Phil:
Looking at google maps there seem to be quite a few places you could lengthen the course. I didn't think about that when I was there so I don't know how it would work at ground level. I think it would hold up just fine if you could find 450-500 yards. I agree that the current situation will not allow it to be possible but the question was US-Open "worthy" public venues...
Bart
Bart:
Here's a rundown:
1 -- No real room to move the tee back, as doing so puts it on the putting green down below. Plays at 418 from the tips; a 3-wood/wedge for the pros.
2 -- Maybe another 30 yards, but that's about it. 431 now, maybe 460. Driver/short-iron. And that's a dogleg in which it's easy to cut off yardage.
3 -- The tee now abuts the entrance road; I suppose you could cut down a bunch of trees on the other side of the road and stick a tee back there. But it's 386 from the tips now, and at most you could go 430-440 yds? Not a long par 4 for the pros, and another dog leg where the corner can be cut.
4 -- You could maybe squeeze another 25 yards out of that far corner of the property; plays at 203 and uphill, typically a club more than usual. Not sure this needs lengthening from the tips.
5 -- 487 par 5 from the tips, and certainly converted to a par 4 for an Open. Like 4, that's a tee squeezed hard against a side of the property, and moving that back much would appear to interfere with players teeing off on 4.
6 -- Lengthened in recent years, now 439 from the tips but downhill so plays less than that. Maybe another 20 yards at best; 460 yards downhill that -- avoiding the two fairway bunkers left -- leaves another pitch/wedge approach.
7 -- Some funky terrain around here; to lengthen the hole would require moving the tee back and to the left and some tree removal. 161 from the tips; a good target hole, although I'm not sure it would be that great of a challenge for the pros.
8 -- The shortest par 4 on the course @ 339; you'd have to carve a swatch through the woods behind it to add a tee. The room is there, but even a 100-yard swath through the woods would leave it a mid-size par 4. I'll stop playing Lawsonia if they lengthen this hole like that -- a terrific short par 4 as is with obscure, semi-blind aesthetics that work as a short hole and perhaps not as a longer hole.
9 -- Tee would have to be moved back into the woods and to the right for lengthening -- not sure of the terrain over there. 535 from the tips; you could conceivably get another 50 yards there. Now 535 from the tips; it'd be a downhill tee shot with an uphill second.
10 -- Very little room to move back tees, but not sure it needs it; plays 239 from the tips.
11 -- A hard decision, as to move this to a par 4 from its current par 5 means leaving the short par 5 18th as a par 5 (to get 35-35=70). Hardly any room to move the tee back; this is one of the few crowded portions of the course. Plays to 498 from the tips; you'd maybe have a 510-yard par 5 or very long par 4, depending on 18.
12 -- Not a lot of room to move the tee back, as doing so would interfere with tee shots off 18. 183 from the tips.
13 -- Not much room to move tees back -- 20 yards at most? Tee is squeezed in between 12 green and 16 fairway. Currently 568 from the tips as a par 5.
14 -- Maybe at most another 20 yards back; much farther back and the terrain here falls off steeply and runs into the other course. Now 154 from the tips,
15 -- Similar dilemma to 14 tee -- another 20 yards at most? 394 from current tips with a downhill tee shot.
16 -- Funky teeing area that sits in between 13 fairway and left of 15 green. Lengthening this brings shots from those two holes possibly into play. A strong, uphill par 4 currently as is at 443 from the tips.
17 -- Another tee backed into a corner of the property; I can see adding 20 yards or so through tree removal, but not much more than that. 383 from the tips now; would still be a short par 4 for the pros.
18 -- Either leave as is -- 503 from the tips now as a par 5, a solid par 4 closer for the pros. But that leaves 11 as a very short par 4 to get to par of 70. Lots of room back of this tee, including some buildings, so you could maybe go another 50-70 yards back and lengthen it to keep as par 5 while switching 11 to a par 4.
That's at most 400 yards, for 7,100 and change at par of 70, with some dubious changes (chute-like tee on 8 ). I still think they'd chew it up.