future Curtis/Walker Cup sites: why?

[Ronald Montesano]

Having been present at Merion in 2009 and having just witnessed from afar a successful running at Essex County Club in 2010, it occurs to me that certain venues are meant for certain events.  The intimacy of a Merion, an ECC, lends itself to these amateur team events.  The Curtis heads to Nairn in 2012, while the Walker embarks for Royal Aberdeen in 2011 and LA North in 2013 (Lytham in 2015 and National Golf Links in 2017)  Of these choices, Lytham and Pinehurst seem to stand out as a venue that we see as Open championship sites.

Merion was the anomaly to me, a club whose footprint is so tiny, yet somehow will host an Open championship again.  Another exception would be The Orchards in Massachusetts.  I would never have predicted it for a USGA Women's Open, yet it pulled it off. 

What other courses lend themselves to these two competitions?  What other courses have the infrastructure and the quality to host a high-level international team event, yet not the necessity of acreage nor quonset huts demanded by professional events?  What other courses are Curtis and Walker Cup worthy, even if they never get one?

[Tom_Doak]

You could host the Curtis Cup at any golf course you wanted.  It only has to be 6300 yards long or so, and there are less than 5000 spectators so there is not really any infrastructure requirement.

The infrastructure for the Walker Cup is not much more than that.  I would guess they are unlikely to hold it on a course less than 7000 yards nowadays, at least in the U.S.A.; in Britain the wind makes the length less relevant.  Realistically, though, the Walker Cup is the most sought-after event on the USGA schedule, because it has high prestige and because the course only has to be closed to member play for one week.  For those reasons it gets invitations from Merion, Cypress Point, Pine Valley, and all the rest of the top 20 clubs.

[Ally Mcintosh]

I was just told that it will be coming to Rosses Point / County Sligo sometime soon... Not sure how I missed that previously if in fact it is true...

[Martin Toal]

The 2003 Walker Cup was held at Ganton, in Yorkshire, England. That seems to me to be an ideal sort of course for the UK matches. The Open Championship always goes to great links, as it should, and the Ryder Cup goes to hideous corporate monstrosities, so perhaps the Walker Cup could give a good example by choosing some of the fine heathland/sand belt courses or lesser known links. Ganton, Hillside, The Berkshire, Woodhall Spa and the like.

Sunningdale and Walton Heath are also great, but the British Seniors and Open/US Open local qualifying already use those.

[Bill_McBride]

Having attended the Walker Cup at Chicago GC (2005) and Royal County Down (2007), I really think it's the best event there is.  Smallish crowds, very limited crowd control, on courses you might not see otherwise.  The college kids (there are few older guys, no Trip Kuehnes anymore) can really play, and the match play format really works.

[Phil McDade]

Lawsonia in the fall, amped up with wide fairways and green speeds at a decent pace. It could hold the Curtis Cup quite easily; I've actually thought it might be able to hold the US Women's Open.

[Ronald Montesano]

Let's amend my question to "should" host.  Which courses do you envision (as in, should host) hosting the Walker and Curtis Cups? The McDade gets the question...give us reasons why.

[Tim Martin]

The best thing about the Curtis and Walker Cups is the lack of ropes and security.I always go to these events to see the course first and the matches second. I would compare this kind of spectator access to the Crump Cup where you get a real feeling for each hole. When you are on a hole that no one is playing you can walk right down the middle of the fairway and up to the green.

[Tim Gavrich]

How about a Walker Cup at Yale?  Holes like 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 14, 16, 17, and 18 all strike me as particularly excellent match play holes.  Its terrain and placement are such that it probably couldn't hold a bigger tournament, but it's such a neat and distinguished place that it deserves something bigger than the occasional NCAA East Regional tournament (which it has held successfully, from what I gather, in the last few years).

[Tom_Doak]

Based on historical connections, how about St. Louis CC in 2021 or Oakmont in 2025 ... Celebrating the centenary of their hosting the U.S. Amateur.

[David_Tepper]

The Curtis Cup was played at San Francisco GC in 1974. It would be very nice to see it played there again, but I doubt it will happen.

[Garland Bayley]

I'd like to see the Walker Cup at Chambers Bay. I would like to see municipal governments get the idea that they can build something worthwhile and be rewarded. The unfortunate thing is how much it cost to build Chambers Bay. An alternative idea would be a place like Common Ground, which I have not had the pleasure of playing.

[Steve Salmen]

I applied for the secretary position at Royal Dornoch with the intention of bringing the Walker Cup there.  I did not get the job, but I still hope they get the Matches.

[Bill Gayne]

I think Kinloch in Richmond, VA would be a good choice for a modern course.

[Ian Larson]

The Los Angeles Country Club was talking about getting back into it with the Walker Cup.

[Anthony Fowler]

I have no reason to criticize the USGA, because they are choosing awesome sites for the Curtis and Walker Cups.  If you look at the list of past host sites, it would be hard to improve upon what they have done.  The match play format and lack of infrastructure requirements allow them to choose courses that we otherwise wouldn't get to see.  I also view these events as a sign of recognition to the players for a great amateur career, so it is a nice honor for these players to come to a great course and play in such a fun event.

If it were up to me, I would pick some of the newer courses that otherwise wouldn't get a bigger tournament (like Bandon/Pacific Dunes for the 2006 Curtis Cup).  Sand Hills, Kingsley Club, Friars Head, Macrihanash Dunes, Nanea, etc. would all be great venues for such an event.  

Here are my two proposals for future Walker/Curtis Cups.  Neither of which is going to happen.

1) Ballyneal -- For Sunday Singles, one team captain gets to pick the pairings and the other gets to place the tee markers for each hole.  They might have to build an extra cabin in Holyoke, CO; but Rupert will get a kick out of calling it the Walker Cup cabin.  (The members at Kittansett still talk about the tiny "Walker Cup Bunker" which was built on 14 for the '53 Walker Cup.)

2) Stone Eagle -- Every match is 19 holes.  If the teams are still tied on Sunday evening, the captains break the tie with a taco-eating contest.  Also, the event moves to December so the players don't die of heat exhaustion.

[Sean Leary]

Ian,

LACC did get a Walker Cup.

Garland,

The US Open and US Am are much bigger wins than a Walker Cup for CB, no?

[Tom_Doak]

Anthony:

I suggested to Mike Keiser that he invite the Curtis Cup in hopes of someday landing the Walker Cup.  But when you hear the names of the 37 clubs which invited the USGA to consider them as hosts for the next Walker Cup, it is pretty hard to imagine that any modern course is going to beat them out.

[Bill Brightly]

Wouldn't National be perfect for the Curtis Cup?

[Ronald Montesano]

Bill,
National gets the Walker in 2017...

[Sean_A]

My two choices to host the Walker Cup?  Ballybunion and Rye.

Ciao 

[brad_miller]

For WC.

Prairie Dunes and Crystal Downs, PD should have edge as to having hosted both US Woman's and US Seniors in past 10 years. Agree to have both back with commitment to host WC sometime in 2020's. Does CP meet all the USGA criteria??

[Ronald Montesano]

Crystal Downs...now there's a thought...those with experience on the Michigan track, what say ye?

[Bill Shamleffer]

How about St. Louis C. C. for a Curtis Cup.

[Tom_Doak]

Crystal Downs...now there's a thought...those with experience on the Michigan track, what say ye?

I doubt that would happen, because Crystal Downs doesn't have the political clout to attract the event, and because the course may still have a bad rap at the USGA for the 1991 Senior Open [which was mostly the fault of the USGA's own set-up].  Also, my guess is that they would prefer to hold the Walker Cup in major metro areas, otherwise they might not get ANY gallery.

It would be great to watch those guys try to play the course, though.  They would find it very short, but it would still give them fits.