We've launched the new forums! Read more here

U. S. Open courses

StLCardsFan

StLCardsFan

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 7, 2009
Messages
2,083
Reaction score
45
Location
SW Missouri
Handicap
>0, <10
The Open Championship is in full swing now and there is a lot of talk about returning to St. Andrews for its annual 5 year hosting. As far as I know there are certain courses that are Open worthy and they are on a fairly regular rotation with the exception being St. Andrews which gets to host every 5 years. Makes sense, it’s a great course and the birthplace of golf, it should be shown that often, I have no problem with it.


(On a side note, curious if anyone knows why there are always the same courses in the rotation? I understand it to some degree. I would think there would be other courses worthy of hosting a championship in Great Britain. Does it always HAVE to be a seaside links style course? I know one or two of them are inland somewhat, but they all seem pretty similar. I don’t mind at all. It’s that one time of year you get to see the goofy courses, with the bad weather. Makes for good TV. It just seems like someone, somewhere would get another course added in.)


Anyway, it got me thinking about the U.S. Open courses. They have a little more variety (of courses) here and spread the love around quite a bit from place to place. There are a few that will always be selected every so often, but not like the every 5 years at St. Andrews.


So let’s say that the USGA wants to have a ‘signature’ course for its championship and will select one course to hold it on every 5 years. (Obviously Augusta National hosts its own major so that one is out). What course would you like to see every 5 years? What would be the signature course for U. S. Open golf? Pebble Beach? Oakmont? Bethpage? Pinehurst? Others? No right or wrong answer here.
 
Pretty sure all the British Open courses are Royal aren't they? I think that's part of the criteria but I could be wrong.
 
shinnecock
 
cbaker2882 said:
Pretty sure all the British Open courses are Royal aren't they? I think that's part of the criteria but I could be wrong.
Click to expand...

Nope. There are several that aren't, including Turnberry and Carnoustie.
 
SkiBumGolfer said:
Nope. There are several that aren't, including Turnberry and Carnoustie.
Click to expand...

Well there you go then. I know a lot of them are Royal, I just couldn't remember if all were or not.
 
Oakmont has hosted the most U.S. Opens I believe
Oakland Hills
Baltusrol
Shinnecock
Pebble Beach

If you are looking for a historical rota of courses that have hosted the open a lot...that would be one. I personally like what the USGA is doing now by highlighting newer designs and playing on classics as well.
 
cbaker2882 said:
Well there you go then. I know a lot of them are Royal, I just couldn't remember if all were or not.
Click to expand...

Yep, all the ones in England are I believe, as well as Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland. Apparently it just means that a member of the royal family has bestowed their "patronage" - though what that means in practice, I've no idea.
 
From what I recallThe Open courses have to be links style. Not sure what a links course would have to do to get in the rota but they don't seem to allow a new course very often.

For the U.S. Open I the shinnedock hills would be the course to consider for a signature US Open course. I am ok with the way the usga has different courses and no real rota.
 
I would like to see #2 in the rotation more often. Once every 15 years just isn't enough.
 
I love winged foot but pebble is amazing as well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
U. S. Open courses

I would say Oakmont is pretty close to being a regular. Wish my local course Inverness would get back into the mix but unfortunately it more than likely can't keep scores low enough anymore although they have lengthened it quite a bit. Plays 7400 from the tips and 6500 from the whites lol. My dad looked like he was getting his teeth pulled playing a course like that from that distance.

Does make me kind of wonder what it's like to be a member of a U.S. Open caliber course. Must just be an absolute grind
 
The problem is that there are so many great sources in the U.S.

Pebble Beach
Winged Foot
Pinehurst #2
Shinnecock
Oakmont
Merion


It looks like the USGA is really narrowing the field of possible host clubs. It is true that not every great course has the spectator capacity to host a major, but Bethpage Black twice in seven years? Oakmont twice in nine years?
 
Oak Hill without a doubt. They could make that course impossibly hard if they wanted.
 
Six4three5 said:
Oak Hill without a doubt. They could make that course impossibly hard if they wanted.
Click to expand...
I'd love to get a round in there. Always admired it because it was somewhat close
 
havingfun said:
The problem is that there are so many great sources in the U.S.

Pebble Beach
Winged Foot
Pinehurst #2
Shinnecock
Oakmont
Merion


It looks like the USGA is really narrowing the field of possible host clubs. It is true that not every great course has the spectator capacity to host a major, but Bethpage Black twice in seven years? Oakmont twice in nine years?
Click to expand...
And Pinehurst again in 2024 so twice in 10 years there.
 
I'd like to see one back in the northeast at The Country Club. I think there was one in Newport a long time ago as well, but I don't see that happening again any time soon
 
Evok said:
I'd love to get a round in there. Always admired it because it was somewhat close
Click to expand...
I have a phenomenal fiance and her wedding present to me was contacting my teacher to setup a round for me there with him. To say I'm excited is an understatement.
 
Six4three5 said:
I have a phenomenal fiance and her wedding present to me was contacting my teacher to setup a round for me there with him. To say I'm excited is an understatement.
Click to expand...
Whoa that's freaking amazing. Clearly she's your fiance and a keeper but she's a KEEPER! Haha seriously tho dude that's really cool.
 
SkiBumGolfer said:
Yep, all the ones in England are I believe, as well as Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland. Apparently it just means that a member of the royal family has bestowed their "patronage" - though what that means in practice, I've no idea.
Click to expand...


To be 'Royal' a member of the royal family must be a member there or an honorary member of the board. In uk this is quite common, my school Charterhouse had the queen as the head of the board but she never visited once.
Not all Open Championship courses are Royal. Even the most famous one, St Andrews is not Royal in the strict sense. Yes the Royal & Ancient's home is there but they are one of many clubs that call it home and it is in fact a public course owned by the council.
Muirfield, home to the Honorable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, is also not Royal.
Carnoustie is another public course that is not royal. There are a few others.

As for the US Open the historic ones are the ones I'd like to see in rotation. Pebble Beach, Oakmont, Pinehurst, Merion etc.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
With all of the amazing courses in the USA, I can't see any reason the U.S. Open couldn't be played on a different course every year for at least 20 years.
 
U. S. Open courses

The Open Championship will never be played on an inland course, and I think that's right. The links is what makes The Open special, it would lose something being played inland IMO.
With regards to US Open courses, Pebble Beach is right up there with the best in the world. It's in the same league as St Andrews as far as I'm concerned (although Pebble is far more stunning visually). I live just up the road, and I see the attraction this place has with people in my job with folk flying in from all over the world just to play the place. St Andrews has the history going for it. Personally, I think there are far better courses on the Open rotation. Pebble Beach has it all!!!
As a side note, one of my regular playing partners has just landed the job as caddy master for the resort, so here's hoping I might actually get to play there some day in the near future.
 
I would pick Bethpage, only because it is a course that anyone can play without a $400+ fee. Plus it's harder than you-know-what from the tips.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top