Shivas-
I can't understand people who think Erin Hills is narrow.. There was plenty of width and we played it in 15-20mph winds.. That said, I thought #2 and #12, the short par 4s are the best holes. There is a lot to like with the terrain but I thought of one odd thing, I really didnt get a lot of odd lies in the fairways (hanging etc). . That just hit me in thinking of the course. When you play the Kingsley Club's front 9 which is over similar type kettle dome terrain, you have very different lies to deal with. Also the bunkering seemed rudimentary in spots and Geoff and I played it too short at 6500 yards to have any of the fairway bunkering come into play. I was not a big fan of the par 3s, the Dell hole is cute but the rest were not inspiring to me. I also liked the Biarritz green but coming at the end of a heroic par 5 if you carry the kettle hole on the right, I found it odd the swale is blind. Biarritz greens should not be blind.. That makes two features that are blind on the hole--very quirky no doubt but that would make sense on a members course and not a pay for play. I think Erin Hills is going to cause a big schism in the minds of people, the terrain is indeed inspirational, some of the holes in my estimation a lot of fun but there seemed to me to be a some oddities that need addressing as I mention above..Case in point, --the 1st hole is an abortion, the 2nd shot there does not work as you allude to.. I do think the price tag may bother some and it will have problems. Even if the USGA goes there, I don't know if the course will attract enough play to succeed--just my guess. The Bull at Pinehurst is $155 near Kohler-- not exactly cheap. I know people who go to Blackwolf/Whistling have $$$ but in my mind all of this is outrageous when you have Lawsonia within shouting distance and can play all the golf you want in the dead of summer for something like $120 for a day ticket. In the shoulder seasons, Lawsonia is even more of a bargain.
We hardly ever talk on this site about Mike DeVries' Kingsley Club which is what Erin Hills could have been--At least the front 9 of the KC.. To me the Kinsgley Club is still the most unheralded course in the US other than Eastward Ho!.. Somehow Mike made a course work over that terrain with all of the playability and fun of NGLA.. I think some might find gimmicky nature in Erin Hills and others think it a homage to Irish Golf.. Time will tell, but the course needs some maturation and some work. Hopefully, it will be a success, I'm just not sure yet.