Pat Mucci, meant Mountain Ridge over Oak Hill West but, I'd prefer Mountain Lake over Mountain Ridge! It almost cracks my top 20 fun courses.
With regard to US Open set ups, I only go personally back to 1983 at Oakmont. Yes, I've read and heard all the set ups Joe Dey had (Oakland Hills called by Hogan as "the Monster" and the ridiculous rough at Olympic when Fleck beat Hogan. Starting in 1983 at Oakmont when it wet weather forced a Monday finish and ending with in 1995 at Shinnecock Hills, I either witnessed or implemented the set ups. PJ had some tough years using his judgement when either sabotaged by host clubs (Oakmont in '83 when the rough was fertilized unbeknownst to him) or overruled or controlled by overzealous Championship Chairmen (Winged Foot in '74). He pretty much used his knowledge as a good player in his set ups. in fact, at Olympic in 1987 he had the 17th and 18th greens only single cut each day (and we all know what a debacle the 18th green, particularly the Friday hole placement caused in 1998. My set ups started in 1992. My philosophy was that things should be difficult but not nearly impossible. My rule of thumb was to never set up a hole or shot I was unable to play myself. I frequently moved par three tees around so players would have to play a long shot, a short iron and two medium length shots. I also moved tees on par fours and fives for interest or weather conditions. Starting with Pebble Beach, it had just been regrassed everywhere except the greens with rye and I chose to widen most of the fairways given the overall firmness and slopes on several holes (2, 6, 9, 10, 11 & 15). Without a forecast of sun and wind on Sunday, the course played well. 1993 was at Baltusrol Lower. Though there's a lot of history with US Opens there, the course in my estimation lacks character except for a few holes. Rees Jones had built a few new tees, expanded some greens and reshaped a few bunkers. Without a sufficient irrigation system and with a bone dry spring, the rough outside the gallery ropes was dry and wispy. The course played relatively easy for players whose drives ended up in these roughs as they could easily bounce & roll balls onto greens that had no fronting bunkers. At Oakmont in 1994 I was unable to make any set up changes to the way the Women's Open played the course in 1992 as the club got the USGA to agree to that. The course played OK but I had a Championship Chairman who insisted on setting up the course (mainly hole placements on greens) that were frequently too much on slopes (best score on #2 was 6 and everyone three putted #6 in playoff). Ironically, the green speeds started the morning at 12 feet but by late in the afternoon had slowed to 10 1/2' due to the poa anna growing. And, there even was a drivable par four every day! 1995 at Shinnecock Hills was the best of the four US Opens I set up. I was left alone for the set up and was able to widen quite a few fairways from where they were for 1986. I also selected some areas around greens to be fairway cut grass, thus allowing something other than blast shots from long, thick rough around these greens (I think nearly every green had some of this). I do remember Virgil Sherrill wanting to build the new tee on #17. Fortunately, the wind blew from three directions during the four rounds and the new tee was used on either Thursday or Friday when it was right to left. I do remember bumping into a member at dinner on Friday and was blasted for the course playing too easy! Sunday night his opinion had changed, needless to say. When I left, for the next few years, set ups were done by a long time staff member whose handicap might have been 8. His method was to go back to "balls to the walls" golf. The US Opens at Bethpage and Shinnecock Hills did nothing to improve the opinion of the USGA, especially with players and the media. Mike Davis's philosophy is sound and liked for several reasons but none more than the simple set up mistakes or poor judgement between 1996 & 2004. There have been drivable par fours (Cherry Hills & Oakmont) but his graduated rough, which was implemented at Pebble Beach in 1992 but wasn't liked by a certain USGA past president, has been his best implemented change of thinking. I applaud the USGA in selecting him to not only set up the US Open courses but to have him running the joint.