Potential future U.S. Open venues

[Mike Hendren]

No one who watched the Walker Cup at Chicago Golf Club would propose it host the U. S. Open.  The amateurs spanked it - medal scores would have routinely been in the mid 60's.
 
The Honors Course?
 
Bogey

[Matthew Rose]

Even at 7500 yards, Cherry Hills is just too short with altitude. A shame really.

I'm not sure of any adequate venue in Colorado long enough. Is CGC suitable?

You pretty much gotta have an 8200 yarder out here.

[CBunge]

U.S. Opens need to be within a reasonable distance of major cities to work well logistically.


In my opinion, I think U.S. Opens are the best when played firm and fast on acclaimed golf clubs like Winged Foot, Shinnecock, Merion, Oakmont, ect. I would love to see a place like Chicago GC or Scioto have an open. Also the U.S. Open returning to the Country Club or Oakland Hills would be great too.

[BHoover]

I love Scioto, but a U.S. Open isn't happening. It's not big enough for logistics, and there's no way to host two professional tournaments in three weeks in Columbus (the Memorial and an Open).

Scioto is hosting the Senior Open next year, however. Should be a great host.

[Matthew Petersen]

Even at 7500 yards, Cherry Hills is just too short with altitude. A shame really.

I'm not sure of any adequate venue in Colorado long enough. Is CGC suitable?

You pretty much gotta have an 8200 yarder out here.

After the seniors and ladies were at the Broadmoor recently, there was some talk about what they could do to get the men's open. It involved closing or rerouting Cheyenne Mtn Blvd in order to add length to the course. Haven't heard anything on that front for a while.


I think the USGA would be very cautious about going to Colorado for a men's open. The summer weather patterns and likelihood of lightning delays just make for a lot of disaster scenarios.

[DPierson]

A lot of great courses on this thread! Grew up in Chicago but unfortunately never played CGC. If I had to pick another course in the Chicago area to host I would say Butler or Medinah. I would love to see the USGA go the public course route in Chicago and give one to Cog Hill (#4 Dubsdread) but sadly I fear that the redesign didn't work as planned. I am biased because I grew up caddying at Cog Hill and worked there in the summer until I graduated college. Great golf course, great infrastructure, but somehow I just don't see it working.


Oakland Hills may be a candidate in the near future. They are hosting the Amateur again and that is usually a tune up. They did host it in 2002 though and then shortly thereafter hosted the Ryder Cup and PGA. Great course, great test, exciting holes coming in.


In response to Matt's comment earlier about Inverness, I agree it has the length. I have played there three times in the past year and it has been fantastic. They have the infrastructure on the property (range may be a bit small) but is otherwise great. Whenever I speak to someone about that they seem to think Toledo is currently incapable of hosting due to lack of hotels and other infrastructure. Doesn't really make sense to me given there is a major University (which will be on summer break) when the Open would be in town. Hope they work that out as there is a ton of history there.


Last one is Bellereve. They may be in bed with the PGA right now and it will be fun to see it during the PGA Championship next year.

[Paul OConnor]

"Olympia North is great but in my opinion has no incredibly memorable holes. "

How can the above statement be true?   About any course.

In my opinion, this statement is incredibly memorable, for it's complete lack of logic.

[Paul Jones]

What about French Lick for Pete Dye?  I have never been there, but always hear great reviews about the place.  Since it has 36 holes, they will have plenty of room for logistics.

[Chris Bevan]

As an Oregonian who lives 3 hours from Bandon, I say this with hope in my heart:

Mike Davis is really high on Bandon and Mike Keiser, and has been from the beginning. .  He's already had multiple championships there and just gave Bandon the US Amateur.  Don't tell me the Amateur isn't at least a little bit of a dress rehearsal for a slightly larger tournament. 

I think that a Mike Davis setup on Trails would be the best host of an Open, I think that Old Mac could also host an Open, but I think the likely winner would be a tricked out Bandon Dunes. 

There is enough space on the resort to accommodate all the on-site infrastructure you would need.  You might end up closing Trails for the duration of the tournament to make more room as well.

As for the surrounding areas, yes it would be tight, but I think between Bandon, and the North Bend/Coos Bay area, you could do it.

I'll see you at the 2020 Amateur! (*crosses fingers for 2029 US Open at Bandon Dunes*)

[Scott Wintersteen]

"Olympia North is great but in my opinion has no incredibly memorable holes. "

How can the above statement be true?   About any course.

In my opinion, this statement is incredibly memorable, for it's complete lack of logic.

He must not have played 3 or 14.

[Paul OConnor]

Or he might just have a poor memory. 

[Ronald Montesano]

Mike Davis is really high on Bandon and Mike Keiser,

I think that a Mike Davis setup on Trails ...
I think that Old Mac could ...
I think the likely winner would be a tricked out Bandon Dunes. 

There is enough space on the resort ...

Chris, how about a composite course at Bandon? Waltzing Matilda does it for her Open championships. That notion ought to keep the wags of this board busy for a decade or so.

[J Sadowsky]

This is a bit of fantasy, but what about Kinloch?  The US Open has had its british phase, how about its masters phase?

[Ryan Bass]

Milwaukee Country Club would be capable but under the radar, I suspect.  I also suspect the membership would be opposed but that's only speculation based upon second hand information from a reliable source.

[Matthew Rose]

How about Aronimink?

[Pete_Pittock]

As much as I like Bandon there simply are not enough accommodations in Bandon/Coos Bay/North Bend for spectators.
If the US Open is held in Oregon look to Crosswater. Already at 7700 at 4000', it plays to an effective length of 7300. A aerial recon shows that up to 15 holes have room to expand through additional tee boxes. There is certainly enough housing in the area, a resort airport on site and an airport at Redmond that can handle C-5As. Only one green (16) needs a rebuild. They held a senior major there for a number of years and the course wasn't torched (if I remember correctly.  Winning scores were -15 to -22.
But thunderstorms could be a problem.

[jeffwarne]

Does anyone see the irony that any of the great sites mentioned would have to be bastardized to host our National Open?


Madison Square Garden would be a great site for the final 4 if they just blew out a few walls, lengthened the court and raised the ceiling
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and we continue to accept it.
and continue to wonder why the game gets more expensive and longer to play.........

[Matt MacIver]

Mike Davis is really high on Bandon and Mike Keiser,

I think that a Mike Davis setup on Trails ...
I think that Old Mac could ...
I think the likely winner would be a tricked out Bandon Dunes. 

There is enough space on the resort ...

Chris, how about a composite course at Bandon? Waltzing Matilda does it for her Open championships. That notion ought to keep the wags of this board busy for a decade or so.

Gotta think like Mike Davis...four courses, four rounds...one day at each, in order of construction, with fingers crossed for a Monday playoff at the Sheep Ranch....

[Jim Nugent]

As much as I like Bandon there simply are not enough accommodations in Bandon/Coos Bay/North Bend for spectators.

How many people can current accommodations hold? 

[Pete_Pittock]

Just a guess, maybe 2000, certainly no more than 4000. I can think of two large motels in Bandon, maybe five or six in Coos Bay/North Bend, but that includes Motel 6 and Super 8. You can get a better number if you search for motels on line, but I don't have the inclintation.

[Phil McDade]

Milwaukee Country Club would be capable but under the radar, I suspect.  I also suspect the membership would be opposed but that's only speculation based upon second hand information from a reliable source.

Ryan:


I think there are some things that could work in MCC's favor -- a nearby course (Brown Deer) for parking, additional practice areas, a really solid course that could (perhaps) test the pros.


But.....I think you'd have to add another 500 or so yards there, and while there is some room for expansion like that, I'm not sure if there is for length of that sort (maybe close to 8,000 by the time they land it). The course is also somewhat oddly hard to get to -- you'd have to bus in nearly everyone. And do the grounds have the room for  a U.S. Open-style corporate tent city? I'm not so sure; it's a somewhat confined course in many ways.


 And I don't think there is any way the membership goes for it -- MCC is a really low-key club that, although it has long-standing and strong ties to the USGA, I'm not sure it sees itself as a course that feels obligated to pursue the U.S. Open (in the way that Olympic in San Francisco does by all reports). Another Mid-Am (they hosted in 2008) or perhaps even the U.S. Senior Open could potentially be in the cards, on purely speculative grounds.

[John Connolly]

"Olympia North is great but in my opinion has no incredibly memorable holes. "

How can the above statement be true?   About any course.

In my opinion, this statement is incredibly memorable, for it's complete lack of logic.

Or maybe he just hasn't read the rules manual for opinions. This ain't calculus folks.  

[Scott Weersing]

I love some of the courses that have been suggested in this thread. I see the US Open going back to some old courses from 20 or 30 or 40 years ago but it would probably be in the South such as Southern Hills in Tulsa.


I don't see the pendulum swinging back to old, short courses like Merion or Medinah. There is not really any new courses that could host a US Open as Sebonack, while new, has better neighbors. The USGA would love to have a US Open in Texas and perhaps Trinity Forest could be in the running. I also don't see them going back to Oakland Hills either.


Bandon is out because it is not near a big city. I would like to see Whistling Straits host a US Open but that would be far off and Erin Hills would have to flop like Bethpage Black did. I think the US Open will end up with 15 courses that rotate.

[Josh Stevens]

Riveria not in the running, or is Kikuyu too much of a stretch.

Whats with San Fran?  If LACC has been dragged kicking and screaming to host, then would they?

[JStewart]

I don't see the pendulum swinging back to old, short courses like Merion or Medinah.

Isn't Medinah 7,600+ yards?