Adam - re adding rather than replacing, it's just VERY difficult to believe the USGA would give that many Opens to Northern California. If Torrey bombs and they're committed to a third California site, I just can't see that being Spyglass. But then again there aren't any other obvious candidates - but don't you think they'd try anything to get Riviera or another SoCal site before they'd go north again?
And if they do go north, wouldn't it be for a muni to replace Torrey?
I believe they use Harding way before they use Spyglass....
TH
Tom--you are 100% correct--
Forget another NoCal site-- Geography is as importent (more important) than the issue of whether Spyglass (or Harding or any other NoCal course) is better than Torrey--
The USGA is NOT going to use three USGA sites in Calif and have all of them in NorCal-- They will have one is SoCal and that is a sure, absolute, slam dunk--
The USGA has announced for years that it is seeking a SoCal course to fit somewhere in its rotation of Open sites--
If Torrey bombs (and I doubt very much that it will-- course is important, but only one factor among several, and Torrey has all the other factors covered better than any other SoCal course I can think of), they will simply go to another SoCal site (maybe LA North will reconsider, but I doubt it.