A US Open Rota

[Sam Morrow]

I know nobody at the USGA and PGA of America care but I have a plan that I think would be pretty cool for the U.S. Open and PGA Championship. I would play the Open at the great older, classic courses. Examples:


Pinehurst #2
Winged Foot (West)
Shinnecock Hills
Oakmont
Southern Hills
Olympic (Lake)
etc.

Then I would put the PGA at the newer "Modern Classics" so to speak. Examples:

Whistling Straights
Bandon Dunes
Dallas National
Sand Hills
Lakota Canyon
etc.

I think this would help give the PGA an identity lift without hurting the reputation of the USGA and the U.S. Open, that said everyone will probably think it's a crappy idea.

[David Stamm]

If you want a preview of Torrey next year, this is what it'll be like...

Nah, the grass is too short!

[Bill Gayne]

A rota is a poor idea if your interested in preservation of classic architecture. Part of the reason it works for the R&A is that they are not fixtated on par.

[Dan Herrmann]

I cannot imagine an Old Guard private club wanting an Open every 8-12 years in this era of commercialism.  Yes, it does allow some serious capital projects, but it is too much of a disturbance for the members and the course.  Every 15 years seems about right for the Old Guard courses.  

Resorts, new privates and public golf courses do not have the same sensibilities or priorities.  Let them have their day in the sun more often.  I agree with William Flynn, design some great courses dedicated to the US Open owned and operated by the USGA.  I nominate myself to be the chief executive of this golf and real estate division    

Can I be your Sherman?

[JohnV]

You know what the USGA should do?

"For the good of the game", they should hold a contest:  whatever course logs the most rounds over a 2 year period starting Jan 1, 2008 (weather adjusted) gets to host the Open in 2018.  Could be the Jans.  Could be that muni in Houston.  Or Griffith Park.  Doesn't matter.  You get the Open.  

What a great PR stunt, and what a great way to increase play and, more importantly, give a reason to speed up play....

Honolulu would get its first US Open.  I believe that Ala Wai Golf Course gets more play than anywhere.  500 rounds per day over 180,000 a year and it is already a par 70, although it is only 5817 yards so a little lengthening work from either Tom Fazio or Rees Jones would be required.

[BCrosby]

The R&A can stick with a rota of old courses because - as far as I know - there are no modern courses in the UK that deserve to crack the rota.

That's not the case in the US. Rankings aside ("tradition" weightings assure that old courses will dominate rankings for the rest of our lives), there are lots of modern courses in the US that deserve to be on both the USGA and PGA rota.

Some of those moderns have been noted above. I would add Cuscowilla which, unlike many other moderns, is about 1 hour from a major airport and has the infrastructure to support transportation, parking, hotels, etc. for 30K plus attendees every day.

The bottom line is that the rota of older courses used in the UK is not a model that applies in the US. There have been too many great courses built in the US since, say, 1970 for that to be the case.

Bob

[Matthew Rose]

I don't like the idea of a rota for the US Open. I think it would become boring seeing the same 5-6 each year. I much prefer the variety.

There's way too many worthy venues out there for it to be restricted to just that chosen few, IMO.