What took Shinnecock so long?

[John Connolly]

After Flynn's rework of Shinnecock Hills in 1931, it would take 46 years for it to host the Walker Cup and another 9 years before Ray Floyd won the Open in 1986.


Why the wait?

[jeffwarne]

The dark ages were dark.
It didn't bottleneck at 260 yards off every tee
-very little water
was one of those funny brown courses you might see overseas.
Certainly didn't look like Firestone, Muirfield Village, Medinah, Oakland Hills-the heavyweights of the day

My next door neighbor growing up in Augusta joined Shinnecock in 1979 answering an ad in the paper.
$1500 initiation included Southampton bathing club and Meadow Club (tennis)
Herds and fads come and go

[David_Tepper]

John Connolly -

As a practical matter, Shinnecock is a summer season club with a relatively small membership that likely lives most of the year in & around New York City. As I recall, the only reason they decided to host the US Open was that the USGA said they would take care of pretty much everything involved with organizing and staging the tournament. That includes finding volunteers to work the event, be marshalls, arranging for parking, transportation, housing, etc.

The burden of organizing and staging USGA championships typically falls on the membership of the club hosting the event.

DT

[Patrick_Mucci]

After Flynn's rework of Shinnecock Hills in 1931, it would take 46 years for it to host the Walker Cup and another 9 years before Ray Floyd won the Open in 1986.


Why the wait?
 
Because they didn't want to host outside events, preferring to use the club for their members

[John Connolly]

After Flynn's rework of Shinnecock Hills in 1931, it would take 46 years for it to host the Walker Cup and another 9 years before Ray Floyd won the Open in 1986.


Why the wait?
 
Because they didn't want to host outside events, preferring to use the club for their members

How was it regarded between '31 and the '77 Walker Cup hosting and/or the '86 Open? Was it known as one of the best before it became better known to the public via the USGA events? Perhaps it relished the distant admiration much like Pine Valley during its existence.


And why did they decide to enter the US Open "rota"? Was there a culture shift amongst the club and its membership after the events started rolling in? Or was the money too good?

[David_Tepper]

John,


I think Frank  Hannigan, when he was head of the USGA, was the driving force in convincing Shinnecock to host the U.S. Open.

From his obituary at golfdigest.com:

"Hannigan was credited with bringing the U.S. Open back to Shinnecock Hills, the site of the second U.S. Open in 1896, and a course not part of the U.S. Open rota."


DT

[David_Tepper]

John -

You can likely find the whole story in Herbert Warren Wind's August 4, 1986 New Yorker article:

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1986/08/04/shinnecock-hills-and-another-old-timer

DT

[Michael Moore]

After Flynn's rework of Shinnecock Hills in 1931, it would take 46 years for it to host the Walker Cup and another 9 years before Ray Floyd won the Open in 1986.


Why the wait?

Because Ray Floyd was not born until 1942.

[Patrick_Mucci]

John,[/color]
 
I can't speak to the general perception of the course, but to "golfers" in the Metropolitan New York area, it was highly regarded.
 
Was it known as one of the best before it became better known to the public via the USGA events?
 
Yes
 
Perhaps it relished the distant admiration much like Pine Valley during its existence.

It certainly flew under the radar

And why did they decide to enter the US Open "rota"?
 
Don't know the details
 
 
Was there a culture shift amongst the club and its membership after the events started rolling in?
 
What events ?
 
The Walker Cup is about as low key as you can get.
 
The Open is another matter.
Once a club announces that they'll be hosting an Open, everyone wants to play it, pre and post Open.
 
Or was the money too good?
 
$ 250,000 wasn't exactly a pot of gold, especially considering the membership.
 
The Open at Shinnecock transitioned the Open from a member staffed function to a USGA staffed function.
 
Essentially, the USGA leased the club and provided the services normally provided by the host club's members

[John Connolly]

Thank you Jeff, David and Patrick for the thoughtful responses. Fascinating stuff.


Patrick, the events I was referring to were the Walker Cup and Opens. Based on the characterization of the Walker Cup as "low key", it appears safe to assume Shinnecock Hills remained off of the general public's radar until the '86 Open.



David, I will try to gain access to the article you provided and if successful, and enlightening, I shall report back.


Thanks, Gents.