Merion 2013

[bill_k]

I'm sure that this has been asked and addressed many times here - but I could not find it.
Why is the US Open not being held at The Country Club in 2013 to commemorate Ouimet's milestone victory there?
 Don't get me wrong, I'm very excited to see Merion host the event. Just wondering what could possibly have screwed up such a no-brainer. I'm guessing that there might have been some level of major event-itis on the part of TCC?

[Adam Clayman]

Bill, I'm not positive, but, I recall there may have been a problem for the membership.

[Brad Tufts]

A combination of logistics, and membership desires, I believe.  To name three examples"

1.  The Ryder Cup was a small-field event with limited tickets, and thus worked ok with less spectators.  The US Open is a full field event with more spectators

2.  A US Open would require a long-term shutdown of the 3rd nine for tents and support facilities, and would require perhaps a year of work to refurbish that 9 afterward.

3.  Parking was often situated in the past on the adjacent Brookline Municipal golf course, which is generally destroyed during the parking.  There has been some $ put into that course already to make it nicer, so being used as a parking lot may not be in the cards any longer.

I would have liked to see it held there one last time as a Boston resident, but I get why they didn't want to do it.

[Phil McDade]

Money is almost certainly a factor, perhaps the driving one in the case of Brookline. Money to compensate TCC for the kinds of repairs and inconveniences outlined by Brad, but also in terms of how much the USGA will "get" from hosting the US Open, and what % the club might want to keep for putting up with hosting the carnival that is the championship.

It's also reflective of the changing dynamic of how the USGA selects the US Open course. It's clear they are moving toward a more "public" model of utilizing courses, i.e., Bethpage Black, Torrey Pines, Erin Hills, Pinehurst 2, Chambers Bay. There is certainly less hassle with the negotiations over money, and increasingly the publics view hosting the Open as a plus for future revenue and prestige. The well-established privates -- notably Winged Foot, TCC, Shinnecock Hills -- don't necessarily view hosting the Open as a plus, already have the prestige, and don't need the publicity to drive revenue, because they often have well-established, long-standing members.

[Phil_the_Author]

Phil,

"The well-established privates -- notably Winged Foot, TCC, Shinnecock Hills -- don't necessarily view hosting the Open as a plus..."

Yet one of the worst-kept secrets on Long island is that the 2018 Open is all but signed and will be held at Shinnecock. Also, the USGA spoken with Winged Foot about another Open, all while now announcing that it will be many years before returning to Bethpage...

The dynamics of the USGA process is not always what many believe it to be, though in the case of TCC monies and logistics were definitely two major factors...

[Mike Nuzzo]

2.  A US Open would require a long-term shutdown of the 3rd nine for tents and support facilities, and would require perhaps a year of work to refurbish that 9 afterward.

The USGA would require the long-term shutdown not a US Open
The USGA could do what ever it wanted if it accepted fewer $s

[Kris Shreiner]

They are hosting the U.S. Am that year, so the USGA and the club are certainly not forgetting the importance of the year.
As others mentioned, the grandness of the U.S. Open is something that membership may not be interested in dealing with. It's a great club and one that's certainly held a few "biggies."