Your proposed future major championship venues?

[Ira Fishman]

Why is Muirfield Village almost never mentioned as a Midwest US Open venue? Course too similar to ANGC? Jack not interested? Would need to move the Memorial Tournament? The course does not seem my personal cup of tea, but it presents well on TV and certainly could be set up to play difficult.


Ira

[Adam G]

I recall hearing very strong rumors that Winged Foot was in negotiations for 2028.


I'd imagine after 2023 LACC will get it again, maybe several. It's that good.

[Mike_Trenham]

Why is Muirfield Village almost never mentioned as a Midwest US Open venue? Course too similar to ANGC? Jack not interested? Would need to move the Memorial Tournament? The course does not seem my personal cup of tea, but it presents well on TV and certainly could be set up to play difficult.


Ira

Agree US Open should be held at Murifield Village once and Jack can host the Memorial at The Bears Club that year.

[Matthew Rose]

The new Inverness would be a worthy candidate, I'd think.

I always thought Spyglass might be a good PGA venue. Gives it a chance to shine on its own, without Pebble.

[V. Kmetz]

1. I (liking RTJ- work more than most here) appreciated:


Bellerive


...in the last PGA, which resulted in a fine contest between Tiger and Koepka.


1. It's already big (long enough) for the current elite game
2. It has the grounds to host the show
3. It has a lineage of hosting majors/large events...
4. ... but it's not over-exposed in the golf fans' environment
5. It's just about in the heart of the geographic midwest, and adjacent to population centers.


As a course to watch the play of pros I found it very pleasing, but most of all in the long lag putting and judgement chipping.


I can understand that some take a lack of physical spectacle or shot strategy away, when one of the prime features is massive huge RTJ greens with swells and tiers and quadrants... but I have grown up with and connected with golf through some of those same greens, and I am really, really (constantly) impressed by the quality of elite professional, world champion lag putting from 50, 60, 70, 80 feet... which Bellerive (and many RTJ courses) elicit.


This is one of the "small" skills that as a caddie and golfer for 40 years that goes unnoticed... the amount of 3 putting and misses of close ground run (judgement)...this is one of the core gaps that makes up a chasm between even low handicap/scratch golfers and the touring world class golfers... and the chasm that exists between low handicaps and average...and average and bogey...and bogey and high handicaps...


2. Although I'm much less enthused to offer it, for the sake of geographic and course variety as well as utility to host, another possible major venue for something could be


The Old White - Greenbrier?


It might need some yardage (LoL - at 7,350, it "might need yardage") but here's a course that's got some familiarity and interest from the contemporary world, is big enough to host, gets a major into an unplumbed area, has a template course to chew on, and finishing on 8-9 iron (for them) par 3 ought to set our hair on fire in nasty personal debate for weeks. It ought to make money and is literally made for largesse hosting of wealthy patronage.


3. It could never happen, as the course has been rendered nearly obsolete by the improvements men's game, but I was reminded by the 2014 LPGA and last weeks US W  Am how much I miss observing golf action every year at:


Westchester CC West.

[Tim Martin]

3. It could never happen, as the course has been rendered nearly obsolete by the improvements men's game, but I was reminded by the 2014 LPGA and last weeks US W  Am how much I miss observing golf action every year at:
Westchester CC West.

Vin-The Westchester Classic had a terrific forty year run. It’s a compelling set of Walter Travis holes with all the infrastructure requirements in place. I agree that the lack of length makes it an also ran. That said it is one of my favorites without even mentioning the South course.

[Gib_Papazian]

Thinking outside the box - since my wife informs me I don't even know where "the box is" - let alone what is inside it . . . . . .


Why not Kapalua? Absolutely breathtaking and if the USGA decided to ratchet up the difficulty, how unique would that be?


Or here is another one: Build a few new tees at Mauna Kea . . . . including the lost "Gazebo tee" is discovered by researching opening day in 1966.


Since the Wuhan virus is probably going to eventually mutate into the Andromeda Strain, spectators might end up a thing of the past.


How about restoring the Prince Course on Kauai? You want DEMANDING, even for the PGA killers? THAT would be interesting to watch.


Look, if the R&A can put aside all the "troubles" and bring The Open to Portrush (OMG, was that good or what?), the USGA can bring the U.S. Open to Hawaii . . . . . . last time I looked, it was still part of America.     

[Thomas Dai]

How long before Saudi Arabia throws enough £$ around for it to hold a Major (both men’s and women’s)? (Sic)
Atb

[Kalen Braley]

How long before Saudi Arabia throws enough £$ around for it to hold a Major (both men’s and women’s)? (Sic)
Atb

Have you looked at average Summer temps (June, July, Aug) in an area like Dhahran?  Half the field would be DNF....

You'd have better luck hosting it on Mercury! 

[Thomas Dai]

How long before Saudi Arabia throws enough £$ around for it to hold a Major (both men’s and women’s)? (Sic)
Atb

Have you looked at average Summer temps (June, July, Aug) in an area like Dhahran?  Half the field would be DNF....
You'd have better luck hosting it on Mercury! 

Having spent a considerable part of my life in that part of the World and played a considerable amount of golf in the area on a 12 months p/a basis as well I am very similar with the climate, temperature situation etc etc.
And when lots of £$ is on the table the time of year an event is held can become somewhat flexible in relation to traditional diary dates.
Atb

[Kalen Braley]

Its all good Thomas, but with current oil and gas prices, seems like they'd be able to afford the golf version of this in no time!

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ski_Dubai

[Jeff Schley]

How long before Saudi Arabia throws enough £$ around for it to hold a Major (both men’s and women’s)? (Sic)
Atb

Have you looked at average Summer temps (June, July, Aug) in an area like Dhahran?  Half the field would be DNF....
You'd have better luck hosting it on Mercury! 

Having spent a considerable part of my life in that part of the World and played a considerable amount of golf in the area on a 12 months p/a basis as well I am very similar with the climate, temperature situation etc etc.
And when lots of £$ is on the table the time of year an event is held can become somewhat flexible in relation to traditional diary dates.
Atb

I'm careful not to be an apologist for the ME and don't participate in those topics much as it is easy to turn political, however in relation to the UAE, KSA etc. being a venue for a major it already has happened, but for the European Tour.  The Race to Dubai has been at the Earth Course in Dubai as their tour championship. In KSA they have recently started the Golf Saudi initiative with various courses (and paid endorsers, the black knight being one) in the planning stages as has been in the news. Once more courses are built around the Kingdom, you can bet they will try and host events with worldwide acclaim (although I doubt the PGA tour would be the target much less interested) as they see this as a magnet for tourism, which they are trying to stimulate. Nicklaus, Norman and others will be making some nice coin in this coming decade.

Thomas, I stopped playing golf in the summer here several years ago after a "heat incident". Just not conducive for the human body to be able to enjoy pushing it's limits for recreation. Will be 115 here today with a heat index of over 125 (we do get humidity in Dhahran for 4-6 weeks a year in July/Aug.). You could wait until 8 pm when it will be a much more pleasant 102.

[Tim Leahy]

The new Inverness would be a worthy candidate, I'd think.

I always thought Spyglass might be a good PGA venue. Gives it a chance to shine on its own, without Pebble.

Spyglass would be great for a major either PGA or LPGA women's open.