US OPEN COURSES

[Ash Towe]

Not having played any US Open courses but from what I have seen and read on this website my three would be-
Shinnie
Merion
Oakmont with Chicago as an alternate.

[Kirk Gill]

Shinnecock Hills - venerable, beautiful, central, both historically and
                    architecturally

Merion - a dream for many reasons, 'though the rough would haunt me.

Cherry Hills - the local contender, the centerpiece of U.S. Open golf in the
                     region where I live.

[Sean_A]

Right, I already have a seaside course, but I don't have a back water club so I have to add MYOPIA to SHINNY and MERION.  That gives me a seaside course of some difficulty but not without charm (I hope), a course left in the eddys of time and a manageable Open course.  The great thing about these three is that I am guaranteed to see many of my old mates each year who live round Boston and New York.  Plus I don't have such a terrible flight from London.  Now I gotta work on those killer guest fees!

Huckabilly, I spose part of the reason I didn't really consider Pebble is because its a public course.  That aspect ruins it for me if I only have three Open courses to play the remainder of my life.  Folks from Detroit can be snobs too ya know - tee hee!

Ciao

[TEPaul]

I'm most interested in the pretty prevalent choice of Myopia on this thread on this long list of US Open courses but I'm very glad of it. I wonder why since it seems so few on here are familiar with it.

In my opinion, it is very arguably the first really good architecture in America and with that the additional interest in it for me is it is so little changed compared to any others of that really early era or even later towards the later stages of the Golden Age. It's like an old gem frozen in time forever.

I wonder if so many on here pick it just because they are so unfamiliar with it and are just curious.

I will guarantee you it has about 4-5 holes that are pretty much the ultimate in all that great quirk can be. I've seen a lot of golf holes in my time but never any like those 4-5. I guess no one ever dared copy them for some reason. Maybe a few of their landforms never matched anywhere else much, but we should remember in that early time nobody wanted to get far from the last green for the next hole.

[Tom Huckaby]

Sean:

OK, I get that.  You're not a man of the people.
 

Seriously though that ought to factor in. I just figured this fantasy world meant I also had fantasty tee times whenever I wished.  Weather is important to me also.

TH

[TEPaul]

Hey Sean, let me ask you something. What's with your cracks about Philadelphia the bully town and NYC having an inferiority complex as well as your crack about Myopia, Shinnecock and Merion as 'backwater?'

I sure hope you think you're trying to be humorous pal. If not, well, I just don't know, but we can talk about that some other time.  

[Ronald Montesano]

Champions (because a guy named Orville won there...)
Hazeltine (because a guy named Dave roasted the place...)
CC Buff (because I grew up on the course in its latest incarnation and because Hagen was prohibited from debuting there by his jealous head pro...he walked the course, played a practice round, but had to wait until 1913 to play in Da' Open.)

[Sean_A]

I am not sure why Ran's profile of Myopia disappeared, but if googled, it can be found.  When I look at the profile the course just shouts that it is the reason to play golf.  I really, really like the look of the place.  

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/myopiahunt1.html

TomP

I gotta admit that I have had a thing about Philly since the Broad Street Bullies days.  To this day there is only one team I really hate and that is the Flyers.  To me, they represented everything that was bad about North American hockey - low skill goon hockey.  Plus, their logo sucks.  Thank god the commie bastards came over and showed us how to properly play the game.  Other than these latent scars of my childhood I don't eally have anything against the rest of you lot so long as you don't support the stinkin Flyers - tee hee.

Ciao

[TEPaul]

"I am not sure why Ran's profile of Myopia disappeared, but if googled, it can be found.  When I look at the profile the course just shouts that it is the reason to play golf.  I really, really like the look of the place."


Hmmm, good point. I remember that some months ago but forgot about it. I asked about it but unfortunately forgot the reason again. But you've got to understand if there's a club I know that is not in the slightest bit interested in publicity and promoting themselves publicly I'd have to say Myopia is at the top of the list even though there are some other very close competitors. 


I know what you means about the Flyers, Sean. I remember that Flyers vs the Commies game. Those Russians were definitely some truly beautiful hockey skaters and it didn't take the Flyers long to figure out if they couldn't out-skate and out-score them they could definitely beat them up! I think the Russian team came very close to just leaving the ice over that, right?

But it's not just the Flyers, it's pretty much this really crazy fan mentality in this town that's around a number of the pro sports teams here. It's almost like the Philly fans try to out-grossout fans anywhere and are proud of that fact. What was that team and town the Phillies clipped in the World Series? Most of our fans came home saying: "What's up with that dumb town in Florida and their ridiculous fans? They aren't fans and have no idea how to be real fans."


I had this great girlfriend for a little while years ago. She was a hoot and prided herself on being able to go into any bar or whatever and hold her own pushing and clipping and trash-talking any group of guys anywhere. Then I took her to an Eagles game where we were in the cheap seats. About the middle of the first quarter the stuff going on around us and what was being said got so bad I looked over at her and she had her head between her legs with her hands over her ears and was muttering at me to get her the hell outta there.

[Phil Benedict]

Medinah
Hazeltine in its 1970 set up
Can't decide between Olympia Fields, Bellerive or Champions for the third

[jeffwarne]

Right, I already have a seaside course, but I don't have a back water club so I have to add MYOPIA to SHINNY and MERION.  That gives me a seaside course of some difficulty but not without charm (I hope), a course left in the eddys of time and a manageable Open course.  The great thing about these three is that I am guaranteed to see many of my old mates each year who live round Boston and New York.  Plus I don't have such a terrible flight from London.  Now I gotta work on those killer guest fees!

Huckabilly, I spose part of the reason I didn't really consider Pebble is because its a public course.  That aspect ruins it for me if I only have three Open courses to play the remainder of my life.  Folks from Detroit can be snobs too ya know - tee hee!

Ciao

Sean,
Can you define seaside?
Long way to the water from Shinny.


I think you ought to throw Riviera in for covering your winter bases.

I'd take Shinnecock ( I could head back to Southampton GC for afternoon golf)
Newport-nice boat ride destination for me.-but Myopia does look great
Riviera-winter spot

[Bill Shamleffer]

St. Louis C.C.
Myopia Hunt Club
Newport G.C.