[Matthew Rose]

Olympic is a little unusual in that the ninth tee is close to the clubhouse, rather than the tenth.

The USGA is using alternate tees as they have been doing in recent years, but what's interesting about this year's Open is that they are having players start on #9.

I guess the USGA has used strange routings for years to get the effect they want, but this is the first time I can recall them starting on any other hole besides #1 or #10.

I also think it's interesting because they did it at Pebble Beach and the 10th hole on that course is not remotely close to the clubhouse.

[Alex Miller]

I have never heard of this before and am intrigued.

My guess as to why they didn't do it at Pebble was because no matter what they were shuttling them out there anyway. Also there's a ton of commotion around #9 tee.

[Joel_Stewart]

Going off #9 might be a slight advantage, it's one of the few holes the pros can hit driver and they can see the shot. 

[Wade Whitehead]

I think starting on nine is strange.

It feels a bit like a shotgun start.

WW

[jeffwarne]

I think starting on nine is strange.

It feels a bit like a shotgun start.

WW

In theory they can only send out 8 holes worth of play on the front 8
really weird for an organization that resisted using 1 and 10 for so long in the name of it being a Championship.
and a par 3 closer to boot.
Interesting at least

[Tom_Doak]

I don't understand what difference it makes whether they start on #9 or #10 if they have to use an alternate starting location.  It's not like the course was designed with either of them in mind.

The difficult part, though, is that they can only send people off #9 tee until the first group has played 8 holes ... they can't afford to have play from the front stacking up at #9 tee, can they?  This set-up will make it a bit harder to get the full field of 156 around the course those first two days.

Both courses at Stonewall return to the clubhouse after the 8th hole, rather than the 9th.  The members seem to have adopted this idea and live happily with it.  In fact, as both 9th holes are par-3's, some have been known to play #9 the first time as a warm-up and then play it again at the end [unless of course they birdie it the first time ].  The USGA would probably frown on that, though.

[Kirk Moon]

I don't know how they are actually doing it, but if they started the groups off of the ninth tee a bit earlier than they do off of the first tee then it becomes moot.  They  should be able to get the last group started off of 9 before the groups from the front nine hit the ninth tee and will end up with equal numbers of golfers on the front and back nine.

 

[Alex Miller]

I haven't played the course, but it appears those first 6 holes do have the potential to slow play down. Perhaps this will even out the expected play times for 1-8 compared to 9-18?

In any case, it will be a bit weird reading the scoreboard and seeing 9* next to someone's name indicating that they've only played 1 hole.

[David_Tepper]

Sorry guys, but this is much ado about nothing or, at the least, very little.

[John_Conley]

David, I don't know how "much ado" we have, but I disagree that it is "nothing".

I'm intrigued.  Is this the first time ever?  What did the USGA do in previous US Opens at the same course?  Has any other tournament (college, state, anyone) done this on another course?

[Matthew Petersen]

David, I don't know how "much ado" we have, but I disagree that it is "nothing".

I'm intrigued.  Is this the first time ever?  What did the USGA do in previous US Opens at the same course?  Has any other tournament (college, state, anyone) done this on another course?

The USGA didn't start using the 10th tee start until the 02 Open so this is the first time they've been at Olympic since.

At Pebble and at Bethpage (maybe others, I can't recall off the top of my head), they had to shuttle players out to the 10th tee, but neither of those courses presented the kind of obvious alternative they have here at Olympic.

[JLahrman]

Sorry guys, but this is much ado about nothing or, at the least, very little.

+1

It is much ado about nothing.

None of the pros are going to be psychologically affected by starting on the ninth tee.

The one obvious bonus: players starting on #9 can be interviewed immediately after playing the new #8 as they complete their round, so we can get instantaneous feedback while the hole is still fresh in their minds. Hopefully a few of them will be excited after having witnessed their hole-in-ones dropping into the cup!

[Joe Stansell]

In theory they can only send out 8 holes worth of play on the front 8

It appears that the USGA resolved this dilemma by starting the groups on hole 9 a full fifteen minutes before the groups start on hole 1. Clever.

[Kevin_Reilly]

It's all about egress.  Getting from the clubhouse to #10 tee for a start would involve a cart ride on the same paths used by spectators, and there isn't a lot of room.  At Olympic it is pretty common to "just play 8" if someone is playing casually and doesn't have time for 18.  If you have more time, but still not enough for 18, you can play 1-10, and then 7 and 8, or 1-9 and 18 back in.

Joel, I worked #9 in the '98 Open and the club of choice then was a 3 wood, even for short hitters like Faldo.  There really isn't a need for a driver off this tee....the fairways are so firm and players will want to hit a cut so I would imagine that many or most will use a 3 wood this year.

[Howard Riefs]

It gives new meaning to "the US Open doesn't start until the back 10 on Sunday."

[Wade Whitehead]

For those saying it's much ado about nothing: Would it bother you if players started their rounds on the fifth hole?  The twelfth?  Any other?

WW

[Jud_T]

At the glacial pace these guys play I think they should just throw in the towel and make it a shotgun start...

[Matthew Rose]

Hopefully a few of them will be excited after having witnessed their hole-in-ones dropping into the cup!

I see what you did there.  

[Matthew Rose]

And it doesn't bother me...... It's just unusual. I like unusual.

It does make me wonder if they'd ever have a situation where someone might start on, say, the 6th hole, for example. The muni I grew up playing occasionally did it for big events. It was right in front of the clubhouse and it was a fairly wide open par-five (It was
#10 in a previous routing sequence).

[Ronald Montesano]

A) Doesn't bother me.

B) RE: Tom Doak...if they can get fewer off #9 tee, doesn't that mean they can get more off #1 tee?

C) I like different, too, and I'm not afraid of fog.

D) I was initially uncertain about this US Open, but now I'm intrigued, as I didn't pay nearly as much attention to the course in 1998 as I plan to this week.

[Terry Lavin]

They're doing it to be cute and provoke media coverage. The media will comply.

[JLahrman]

Hopefully a few of them will be excited after having witnessed their hole-in-ones dropping into the cup!

I see what you did there.  

After the previous discussion, it will probably wind up like Oak Hill in 1989 when they had the four hole-in-ones in an hour or whatever it was.

[Ronald Montesano]

When is a hole in one, or holes in one, a bad thing?

[Sam Morrow]

When is a hole in one, or holes in one, a bad thing?

When it's your opponent.

[Matt_Cohn]

In the US Amateur a few years ago, they started guys on #1 and #10. The players had to take a shuttle that stopped halfway down the 17th fairway, then walk across #17 when there weren't any groups coming up the hole.

Compared to that, starting on #9 right next to the clubhouse seems severely easier. 

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