It's Shinnecock in 2018

[Jay Flemma]

The USGA made it official, announcing a few minutes ago that Shinnecock Hills will host the 2018 U.S. Open.

[Jim Eder]

Mike Davis said no change in the design (no change to 7 green). Some new tees to bring back in play some strategy for the longer hitters of today and he did say they may change some contours of the fairways but it doesn't sound like they are going to make any changes.  Nice to hear. So looking forward to another great US Open in 2018!!!

[Carr Harris]

he did say they may change some contours of the fairways

I'm speechless at this.

Isn't that like approving the Mona Lisa for your art exhibition and then talking of "making a few brushstrokes to make her look  hotter!"?

I know golf courses get punched up before almost every major, but isn't dicking around with fairway contours a pretty fundamental change?

[michael damico]

I'm speechless at this.

Isn't that like approving the Mona Lisa for your art exhibition and then talking of "making a few brushstrokes to make her look  hotter!"?

I know golf courses get punched up before almost every major, but isn't dicking around with fairway contours a pretty fundamental change?

She is an ugly girl ya know...

[Jim Eder]

Carr,

My hope is that he will not do anything major with the contours. I am not sure why he mentioned that but he seemed to be focused  on returning the architectural aspects for the new generation of players via new tees. My hope and my guess is that he will respect the integrity of the golf course and I am sure the board was rather forceful with regard to his need to respect the golf course. Maybe I am naive but I trust he will ultimately do the right thing.

[Jim Franklin]

The USGA rarely does the right thing to a course when it comes to set up. It amazes me these great places still welcome them back.

[George Freeman]

The USGA rarely does the right thing to a course when it comes to set up. It amazes me these great places still welcome them back.

Jim - I think Mike Davis has done a pretty darn good job during his tenure.  He has been a breath of fresh air compared to some setups in the past...

[Jason Baran]

It's really shocking for me to hear that the members at Shinnecock would permit the USGA to make changes to the contours of the fairways.  Does anyone have any insight/experience related to this process?  I presume some type of contract is signed that stipulates what the USGA may do and what it may not do? 

[Terry Lavin]

The USGA rarely does the right thing to a course when it comes to set up. It amazes me these great places still welcome them back.

Jim - I think Mike Davis has done a pretty darn good job during his tenure.  He has been a breath of fresh air compared to some setups in the past...

Mike Davis certainly has a more felicitous relationship with the media than his predecessor, Tom Meeks, had.  Everybody loved to bash Meeks for the difficulty of his setups, but the truth is that Mike Davis worked hand in hand with him for much of his tenure at the helm.  Meeks caught hell for the 18th at Olympic Club and the redan hole (#7?) at Shinny, but in my judgment, he did a terrific job of setting up US Opens.  Mike has been a breath of fresh air in many respects, like the really short par 3, the driveable par 4 and graduated rough, but his setups still do a heck of a lot to defend par.  I think both men are a credit to the business, even though they, like all of us, make a mistake from time to time.  Unfortunately for them, their mistakes are on full display.

[Tom_Doak]

I can't imagine when Mr. Davis referred to changing "contours of the fairways" that he meant to soften slopes ... I think it was more likely a reference to changing the mowing lines.  Did he give an example at all?

[Mac Plumart]

I logged on to congratulate Shinnecock, as I think it is perhaps THE best/most fair championship course I've ever seen and I think it is ideal to host the US Open.

But changing the contours of the fairways?!?!?  Are you freakin' kidding me?  That is one of the distingushing characteristics of the course.  The fairways approach to the green on 9.  The enitre 10th fairway.  I could go on and on, but you get the point.  Change the fairway contours and you change the course.  Why the heck did they select it, if they are just going to change it.

Please someone with some authority...STOP THEM!!!

EDIT...Tom posted as I was posting.  Mowing lines...fine.  Altering the contours of the fairways (hills, etc)...not fine.

[Keith OHalloran]

I have to think that Tom Doak is correct. I  guess that the changes will be mowing patterns to  the fairways. As a Long Islander, I would congratulate Shinnecock, the crew does a great job, on an amazing course which they keep in amazing shape, and they keep it ready at all times.

[Jay Flemma]

I'm speechless at this.

Isn't that like approving the Mona Lisa for your art exhibition and then talking of "making a few brushstrokes to make her look  hotter!"?

I know golf courses get punched up before almost every major, but isn't dicking around with fairway contours a pretty fundamental change?

She is an ugly girl ya know...

She also has no eyebrows and wouldn't sit still:)

[Jay Flemma]

I can't imagine when Mr. Davis referred to changing "contours of the fairways" that he meant to soften slopes ... I think it was more likely a reference to changing the mowing lines.  Did he give an example at all?

I think that's right...I see a lot of that at Congressional...hole 11 is a good example.

[Jim Nugent]

Here is Davis' full quote about this...

"To answer part two of that question, really the only thing that's going to be done at Shinnecock Hills are some new teeing grounds, and the whole reason for that is to try in our opinion to bring some of the wonderful William Flynn designs maybe back into play. The example being their 16th hole, the par-5. I think it's fair to say if you look back to the '86 Open, the '95 Open and the '04 Open, the distances the players were hitting the ball even in 1986 with Persimmons took some of that wonderful William Flynn bunkering out. So we're going to build a teeing ground back up I believe it's 60 yards, which is perfect, because it makes the players make a choice on the drive, make a choice on the second shot. So that's really all that's going to be done, maybe a few fairway contour changes.

"But it regard to the 7th green, any of the greens, no, we're not modifying anything to do with that, just really trying to put some of the, as I say, architectural features back into play."

The most charitable interpretation I can give is that by changing the tees, they change the contours the players will be hitting into. 

[Matthew Rose]

Let's hope they remember to water the 7th green this time.

[Michael Goldstein]

How about this theory?

Come 2018 they wont need to build new tees or (gasp) the fairways.

Because someone would have stopped the mess that golf has got itself into and wound back the ball / technology.  Who?  I know one group who could change the landscape of golf in a matter of brushstrokes would be the tournament committee at ANGC...

[Jim Eder]

I have to believe that Shinnecock would not allow contour changes. It seemed to me that it might have been a testing of the waters to see the response but I have to believe Shinnecock has spoken with Davis and has put an end to this idea (many of us would have called him immediately after that comment to ask for clarification). The fact that he mentioned the word "architectural" should indicate that he respects the design and will not attempt to change it in any way. And I believe the board of Shinnecock will do the right thing as well.

It was just a strange comment, maybe Tom is correct that it was a mowing line comment that wasn't stated as precisely as it should have been.

[Colin Sheehan]

Back in early May, I played SHCC with a longstanding member and he told us the US Open was coming back in 2018. He also said the course would be lengthened by 400 yards!!! So for those of you thinking Mike David/USGA/the club itself wasn't changing anything, that's far from true. There will be new back tees on holes 2, 4 (back in the woods, behind the 7th tee), 9, (possibly) 10, 14, and 16, and maybe a few others.

[Terry Lavin]

I have to believe that Shinnecock would not allow contour changes. It seemed to me that it might have been a testing of the waters to see the response but I have to believe Shinnecock has spoken with Davis and has put an end to this idea (many of us would have called him immediately after that comment to ask for clarification). The fact that he mentioned the word "architectural" should indicate that he respects the design and will not attempt to change it in any way. And I believe the board of Shinnecock will do the right thing as well.

It was just a strange comment, maybe Tom is correct that it was a mowing line comment that wasn't stated as precisely as it should have been.

Don't hold your breath on this one...

[George Freeman]

I can't imagine when Mr. Davis referred to changing "contours of the fairways" that he meant to soften slopes ... I think it was more likely a reference to changing the mowing lines...

I sure hope so!!

[Jason Baran]

Where would they put a new back tee on 10?  Other side of Tuckahoe?  Roof of the clubhouse?  on the driving range?  maybe just use the current tee on #1 and have the pros drive it over the clubhouse?

[jeffwarne]

Here is Davis' full quote about this...

"To answer part two of that question, really the only thing that's going to be done at Shinnecock Hills are some new teeing grounds, and the whole reason for that is to try in our opinion to bring some of the wonderful William Flynn designs maybe back into play. The example being their 16th hole, the par-5. I think it's fair to say if you look back to the '86 Open, the '95 Open and the '04 Open, the distances the players were hitting the ball even in 1986 with Persimmons took some of that wonderful William Flynn bunkering out. So we're going to build a teeing ground back up I believe it's 60 yards, which is perfect, because it makes the players make a choice on the drive, make a choice on the second shot. So that's really all that's going to be done, maybe a few fairway contour changes.

"But it regard to the 7th green, any of the greens, no, we're not modifying anything to do with that, just really trying to put some of the, as I say, architectural features back into play."

The most charitable interpretation I can give is that by changing the tees, they change the contours the players will be hitting into. 

Do those calculations include the 50+ yards farther players will be hitting it by 2018?

[Mark Johnson]

I wonder if they are going to get an additional roads out to the Hamptons built by then.  I heard that it was a logistical nightmare last time and they only sold 25k tickets.   IIRC,  someone mentioned that they needed infrastructure to support more patrons if Shinnecock were to have it again

[Jason Baran]

I wouldn't agree that it was a "logistical nightmare".  In fact, I thought it worked pretty well with the LIRR train setup that they had going.  It's only a logistical nightmare for those who insist on driving.