I'm calling it now...

[Peter Flory]

I don't think that they should worry so much about hosting the maximum potential gallery.  Just set the course up as well as possible without altering it and fit in a reasonable amount of spectators to give it a nice atmosphere.  Aren't 99% of the viewers on TV anyway? 

[Ronald Montesano]

Flory: TV/Streaming/Apps

The USGA can go to Chicago Golf Club...It's called Arcadia Bluffs South. Even less infrastructure there

Look at where the event has been signed, sealed, delivered: 27-36 hole clubs. Merion is the outlier. It has 36, but they are separated by a half mile. Not dissimilar to St. George's/Islington. Township closed the road for Curtis Cup and will do same for Open, as it always has. Less rain this time, we hope.

Rare for a club to enter/re-enter the Open rota without hosting a major male amateur event. For LACC, it was Walker Cup. For others, US Amateur. You won't see a surprise that doesn't follow that pattern. Even TCC did it, albeit nine years prior.

[John Blain]

Regarding the dates way into the future, I think the USGA is being pretty smart about the whole thing.


Because while the U.S. Opens are getting all of the headlines, the USGA is also securing sites for some of their championships that don’t get as much publicity or generate as much revenue.


Oakland Hills - for example - is also going to host a Women’s Open, a Boys’ Junior, a Girls’ Junior and an Amateur. Merion is getting two women’s opens and two Opens. Oakmont will host women’s opens, a Walker Cup and a Women’s Am.


I think it is a great move that the USGA is using the lure of the U.S. Open to ensure that other championships get good sites.

I think a big part of those clubs hosting the US Open is that they agree to take some of the lesser events. You want a US Open? Great, we will give you one but you are also going to take the Women's, Junior, etc.

[Kyle Casella]

You have to think 2051 was an outlier date that Oakland Hills requested as part of the entire package to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Hogan's win.


They must be considering Cherry Hills, Inverness, and Hazeltine as sites with USGA legacy and as upcoming hosts of the US Amateur. Hopefully a return to Brookline is on the menu as well.

[Ronald Montesano]

RE: John Blain's point two posts up (and I know that he knows this) events with Juniors and Ams serve as wonderful test runs for Opens. Since the young-uns rear back and let it fly, the USGA gathers great data to use for those upcoming Open championships.

[Bill Seitz]

Rare for a club to enter/re-enter the Open rota without hosting a major male amateur event. For LACC, it was Walker Cup. For others, US Amateur. You won't see a surprise that doesn't follow that pattern. Even TCC did it, albeit nine years prior.

They had a Walker Cup in '05.  Granted, it was a while ago, but also only 5 U.S. hosted Cups ago.

[John Blain]

RE: John Blain's point two posts up (and I know that he knows this) events with Juniors and Ams serve as wonderful test runs for Opens. Since the young-uns rear back and let it fly, the USGA gathers great data to use for those upcoming Open championships.

Ron-
That is absolutely true about seeing how the course plays. The idea that these big-time US Open sites are also hosting the smaller events is great for the USGA and the contestants but maybe not so much for the clubs as most of the events - if not all of them- lose money but it's the price you have to pay for getting an Open.
I think the ultimate test run for the US Open is the US Amateur and if you look at future Amateur sites it includes many clubs who want a US Open.

[Ronald Montesano]

Bill S.......I started another thread, so as to not jump this one any longer. Good point about that 2005 Walker Cup.