Hey there Mr Morrison! If I were to compile a list of courses that the US Open would only be played on, I would first of all have to figure out what I was looking for. I would try to find a variety of courses. One thing that makes these courses different is whether or not they stress length or shot placement off the tee. While I would never include Harbour Town on my list, that course, which is short but tight, favors shot placement more than it does length. I may be wrong about the length now. The last time I checked, it was under 7,000, but it seems every course is lengthening these days. A course like Oakmont, would emphasize length off the tee over shot placement. Another thing I would look at are the green complexes. At Bethpage, we will see green complexes that are very different than those of Pinehurst in 2005. I think a run up shot at Pinehurst would be much more effective with the false fronts, than it would be at the Black course. One requirement that all courses must have are that in order for a player to be successful there, the course must be subtle, where only local knowledge and good golf can conquer. Another requirement is that the course must be as natural looking as possible, and have few artificial looking features. Now to attempt a list of 10 courses that I feel should be included in this hypothetical rotation.
1-Pine Valley-(I know about the infrastructure problems with crowds and parking, but a guy can hope)
2-Shinnecock
3-Winged Foot
4-Cypress Point
5-Merion
6-Bethpage Black
7-Sand Hills
8-Pebble Beach
9-Pinehurst #2
10-Brookline
This is really quite a difficult thing to narrow down to even 10. I left out NGLA, but I probably should have put it in. I think the list would eventually grow to the point where it wouldn't serve any purpose to have a rotation. We would have to make a cut-off point say around 15 at absolute most. Then again, that might even be too much. I think this would be a good thing for golf course design. People would naturally wonder why a certain course should be in the rotation, and another not. They will learn about what makes those courses unique. The average golfer, who certainly used to be interested in just playing the game, would develop an eye to what is good and bad about the courses they play and would learn to appreciate the really good tracts they've played, and they would appreciate the hidden gem. Ultimately I think it would be a good thing for the game. More spectacular scenery, better golf, higher standard for play, and a smarter public who knows the differece between good and bad design. To sum up: I don't think its a bad idea.