Looking forward to seeing you at The Concession Pete! Headed to Chapel Hill next week for the regional first though. Are you at Yale next week?
Anyway, I'd love to hear more about The Concession too if anyone can chime in.
To SP's point I agree that the NCAA should continue have more and more terrific options when it comes to golf courses. And, last year's Championship at Prairie Dunes was truly outstanding.
However we have to remember that these facilties have to want to host these events. They are hosting 150 golfers, coaches, families, friends and volunteers and the infrastrucrture demands , while not like a tour event, are still considerable. TV coverage is a bigger and bigger part today too, (which is great and thank you GolfChannel) and they have space needs as well.
Sadly, many of the great courses don't have the space available to host this week long event--practice rounds, three days of stroke play and then two or three days of match play. Of those courses in your list, the course at Yale certainly gets my vote and I would love to see the Championship there one day. Actually every course on your list would be a great course to play.
As great as last year at Prairie Dunes was, the only possible issue (and it had nothing to do with the golf) was the availability of off-site facilties for everyone. There just were not many hotels and/or restaurants available and that does play a role in site selection.
As an example, the US AMateur at AAC last year was a facility with a nice and certainly servicable set of golf courses but it is the facilities that are "over the top" fantastic combined with a large membership extemely desirous of national events--that is what carries the day for site selection and I get it.
We all would love to see championships on architecturally interesting sites but the "best course alone" simply can't carry the day as the championships and the expectations of those involved continue to grow. Also, the commitment and sacrifice for the Members to host an NCAA D-I Championship is not insignificant.
The course were I belong was created specifically to honor amateur golf and host championships and it means giving up your course for a while and most likely, a financial commitment as well, to ensure your guests have a great experience. AT many clubs, especially ones whose purpose is not specifically to host events, that can be upsetting to a large group of the membership.
I love my volunteer work as I get to see great competitors very often on some of the most interesting and great courses in the world. I would gladly "suffer" with lesser facilities (A hot shower and bed are all I need after work) and a great course but that just isn't the view of most people and frankly, I understand. As long as the greens are "perfect
", rolling 12 and very smooth, the rest of the course in in nice shape, the players don't really care about architecture. As long as the course is "fair" they are happy--which for them usually means long, boring, lush, green, predictable and immaculate.
After that is satisified for the course (and all the courses they play today do accomplish that goal) it is all about the facilities and "extras" the hosts offer.