[peter_mcknight]

If anyone is interested, the following matrix represents the holes that were converted from a par 5 to a par 4 for the US Open.  There is also another interesting conversion from a par 4 into a par 3 included here as well:

The Country Club, hole 2, from par 4 300 yards to 185 yard par 3

Bethpage State Park, hole 7, from par 5 to 489 yard par 4--this was a true length par 5, 567 yards

Winged Foot, holes 9 and 16 (par 5s on card) to 509 and 457
yards, respectively

Oak Hill, hole 17, par 5 changed to par 4 at 495 yards

Baltusrol, holes 1 and 7, changed to par 4s at 478 and 503 yards, respectively

Oakmont, hole 9, has played as a par 5 for all 7 opens, but will become a 480 yard par 4

Congressional, holes 6 and 10, were reduced to play as 475 and 489 (recent Booz Allen tee) par 4s, respectively--the 6th hole is a true length par 5 at 544 yards

Pinehurst, hole 8 and 16, par 5s changed to par 4 at 485, then 467 yards and, hole 16, 531 yards to 492 yards--a true length par 5

Atlanta AC, holes 2 and 18, both were 460 for the 76th open, now 470 and 490 yards, respectively.  Hole 2 is around 535-545 yards; the 18th is 515 yards.

Oakland Hills, holes 8 and 18, now, after the Ryder Cup, playing from the same tee boxes, just reducing par to 482 and 492 yards respectively

Bellerive, hole 4, from 556 yards to 470 yards--this hole is a bit unusual because the USPGA insisted on playing this as a par 5 during the 1992 USPGA, unlike some of the other conversions that the USPGA followed along (Oakland, Oak Hill, Atlanta AC, Congressional, Baltusrol, Atlanta AC, played Southern Hills as a 70, Cherry Hills, played the 2d at Brookline as a par 3...)

Southern Hills, hole 16, from 567 yards to 491 yards.  At one point, the 13th was reduced to par 4 around 480 yards.

Champions, 9th hole, from 525 yards to 450 yards in 1969.  The PGA Tour insisted on playing this as a par 5 for the TOUR Championship, however--today, with our state of affairs, this from the 525 tee would be a very strong par 4

Cherry Hills, 18th hole, reduced par of hole to play as a 480 yard par 4

Olympic Club, 17th hole, from 522 yards to 468 yards, the most difficult hole in major tournament golf 19995-2005--the PGA Tour played this as a par 5 for the TOUR Championship

Pebble Beach, 2d hole, from 502 yards to 484 yards, a move the PGA Tour doesn't follow for the national pro-am

Torrey Pines, 6th and 18th holes will be reduced to par 4 status, one probably in the 485-495 range (6th); the other in the 505-525 range (18th).

[Brad Tufts]

I think there is also a composite course championship hole at The Country Club on the club's Primrose nine (during member play) that is the combination of a shorter par four and a par three to make a long par four.  The approach is played over the green of the first half to the green of the par three.

[Wayne Wiggins, Jr.]

For the AMEX at Harding Park, the course will play to a par 70.  I imagine #9 and #12 will be converted to 4-pars.

[Phil_the_Author]

#7 at Bethpage Black has always had the same locations for both sets of tees. It is interesting to note that when it opened in 1936 the Championship tee measured 600 yards. In the 60's & 70's it was listed at 596.

The front tee was 506 yards on my scorecard from the late 60's & yet it was less than that for the Open.

Not that it ever needed it, but there has been some craetive measuring over the years. It was first reached in two by Met Open Champion, Jimmy Hines with a driver & three-iron. His second shot went over the green.

Some guys never needed technology!

[Chris_Clouser]

The 13th at Southern Hills was played as a par four in the 1958 US Open.  It was the most difficult par four in comparison to par in the history of the open until the mid-1990s when this became an every year event to alter short par fives and extend long par fours.  Almost all of the drives were landing in the swales of the fairway and were giving semi-blind shots into the green and many players hit balls into the ponds during the tournament and they decided to move the tees back to the correct ones for future Opens.

But in the USGA's infinite non-wisdom the then decided to preserve the almighty par 70 by moving up to the forward tees on 16.  I'll never figure that one out as it would be a great par five now in the tournament.    

If I were the USGA or the PGA, the next time they came to visit Southern Hills they should think about maybe making 13 a par 4 and 16 a par 5 from the tips again.  

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