US Open Venues (why and why not?)

[Mark Arata]

Would they ever dare to go to Monterey and play the Open at Spyglass instead of Pebble?

Public Course
Plenty of room down the road for all the extra stuff
Pretty tough golf course, at least judging by how they play it during the Clambake.......

Just dont see them going there instead of Pebble........

Do you think they could create a composite course of the soon to be 4 courses at Bandon and create an open course?

[Jon Spaulding]

The mere thought of RJ "undoing" the upcoming work of Hanselford @ LA North is nauseating. The membership was solicited I believe as recently as the 80's and turned the USGA down for the "nth" time.

Of interest is that the North is hosting a qualifier for the US Junior here in a couple of weeks. Paging Jordan Wall.......

[Mike Benham]

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

Why? 

With Pebble and assuming a return to Torrey Pines, would the USGA go to 3 courses in California?   (I am assuming that Olympic's next Open is their last).

Monterey/Carmel have better accommodations to host a US Open then Morgan Hill ...

[Jim Nugent]

With Pebble and assuming a return to Torrey Pines, would the USGA go to 3 courses in California?   (I am assuming that Olympic's next Open is their last).

Why do you think Olympic will only hold one more Open? 

[Phil McDade]

With Pebble and assuming a return to Torrey Pines, would the USGA go to 3 courses in California?   (I am assuming that Olympic's next Open is their last).

Why do you think Olympic will only hold one more Open? 

The 18th green.

[tlavin]

With Pebble and assuming a return to Torrey Pines, would the USGA go to 3 courses in California?   (I am assuming that Olympic's next Open is their last).

Why do you think Olympic will only hold one more Open? 

The 18th green.

I know what you're saying, Phil, but I actually like the 18th hole, despite the problems with a front hole location.  It is surely the best short par 4 finisher for a major-host golf course.

[Brian Cenci]

In Michigan I know Oakland Hills is very very very active in receiving another U.S. Open.  I believe the quote from one of their members I heard last year was "we can get the PGA any year, we want another Open."

I think an Open at Crystal Downs would be awesome but the membership would never allow it and it doesn't really have the accomadations or area for all that an open brings.  There is some large vacant openland areas adjacent that could probably host all the tents and such tho.  I'm sure it's not long enough but they could probably tip it out now without building any new tees at 6800 or so and it's already a par 70.  Traverse City is the nearest city and that's an hours drive away.

Of the courses I've played I'd really like to see na Open at Kiawah, Kinloch and Wolf Run.  All very challenging courses that would pose their own unique twist on an Open.

[Tony_Chapman]

Re: Kalen's thoughts on Promontory. Are there any other courses in the Mountain Time Zone that could feasibly hold a US Open? That seems to be the only time zone shut out of the Open since Cherry Hills in 1985. Or did I miss a course?

Salt Lake has already admirably hosted the Winter Olympics for pete's sake. Surely an Open would be nothing.

[Chip Gaskins]

With Pebble and assuming a return to Torrey Pines, would the USGA go to 3 courses in California?   (I am assuming that Olympic's next Open is their last).

Why do you think Olympic will only hold one more Open? 

The 18th green.

they have flattened that green and made it bigger according to a member i know.

[Chip Gaskins]

so it sounds like olympia fields, winged foot and shinnecock are out (at least for the near future)

oakmont could host it every year but i am sure the membership likes it about once every 15 or so.

pinehurst, bethpage, pebble, congressional are main stays

i assume torrey will go well and get another one, which gives the USGA a west coast group including chambers bay, pebble, olympic, and torrey.

if merion holds up well in 2013 i assume it would get another one around 2020 (can you imagine how far the ball will fly in 2020?)

it sounds like erin hills seems to be next to be added to the list which helps the mid west.  but it sounds like the mid-west needs at least one more course (oakland hills, cog hill, etc???)

would baltusrol ever be back on the table?

will the USGA never go back south of pinehurst?

would the membership at friars head ever be interested?

do you think the USGA will ever waive the  requirement (unwritten I assume) of holding an Amateur in order to get another Open?

[Phil McDade]

With Pebble and assuming a return to Torrey Pines, would the USGA go to 3 courses in California?   (I am assuming that Olympic's next Open is their last).

Why do you think Olympic will only hold one more Open? 

The 18th green.

I know what you're saying, Phil, but I actually like the 18th hole, despite the problems with a front hole location.  It is surely the best short par 4 finisher for a major-host golf course.

Better than Inverness?

I, too, like the 18th at Olympic. I don't think the USGA does, though. And, if Chip is right, widening and flattening a unique green is the kind of thing that private, member-centered courses tend to rebel against to meet the demands of hosting the US Open.

[Cabell Ackerly]

Besides the obvious nuisance of hosting a US Open, I wonder if the USGA's push to take the US Open to public courses is having an affect on the "prestige" factor for private clubs as well.

[Kalen Braley]

Tony,

Thankgiving Point is the only other course I can think of here in the SLC area that could host this.  It can be played to about 7800, which at its elevation plays in the 7300-7400 range.

The greens are undulating enough, and the fairways can be pinched in.  The weather usually isn't in the 100s yet that time of year, but it could be. Today we have a high of 62, last year we were in the high 90s already...so who knows.

[Buck Wolter]

The Open Doctor just revamped Bellerive in St Louis, we'll see how it holds up in this year's 'BWM Western Open'

[Mike Benham]

With Pebble and assuming a return to Torrey Pines, would the USGA go to 3 courses in California?   (I am assuming that Olympic's next Open is their last).

Why do you think Olympic will only hold one more Open? 

For the 2012 Open, I believe Olympic will play at about 7,000 yards.  At the last Open at Olympic, many players were using irons off of the 4th tee, #1 is easily reachable in two by a majority of the field and some players were driving to the bottom of the swale on #6. 

And this was in the pre-ProV1 era.  Even with the additional tee boxes added on #2, #3, #5 and #12, the Lake will play short with its only defense being small, hard greens and rough.  And we are still 4 years away from 2012 ...

Many would point to the logistics and infrastructure of holding the Open at Olympic, other then the use of the Ocean course, there are not the large expanses of open space to put large hospitality areas near the action.  Maybe the hillside to the left of the 4th fairway and below the second tee will be the home of the first two and three story corporate hospitality areas ...

Additionally, assume that Torrey Pines is successful and with Pebble staying in the rotation, do you see 3 California US Open sites?

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