2017 US Open to Erin Hills

[Paul OConnor]

http://www.golfweek.com/news/2010/jun/14/erin-hills-to-be-awarded-2017-us-open/

[Terry Lavin]

Bummer.

[Mark Smolens]

Ditto.

[Tony Weiler]

Why is it a bummer?  Plus, will greens fees go up now?

[Garland Bayley]

I believe the bummer reaction is coming from Cog Hill partisans.

[Mike Hendren]

The changes are either fantastic or my opinion of this golf course is erroneous.  I would describe the course as "clumsy."

Bogey

[Jud_T]

Not really a big surprise...

[Terry Lavin]

I'm not really a Cog Hill partisan, but I find this decision puzzling though expected.  It leads me to conclude that the USGA just wants a place that it can totally control and that they don't really care where people will come from and where they will stay.  I'm not bashing Erin Hills, because I haven't played it yet, but the remote location makes it an unappealing location for the US Open, IMHO.

[Phil McDade]

During the next 10 years, within a 60-mile radius, you can see two PGAs, the US Men's Amateur, the US Women's Open, the US Open, and the Ryder Cup. Pretty remarkable.

Wisconsin -- home of great cheese and beer, and championship golf.

[Phil McDade]

I'm not bashing Erin Hills, because I haven't played it yet, but the remote location makes it an unappealing location for the US Open, IMHO.

Terry:

I can't comment on the course, either -- but it's not that remote. It's less than an hour (half-an-hour for many) from the Milwaukee metro area, an easy drive from the Madison and Fox Valley/Green Bay metro area, not that far from Chicago, and accessible from the Twin Cities. Remember that the USGA doesn't just consider the merits of a course, or even course logistics, in deciding where to put this. They want to tap into corporate dollars in various regions around the country, on a semi-regular rotational basis, and I do think the USGA deliberately wants to move its big championships around the country to provide some level of equitable access for golf fans to attend in person.

The logistics of the site will be pretty easy to figure out, and the Cheeseheads will swarm to the US Open -- as long as the beer is cold!

[Chip Gaskins]

astonished, truly astonished

[Steve Salmen]

I'm really happy the US Open is not coming to Cog.  I don't think the golf course is worthy of the US Open.  If they had put the same investment into Pine Meadow, I might feel differently.  

I could be wrong.  Maybe I am biased and judge course by how much fun I have.  Perhaps Cog is a phenomenal test for the best players in the world.  I prefer PM.

[Jud_T]

Steve,

1.  It'd be nice to have an Open in the metro Chicago area within the next decade, no?

2.  Do you really think Erin Hills is more deserving in terms of GCA? Granted, we'll have to see what the latest version of the course looks like when it opens in August.

[Steve Salmen]

Jud,

I would actually trust the authorities at the USGA blindly if they chose any championship I have not played or seen (including Erin Hills) over Cog Hill.  It just does not fit my eye.

Frankly,  I don't blame them for not coming here.  Illinois is one of the worst states in the US to do business in according to a recent poll of CEOs.  Apparently the USGA was not treated so well by the powers that be at Olympia.  You read about all the crookedness at McCormick Place and the Governor and Burge on trial and it's no wonder Chicago did not get the Olympics.  The only mayor less deserving that I can think of in history was Marion "Cracklin" Barry.

That being said, Medinah is the jewel of Chicagoland championship golf.

[Richard Choi]

I would rather see a US Open on Erin Hills than Medinah...

[Morgan Clawson]

Seems like Erin Hills has been pegged from the beginning to get the US Open.

It seems silly to me that a course that had to be closed for major reworking has already been awarded a US Amateur (2011) and a US Open. 

Surely they could have waited another year to see how the course faired during the US Amateur. 

The USGA may regret their hasty decision.

[Steve Salmen]

I read somewhere that the USGA was not concerned about this, but Tiger shot -19 on the newly renovated layout last summer.  It could not have helped Cog's chances.

[Sven Nilsen]

With all due respect to the Jemsek family and what they've done for Chicago golf, but Cog Hill does not evoke in me the same feelings as Pebble, Merion, Olympic, Pinehurst or Oakmont.  With the recent movement to host at courses that are accessible to the public, the only real options in the Illinois area are Erin Hills or Whistling Straits.

I play Cog on a fairly regular basis and although I like the course, it does not have the wow factor I'd expect from an Open venue, whether its measured by history, scale, difficulty or strategic interest.  Its a fine course and worthy of a tour stop, but its missing the extra intangible that makes the courses named earlier special.

Erin Hills may have that quality, we'll see once people have been able to play the new layout.  Hopefully the USGA will see the light and set the course up to play to its strengths, namely thats its supposed to be more Irish than American.

[Jud_T]

Steve,

You won't bait me into defending Chicago politics...  But I think that going 20 years between Opens in the 3rd largest metropolitan area with such a great golfing history is a bit much...I know they want public and there are issues as the PGA has Medinah locked down etc...Maybe we can get a token female member at Butler....

[Brad Klein]

After three renovations in its first five years Erin Hills deserves to have a chance to be renovated again for an Open. Besides, there's plenty of room for parking, spectators on the course, infrastructure and corporate tents. They'll make it work.

[PCCraig]

Not a surprise...golf course architecture aside. If the USGA didn't award them the Open it would of been flat out unethical, if it isn't already...

[Steve D]

I've not played Erin Hills so I can't personally speak to its merits or shortcomings, but it certainly seems that some here are disappointed or surprised by this selection.  Is it possible that the USGA is willing to sacrifice course quality in order to get The US Open onto public access courses?  Is it possible that we get to the point where the US Open rota is Pebble, Torrey, Chambers, Erin Hills, Bethpage, Pinehurst etc and we don't see the Championship return to the likes of Shinnecock, Winged Foot, etc.??  Just a thought . . .

Steve

[Steve Salmen]

Jud,

I'm just indifferent about Chicagoland getting the US Open.  Chicago's great history is all pre Pro V1 (Furyk excepted) and mainly pre Great Depression.  Illinois hosted the US Open on 7 different courses up until 1933.  Since then, two.  

Could they make Black Sheep work?  The new Chicago Heights?  I really don't care for Rich Harvest.  There are probably a lot of good clubs I don't mention because I'm either not aware of them or have not played them.  I'm thinking the USGA is anti Cook County, perhaps anti Illinois.

As for Butler, when I played in 06 I asked my host what the club would do if Annika called to request a game, his response was a negative in an impolite fashion.

[Phil McDade]

Steve DeWalle:

I don't think public access is driving this, although I think the USGA has viewed BBlack as a success. What's driving this is geographic rotations, logistics, and the willingness of the hosting club to put this thing on, and deal with all that involves. I think the membership angle is what's driving it away from the Winged Foot's of the world -- the US Open has become a giant thing, and that's either wonderful (from the standpoint of the Erin Hills folks) or a hassle (rumors of Shinnecock and WFoot membership rebelling against hosting another one -- TCC at Brookline pretty much told the USGA no more...)

[Garland Bayley]

Seems like Erin Hills has been pegged from the beginning to get the US Open.

It seems silly to me that a course that had to be closed for major reworking has already been awarded a US Amateur (2011) and a US Open. 

Surely they could have waited another year to see how the course faired during the US Amateur. 

The USGA may regret their hasty decision.

I think you are misinformed. The course closed because they had a misguided owner bent on screwing it up. The course did not close because the USGA was requiring changes that would force the closure. Note that the Amateur was awarded before the closure was it not?