US OPEN COURSES

[Sean_A]

You have he opportunity to play 3 US Open venues on a bi-yearly basis to the exclusion of all others for the remainder of your life.  Which three do you choose and why? 

I have a shortlist of 7 courses and am finding it quite difficult to narrow it to three.  My shortlist is

Shinny: Though I am concerned that this course will be too difficult when I am but a few years older.  But I do like the idea of seaside golf and its proximity to NYC is very welcome.

Myopia: I have always been fascinated by this place.  The bunkering looks a marvel and the old world charm can almost be touched when looking at pix of the course and club.  Plus, I like Boston and its surrounds. 

Garden City: I know very little about this place except it is meant to be a ground hugging masterpiece.  This combined with the great variety of bunkers and the highly touted tricky greens makes this an appealing option.  I don't have a clue where this club is located, but I always imagined it wasn't very garden like!

Newport: I know very little about this place except for the fact they don't have a water system and it is seaside.  Both of these factors are very appealing.

Oakmont: Like Shinny, I am concerned about the famed difficulty of this course, but something attracts me to this club. The location out near Pittsburgh isn't terribly enticing for a holiday.

Merion: I have seen this one and thought the course was a great balance of charm and brutality.  Sort of like Reagan's presidency.  Though I am not overly keen on Philly as a destination.

Riviera: Not the right part of the state, but still California.   I admit to this one being an outsider as many of the pix and the talk of the place haven't impressed me.

Ciao

[Tom Huckaby]

With the inclusion of Riviera... I guess any course that ever held a US Open counts here? 

And Sean I wonder... did you omit Pebble Beach intentionally?

Seems easy to me:

Pebble Beach
Shinnecock Hills
Merion

All three great tests but all three also pretty darn fun.  Shinnecock we just play middle tees.

TH

[Kyle Harris]

Merion: I have seen this one and thought the course was a great balance of charm and brutality.  Sort of like Reagan's presidency.  Though I am not overly keen on Philly as a destination.

We aren't overly keen on you as a visitor, Arble, now bugger off! 

Myopia, Garden City and Merion would make for quite the trio. Three VERY different venues at reasonable yardages.

[K. Krahenbuhl]

Merion
Shinnecock
Chicago Golf Club

[George Pazin]

Oakmont: Like Shinny, I am concerned about the famed difficulty of this course, but something attracts me to this club. The location out near Pittsburgh isn't terribly enticing for a holiday.

Not welcome in the Burgh, either...

Pebble, Shinney, Oakie, not in that order.

[Sean_A]

Merion: I have seen this one and thought the course was a great balance of charm and brutality.  Sort of like Reagan's presidency.  Though I am not overly keen on Philly as a destination.

We aren't overly keen on you as a visitor, Arble, now bugger off! 

Kyle - I thought about Chicago GC, but I just wasn't sure.  I have heard some very mixed reports about the course.  Though, as a destination, Chicago is superb.  It beats the hell out out of that Broad St Bully town with a NYC inferiority complex! 

George - Come on, I can't give Pitt any leeway after the way your crowd out of hand dismissed the one and only pro team I support.  What else is there to cheer about around Detroit?

AwsHuckster - I have never been attracted to Pebble.  

I am expecting some homerism here, but try to say why a course is it for life.

Ciao

[Tom Huckaby]

Sean - interesting.   To me it's the clear #1 of US Open courses.  But to each his own.... also since you seem to want a NorCal course - no love for Olympic Club either?

TH

[PCCraig]

TCC Brookline
Merion
Glen View Club

[David Stamm]

I can only comment on the ones I've played, so....


Pebble Beach
Riviera
Garden City



....and I would be perfectly happy with them.

[Philippe Binette]

Three US Open courses

Shinnecock
Oakmont
Pinehurst

[Brad Tufts]

Ditto Stamm...

But with:

Merion
Newport
Myopia

[Tom Huckaby]

Crap - we only get to do courses we've played?  What fun is that?  I want to dream....

All right then I have to change my answer:

Pebble Beach
Shinnecock
Riviera

Olympic Club misses out - I'd want a little more geographic variety.  Chicago GC just loses to the others (for me).  Not sure I have played any others...

TH

[Tom Birkert]

Shinnecock
Merion
Oakmont

Three diverse courses, three wonderful courses.

From a selfish point of view the time zones would mean better viewing times in the UK, hence why I've ignored the West Coast ;-)

[Sean_A]

No, folks can pick ones they haven't played.  Heck, that may be a reason why they pick it.  

After looking through books etc I have come up the following:

SHINNY - for sure, I have never seen it, but how bad can it be?

MERION - Despite the rough, the course isn't overly long and I think they have a cool set of greens.

The last choice is between Myopia and Newport.  I haven't seen either, but I notice Brad picked Newport.  Why Brad?

Ciao



 

[Bill Shamleffer]

http://golf.about.com/cs/historyofgolf/a/usopencourses.htm

Here is a year-by-year list, going back to 1895, of golf courses that have hosted the U.S. Open:

2008 - Torrey Pines Golf Course, South Course, La Jolla, Calif.

2007 - Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club

2006 - Winged Foot Golf Club, Mamoroneck, N.Y.

2005 - Pinehurst Resort and Country Club, No. 2 Course, Village of Pinehurst, N.C.

2004 - Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Southampton, N.Y.

2003 - Olympia Fields (Ill.) Country Club, North Course

2002 - Bethpage State Park, Black Course, Farmingdale, N.Y.

2001 - Southern Hills Country Club, Tulsa, Okla.

2000 - Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links

1999 - Pinehurst Resort and Country Club, No. 2 Course, Village of Pinehurst, N.C.

1998 - The Olympic Club, San Francisco

1997 - Congressional Country Club, Bethesda, Md.

1996 - Oakland Hills Country Club, Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

1995 - Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Southampton, N.Y.

1994 - Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club

1993 - Baltusrol Golf Club, Lower Course, Springfield, N.J.

1992 - Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links

1991 - Hazeltine National Golf Club, Chaska, Minn.

1990 - Medinah (Ill.) Country Club, No. 3 Course

1989 - Oak Hill Country Club, Rochester, N.Y.

1988 - The Country Club, Brookline, Mass.

1987 - The Olympic Club, San Francisco

1986 - Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Southampton, N.Y.

1985 - Oakland Hills Country Club, Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

1984 - Winged Foot Golf Club, Mamaroneck, N.Y.

1983 - Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club

1982 - Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links

1981 - Merion Golf Club, East Course, Ardmore, Pa.

1980 - Baltusrol Golf Club, Lower Course, Springfield, N.J.

1979 - Inverness Club, Toledo, Ohio

1978 - Cherry Hills Country Club, Englewood, Colo.

1977 - Southern Hills Country Club, Tulsa, Okla.

1976 - Atlanta Athletic Club, Duluth, Ga.

1975 - Medinah (Ill.) Country Club, No. 3 Course

1974 - Winged Foot Golf Club, West Course, Mamaroneck, N.Y.

1973 - Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club

1972 - Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links

1971 - Merion Golf Club, Armore, Pa.

1970 - Hazeltine National Golf Club, Chaska, Minn.

1969 - Champions Golf Club, Cypress Creek Course, Houston

1968 - Oak Hill Country Club, East Course, Rochester, N.Y.

1967 - Baltusrol Golf Club, Lower Course, Springfield, N.J.

1966 - Olympic Country Club, Lake Course, San Francisco

1965 - Bellerive Country Club, St. Louis, Mo.

1964 - Congressional Country Club, Bethesda, Md.

1963 - The Country Club, Brookline, Mass.

1962 - Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club

1961 - Oakland Hills Country Club, Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

1960 - Cherry Hills Country Club, Englewood, Colo.

1959 - Winged Foot Golf Club, Mamaroneck, N.Y.

1958 - Southern Hills Country Club, Tulsa, Okla.

1957 - Inverness Club, Toledo, Ohio

1956 - Oak Hill Country Club, East Course, Rochester, N.Y.

1955 - Olympic Country Club, Lake Course, San Francisco

1954 - Baltusrol Golf Club, Lower Course, Springfield, N.J.

1953 - Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club

1952 - Northwood Club, Dallas

1951 - Oakland Hills Country Club, Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

1950 - Merion Golf Club, East Course, Ardmore, Pa.

1949 - Medinah (Ill.) Country Club, No. 3 Course

1948 - Riviera Country Club, Los Angeles

1947 - St. Louis (Mo.) Country Club

1946 - Canterbury Golf Club, Cleveland, Ohio

1942-45 - Not played due to World War II

1941 - Colonial Country Club, Fort Worth, Tex.

1940 - Canterbury Golf Club, Cleveland, Ohio

1939 - Philadelphia Country Club, Spring Mill Course

1938 - Cherry Hills Country Club, Englewood, Colo.

1937 - Oakland Hills Country Club, Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

1936 - Baltusrol Golf Club, Springfield, N.J.

1935 - Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club

1934 - Merion Cricket Club, Ardmore, Pa.

1933 - North Shore Golf Club, Glen View, Ill.

1932 - Fresh Meadow Country Club, Flushing, N.Y.

1931 - Inverness Club, Toledo, Ohio

1930 - Interlachen Country Club, Minneapolis, Minn.

1929 - Winged Foot Golf Club, West Course, Mamaroneck, N.Y.

1928 - Olympia Fields Country Club, Matteson, Ill.

1927 - Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club

1926 - Scioto Country Club, Columbus, Ohio

1925 - Worcester (Mass.) Country Club

1924 - Oakland Hills Country Club, Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

1923 - Inwood (N.Y.) Country Club

1922 - Skokie Country Club, Glencoe, Ill.

1921 - Columbia Country Club, Chevy Chase, Md.

1920 - Inverness Club, Toledo, Ohio

1919 - Brae Burn Country Club, West Newton, Mass.

1917-18 - Not played due to World War I

1916 - Minikahda Club, Minneapolis, Minn.

1915 - Baltusrol Golf Club, Springfield, N.J.

1914 - Midlothian (Ill.) Country Club

1913 - The Country Club, Brookline, Mass.

1912 - The Country Club of Buffalo, N.Y.

1911 - Chicago Golf Club

1910 - Philadelphia Cricket Club, St. Martin's Course

1909 - Englewood (N.J.) Golf Club

1908 - Myopia Hunt Club, South Hamilton, Mass.

1907 - Philadelphia Cricket Club, St. Martin's Course

1906 - Onwentsia Club, Lake Forest, Ill.

1905 - Myopia Hunt Club, South Hamilton, Mass.

1904 - Glen View Club, Golf, Ill.

1903 - Baltusrol Golf Club, Springfield, N.J.

1902 - Garden City (N.Y.) Golf Club

1901 - Myopia Hunt Club, South Hamilton, Mass.

1900 - Chicago Golf Club

1899 - Baltimore (Md.) Country Club, Roland Park Course

1898 - Myopia Hunt Club, South Hamilton, Mass.

1897 - Chicago Golf Club

1896 - Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Southampton, N.Y.

1895 - Newport (R.I.) Golf and Country Club

Source: United States Golf Association

[Tom Huckaby]

Excellent.  Then give me Merion back.  Seems I would have a lot of fun there.

The other two (Pebble/Shinnecock) remain.

So Sean we'll meet up at two, and it's your loss re Pebble.  Have fun in the winter.

 

[TEPaul]

"Myopia: I have always been fascinated by this place.  The bunkering looks a marvel and the old world charm can almost be touched when looking at pix of the course and club.  Plus, I like Boston and its surrounds."


Sean:

That's an interesting remark about the bunkering of Myopia. I never really thought of it that way but it's true. At one time Myopia was considered by many to be massively over-bunkered (because of Leeds' fixation on constantly adding bunkers) but then the course went through a time of obsoleting many of them. Now many have been rejuvenated or restored (but not all).

It occurs to me that about 2/3 of the holes of Myopia have some of the most varietal and really clever and almost unique uses of bunkering I've ever seen in my life, particularly if you miss a shot in a particular way or place. Most of the people who know that course well know that full well too on very much a hole by hole basis---eg the holes have some very distinct unique personalities that way.

But the other interesting thing is the rest, maybe 1/4 to 1/3, don't really have much or anything to worry about bunker-wise but they very much have some other things to worry about and concentrate on avoiding or not doing.

It really is a wonderful course that way and other ways and it's so old it's like being of another era to play it.  

[Joel_Stewart]

I'll go with,

Merion
Oakmont
Pebble Beach

Shinny would be 4th but having played it a number of times its just too damn hard.

[TEPaul]

Sean:

One interesting bit of trivia about Myopia is Leeds agreed to hold four US Opens in ten years but he would not agree to hold a US Amateur stating that he did not think the course (and particularly the clubhouse) was yet ready for a US Amateur. Times sure have changed in that vein.

[Tom Huckaby]

I'll go with,

Merion
Oakmont
Pebble Beach

Shinny would be 4th but having played it a number of times its just too damn hard.

Joel - I most definitely have that concern about Shinnecock as it kicked my ass sideways and I've made the point on here countless times that the reason for my preference for the course across the street is because Shinnecock is too hard and that course is too fun.

HOWEVER... wouldn't the issue be solved by moving up a set of tees or two at Shinnecock?  Oh I can imagine it would still be very tough, but not brutally so.  No?

[Charlie Goerges]

I must say that making 3 the number was ingenious. One more and the choices are much easier for me (I've played none of them) and two or three more would mean no major choices.

1. Myopia (I like the name and the fact that it's old, beyond that I know nothing of it)
2. Pebble (Duh)
3. Shinnecock (both of the above apply)


4. Merion
5. Oakmont
6. Bethpage Black

[Kalen Braley]

Fortunately when it comes to the toughness factor, I wouldn't think its a big issue because after all you're only allowed to play these course twice a year.  And the "exclusion of all others" I took to mean the exclusion of all other US Open sites only.  Last I checked there are still plenty of decent courses that haven't hosted an Open. 

For my courses...not to be a Tom H. homer, even though he is a popular guy,  I'd have to agree with him on Shinny, Pebble, and Merion.  And who knows, maybe you could even jump the fence at NGLA and sneak in a few holes there too when in the neighborhood!!  

P.S.  Tom I am a bit schocked though that Torrey didn't make your top 3. 

[Garland Bayley]

Newport
Chambers Bay
Sebonack (you didn't say which US Open)

[George Pazin]

The last choice is between Myopia and Newport.  I haven't seen either, but I notice Brad picked Newport.  Why Brad?

Newport is in a wonderful location, breezy and beautiful by the sea. There's a decent amount posted on here about Newport, but most of it is probably pretty old, so it'll take some digging to find it. If you ever get a chance to watch the old replay of Tiger's 2nd Am win there, it looks pretty great; it did during the recent Women's Open as well.

Can't say that I think the Burgh dissed your team. I'm assuming you're talking about the Cup ceremony; most were properly respectful, only a small number weren't. Regardless, Detroit doesn't make my list of top 1000 most hospitable places in the USA...

[Garland Bayley]

The Women's US Open was played a couple of years ago at Newport and it looked FABULOUS!

For many of us old codgers, a Women's US Open venue and set up would be more appropriate than a men's venue.