US Open Venues (why and why not?)

[Chip Gaskins]

The Torrey Pines thread got me thinking of what others (does this board think) the USGA should / should not consider and few thoughts on each...

WEST

Los Angeles Country Club
-I have heard the USGA has been tyring to play an open there for a long time. 
- Do the members just not want it?
- Too little room?
- Too short?

Pacific Dunes
- Too new (not now the Chambers Bay has been selected)
- Too short without wind?
- Can't mow the Doak / Urbina greens fast enough with out making it goofy golf?

MIDWEST

St. Louis Country Club
- Are Macdonald/Raynor courses to quirky for the USGA?

Milwaukee Country Club
- Seems to be a great old Colt & Alison course

Pete Dye Golf Club
- Too new?
- No Dye course ever for the US Open

Canterbury

Prairie Dunes
- Seemed to have held up well a few years ago for the senior Open
- Probably too hard to get to, too many logistical issues
- Small markets surround it for corp sponsorship?

EAST

Baltimore Country Club
- Too short? (Merion got it)
- After the redo it is a fantastic old Tillinghast course that seems to have enough room for the corporate tents.

Plainfield  CC

Piping Rock
- Membership not interested?

Robert Trent Jones Golf Club
- "PGA Tour" course already with the Presidents Cup

SOUTH

Kiawah-Ocean
- Plenty of room for corp tents
- USGA not too fond of Dye courses for Opens?
- Too new
- Already a "PGA" course?

Sea Island
- Restored old Colt & Alison, but too short?
- Too hard to get to?

[Mark_Fine]

Chip,
The short answer is most of those clubs (certainly the private ones) would be much better off without hosting The U.S. Open.  I don't think I even need to explain why 
Mark

[Steve_ Shaffer]

The trend is toward more public courses. Erin Hills is probably the next public to get an Open.

[John Moore II]

Mark--I agree, I think anymore, that hosting the US Open does nothing to enhance existing private clubs. Public clubs, on the other hand, stand to gain a lot from hosting a US Open. I am sure that Chambers Bay will see a real boost in rounds (from what might have been) because of the press received from the Open announcement. However, clubs like Winged Foot and other major private clubs gain nothing from hosting an event.
--I am not sure which courses that do not host major championships I would like to see host one. I am not sure which are worthy of hosting an open, and more importantly, which courses have the necessary infrastructure to handle all the supporting functions associated with the championship.

[Will MacEwen]

Pac Dunes lacs the infrastructure.  I also think it would be too short.

[Jay Kirkpatrick]

I wouldn't entirely rule out Quail Hollow in Charlotte.

[Adam Clayman]

The Institute would be a good market for the USGA. Maybe after it hosts a tour event they'll consider it?

Erin Hills is looking like it may be too far out should gasoline continue on it's rocket ride.

[Sam Morrow]

Champions is pushing hard for another Open.
I'm just sayin.........

[Jim Nugent]

St. Louis CC is too short -- around 6500 yards, with little room to expand.  Same problem with infrastructure, such as parking, access, corporate culture, etc. 

[David Stamm]

The Torrey Pines thread got me thinking of what others (does this board think) the USGA should / should not consider and few thoughts on each...

WEST

Los Angeles Country Club
-I have heard the USGA has been tyring to play an open there for a long time. 
- Do the members just not want it?
- Too little room?
- Too short?

 
 

Chip, LA's membership want nothing to do with it from what I've been told. It's definitely a course that could stand up to today's players.


 

[Ed Oden]

I wouldn't entirely rule out Quail Hollow in Charlotte.

Jay, the rumors are fairly rampant locally about a major or Ryder Cup for Quail.  Only time will tell whether the rumors are wishful thinking or have a basis in reality.  But I don't think there is any question that the powers that be at the club would like to get a major or Ryder Cup.

Ed 

[Bob_Huntley]

The Torrey Pines thread got me thinking of what others (does this board think) the USGA should / should not consider and few thoughts on each...

WEST

Los Angeles Country Club
-I have heard the USGA has been tyring to play an open there for a long time. 
- Do the members just not want it?
- Too little room?
- Too short?

 
 

Chip, LA's membership want nothing to do with it from what I've been told. It's definitely a course that could stand up to today's players.


 

I am sure that LACC's members would hate to host the US Open. To acquiese to the requirements of the USGA would be anathema to 99% of the membership. The utilization of the South Course and its concommitant trashing as a parking lot would be particularly painful for many months thereafter.

If any one knows the geography of West Los Angeles, could you imagine the traffic nightmare of an additional twenty or thirty thousand people travelling on Wilshire Boulevard during the week of an Open? Road rage would be the headline in the LA Times on a daily basis.

This is a pipe dream... it is a non starter.

Bob

[Scott Weersing]

I wouldn't entirely rule out Quail Hollow in Charlotte.

I think it would be great to see a US Open at Quail Hollow but the US Open is headed back to Pinehurst in 2014.

What about Ballyneal or is it too remote?

[Jerry Kluger]

Ballyneal is too short and too remote.

I know he is obnoxious but the Donald's course in Bedminster could be a good 
venue.  Much better access than Baltusrol.

[Jay Kirkpatrick]

I wouldn't entirely rule out Quail Hollow in Charlotte.

Jay, the rumors are fairly rampant locally about a major or Ryder Cup for Quail.  Only time will tell whether the rumors are wishful thinking or have a basis in reality.  But I don't think there is any question that the powers that be at the club would like to get a major or Ryder Cup.

Ed 

Mr. Harris is quite a "power that is" in the golf world.  He will get it done at some point.

[Chip Gaskins]

I have heard Mr. Harris comes close to breaking the 14 club rule, and I am not talking wedges, drivers, and putters type clubs.  Seminole, Augusta, Pine Valley, Cypress, etc...  What a life!!!!  Good for him.

[Tim Gavrich]

I don't really like that the USGA wants to hold US Opens on courses that already host regular Tour events.  I guess the fact that they're built to withstand regular events would mean that it's easier to get them ready for the Open.

[tlavin]

I wouldn't entirely rule out Quail Hollow in Charlotte.

I would.

[Kalen Braley]

Jacks course at Promontory could work.

It plays over 8000 from the tips and there would be plenty of space to fit all the spectators in.

[Phil Benedict]

I don't really like that the USGA wants to hold US Opens on courses that already host regular Tour events.  I guess the fact that they're built to withstand regular events would mean that it's easier to get them ready for the Open.

I feel the same way about playing events on Tour courses but from what I read Torrey Pines will play differently in June than it plays in February.  Of course it won't look much different.

[Phil McDade]

Chip:

Milwaukee CC is a very low-key course; it surprised several in Wisconsin when it came out of hiding (sort of) and agreed to host (along with neighboring Brown Deer, the muni that hosts the PGA stop in Milwaukee) this year's Mid-Am tournament. I be surprised if the membership there would be interested in the headaches involved in hosting the US Open -- maybe the US Amateur, and it'd be a neat, Golden-Age course ala Interlachen to host the Women's Open. But I'm not sure it can be lengthened to today's USGA standards for the men's Open. (I don't specifically know what kind of lengthening options it has, but it's on a pretty tight site.)

I believe MCC is Alison only, not jointly w/ Colt, although it's often attributed that way.

(I'd say the same thing about Canterbury -- very good course, good pedigree, a Herbert Strong layout, but short by today's standards. A good US Am/women's Open choice, but probably not the men's Open.)

I'm certain Erin Hills will be the site of a US Open in Wisconsin, if the USGA awards one to the state. Herb Kohler cast his lot with the PGA by garnering two PGAs and the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits, all in the next dozen years or so. And Erin Hills isn't all that far from Milwaukee -- it's sort of on the very outskirts of the greater Milwaukee suburban area.

[John Moore II]

Jacks course at Promontory could work.

It plays over 8000 from the tips and there would be plenty of space to fit all the spectators in.

And there is actually a market there. Good numbers of people, hotels, major airport, etc. Though, I am not sure if the Mountain West will ever see it.

[Mike Vegis @ Kiawah]

SOUTH

Kiawah-Ocean
- Plenty of room for corp tents
- USGA not too fond of Dye courses for Opens?
- Too new
- Already a "PGA" course?

The 2009 Mid-Am is going to be held at Cassique and The River Course here on Kiawah Island   We'll make sure to mention your suggestion to the USGA officials that are here for the event...

[Kalen Braley]

Jacks course at Promontory could work.

It plays over 8000 from the tips and there would be plenty of space to fit all the spectators in.

And there is actually a market there. Good numbers of people, hotels, major airport, etc. Though, I am not sure if the Mountain West will ever see it.

People would flock to Park City and it would get plenty of local support.  Plenty of parking and take shuttles into the venue.  Its need a clubhouse built first though as its pretty new.  The opening par 5 was 640 yards, and thats not even from the tips.

[Matt_Ward]

Chip:

This has been stated by a few people but the USGA is likely going to opt for more public courses because the public ones are sensing that the US Open will provide a bonanza in a host of ways. Consider Chambers Bay - the city of Tacoma historically lived for many, many years in the shadow of Seattle. When the US Open does arrive there -- even before since the announcement of the event -- the fanfare and generation of $$ from golfers will be enormous.

That's what made the success at BB so powerful in '02 and likely will repeat again next year.

The day and age of private clubs hosting the US Open can only continue if such clubs will bend to the terms the USGA demands now. I see very few of them continuning on given the leverage the USGA will exploit with a number of the top tier public courses competing to host the national championship of golf here in the USA.