to mention that the attendance would be compromised a second time.  Besides, they identified a very worthy champion at Olympia Fields, while making a pretty good profit.

[Paul Richards]

After numerous conversations with people who have contacted me on this topic, it seems that Alderman Burke may actually be onto something here.

With the Olympics in town, it would be a great boon to the city of Chicago to have a US Open as well, in the city limits.

The only course that fits that bill is Beverly.  

Therefore, we'd need a bit of help from the Alderman.

For instance, closing 87th Street during the tournament to allow fans to travel between nines is a must.

The Dan Ryan Woods can be used for parking and some staging operations and the golf course to our immediate south, Evergreen GC, could be a corporate tent area.


As I mentioned above, the golf course could hold its own, with the areas around the club put to use, this dream by Ed Burke could be a reality.......


 

[Tom_Doak]

By the time 2014 rolls around, someone will have built a 9000 yard course to top Erin Hills, and they can take the Open there.

[Geoffrey Childs]

By the time 2014 rolls around, someone will have built a 9000 yard course to top Erin Hills, and they can take the Open there.

Tom

Are you saying that all Erin Hills has to offer is an 8200 yard tipped out golf course?

Have you seen the finished product?

[T_MacWood]

The Open Doctors are licking their chops.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

I would rather keep this simple and let Beverly and our good friend Paul Richards have his day in the sun.

[Paul Richards]

Tiger,



Bless you.



I love ya, man!!

[John Kavanaugh]

Paul,

I don't understand why parking is an issue with the train tracks adjacent to the course...simply build a new stop if there is not already one there.

[Paul Richards]

John

Excellent idea.

However, this is not a commuter railroad line - it is the B & O, I believe, which is freight.

[John Kavanaugh]

John

Good idea.

However, this is not a commuter railroad line - it is the B & O, I believe, which is freight.

Hmmm...nothing that renting a classic locomotive and rail cars couldn't solve.  When you come down to play the new Dye course in French Lick I can show you exactly what would fit the ticket.

[Matt_Ward]

Paul:

I wish Beverly well but I have heard from a few key sources the 2014 event is likely to return to that famed easterm LI layout -- which has hosted every 9 years -- '86, '95 and '04. The gap this time would be ten years this go around and it appears a return engagement -- save for the silliness of the 7th green, to name just one episode -- will once again happen.

We shall see ...

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Paul, you need love while you have to live with the Zook, inspite of his assination of JL Smith win over MSU and almost W over the Bucks.

[Paul Richards]

Tiger

Pay close attention to the Zookster - he's got his act together and the Illini football team is headed back to the top.

Juice Williams, our freshman quarterback is the real deal and today they announced that Arrelious Benn, the top wide receiver recruit in all the land, is coming to Illinois!  Apparently, this has driven the Notre Dame faithful absolutely bonkers!

Juice may some day join the great names of Grange and Butkus.


Go Illini!


And, if the 2014 Open is played at Beverly, perhaps Tiger can place his name next to the greats who have won at Beverly - Palmer, Nicklaus, Ouimet and Evans!

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