New Venues vs Old Venues at US Opens

[JD3]

Erin has unfortunately cheapened the US Open. Records being set here are a joke

[redfirebird08]

I'm not against new venues, but they need to live up to the hype like Bethpage did in 2002. Erin Hills seems to be blowing up in Mike Davis' face. Should end up with an exciting finish tomorrow, but it feels more like a PGA Championship than the U.S. Open.

[callawayjay]

Half complain when it's a struggle

The other half when it's a birdie fest

 

CANT WE JUST GET ALONG

[Czervik n Smails]

Please no more Winged Foots, Bethpages, or Torrey Pines. It's very boring on TV. Yes to open courses like Shinnecock, Chambers and Erin. Yes to Pebble as well.

[Czervik n Smails]

Stick with the classics, and courses built in that era like BP Black. Erin is a joke.

 

Bethpage is a great course but I disagree that Erin is a joke. Score to par is irrelevant, only one person can win. Winds should be up tomorrow. It will be a fun finish.

[bigchucksr]

I fail to see the OP's point unless you somehow show that "old" or "classic" courses are somehow "better" for a U.S. Open and I don't think you can quantify or qualify that claim with any logical argument. You knows, you buys you ticket and you's take you's ride and some of the best golfers in the PGA bought their tickets at Erin and it gave them "they's" ride--Friday afternoon.

How would a "classic" course have changed that?

[JD3]

Please no more Winged Foots, Bethpages, or Torrey Pines. It's very boring on TV. Yes to open courses like Shinnecock, Chambers and Erin. Yes to Pebble as well.

What this one as become unfortunately is just an another tour stop, (albeit a wildly over hyped one). And even then not a particularly good one, with many guys way under par, and a leaderboard mostly lacking in big names.

[MtlJeff]

Courses like this are the future of the US Open. They want big 8000yd tracks that aren't tree laden, because you can cram tons of spectators in and it's much better for logistics of people moving around. I expect we'll see another 2-3 pop up in the next 15yrs or so

 

Of course some of the "classics" also fit this profile.

 

But the US Open is never going to go to Harbour Town these days.

[TheLarch]

Bethpage, Shinnecock, Oakmont, Merion, Southern Hills, Medinah, are courses that I would enjoy see holding a U.S. Open. The ultimate for me would be an Open at Pine Valley.

Chambers Bay, Whistling Straits, Erin Hills, Torrey Pines , Congressional seem like good tracks, more suited for the Farmers Insurance Invitational.

The main thing I look forward to today is to see Holly doing the post round interviews.

[Vindog]

Please no more Winged Foots, Bethpages, or Torrey Pines. It's very boring on TV. Yes to open courses like Shinnecock, Chambers and Erin. Yes to Pebble as well.

What this one as become unfortunately is just an another tour stop, (albeit a wildly over hyped one). And even then not a particularly good one, with many guys way under par, and a leaderboard mostly lacking in big names.

 

Course is too easy though, right?

[Andrew Bond of Glencoe]

I like the new and the old mix. I have played Chambers Bay when it was in amazing shape and it certainly could be a very nice US Open course but it we had a couple unforeseen issues come up with the weather and the greens.

 

Erin Hills thus far has been a compelling US Open, though not a traditional one. I think the USGA and the weather eased up on the players. The USGA needed a break between the issues at Chambers and the "Ruling Fiasco" of last year. Shinnecock will likely be a death sentence.

 

I think at least a third of the US Opens should be new courses (not necessarily brand new) but new venues. I have not looked but it is the US Open - how many states has it been played in?

 

There are courses I would love to see it played on- some of course have travel and lodging limitations-

Pacific Dunes in Oregon

Wolf Creek in NV (might die of heat stroke)

Harvestor in Iowa

Sand Hills in Nebraska

 

Some of these are impossible perhaps, but the USGA should do its best to grow the game and part of that should be bringing the National Championship to every region.

[Andrew Bond of Glencoe]

To answer my own question: 18 states have hosted a US Open- Washington and Wisconsin were only added in the last couple of years.

[JD3]

Please no more Winged Foots, Bethpages, or Torrey Pines. It's very boring on TV. Yes to open courses like Shinnecock, Chambers and Erin. Yes to Pebble as well.

What this one as become unfortunately is just an another tour stop, (albeit a wildly over hyped one). And even then not a particularly good one, with many guys way under par, and a leaderboard mostly lacking in big names.

 

Course is too easy though, right?

It's not identifying the best players.

[widow-maker]

Infrastructure and being able to put 35,000+ people on the golf course determine where these Opens are played. You can have a better venue, but if it's location isn't near a population center or the golf course can't accommodate that many spectators then you aren't going to ever see the US Open played there. Those factors alone cut out 90% of the courses from even being considered. Then, you get into the politics of an organization like the USGA that has to cater to the whims of whoever is currently on the executive board at the times these decisions are made. There's always going to be an East coast/Midwest bias because of the population makeup of the membership of the USGA. The population makeup out West is Denver and the Pacific Coast, so when they get their turn at the majors, they're going to be limited to those areas. It's really all out of our hands anyway.

[Vindog]

Please no more Winged Foots, Bethpages, or Torrey Pines. It's very boring on TV. Yes to open courses like Shinnecock, Chambers and Erin. Yes to Pebble as well.

What this one as become unfortunately is just an another tour stop, (albeit a wildly over hyped one). And even then not a particularly good one, with many guys way under par, and a leaderboard mostly lacking in big names.

 

Course is too easy though, right?

It's not identifying the best players.

 

Meh. I never agreed with that requirement in a golf course.

 

I always felt that it's up to the best players to identify themselves.

[george49]

Erin Hills is doing a good job right now but probably like it more as a PGA Championship venue

Agree

[Thrillhouse]

Courses like this are the future of the US Open. They want big 8000yd tracks that aren't tree laden, because you can cram tons of spectators in and it's much better for logistics of people moving around. I expect we'll see another 2-3 pop up in the next 15yrs or so

 

Of course some of the "classics" also fit this profile.

 

But the US Open is never going to go to Harbour Town these days.

 

Plus trees suck up water (as far as this economics major knows) and they seem to want to make a point about that these days.

 

Even LA North where it's going in a few years doesn't have as many trees anymore.

[knock it close]

Missed most of the coverage today but outside of the top two guys it seems like scoring was alot more difficult, its not the courses fault it rained a bunch pre tourney and the wind didn't blow today. As far as USopen venues it's not in the elite category but I enjoyed it as something different and was a lot better than other experiments, if a course is going to play easy because of weather I'll take an interesting layout such as EH over the plug and play slogfest that was Congo. Still is too bad the greens couldn't get really firm, that and wind are the only way you slow down these guys, length, narrow fairways, whatever else you want to throw at them are only going to do so much if its not firm and the wind is atleast a thought

[ConcentricDimples]

Going back to the title of the thread, I actually 100% would like to see NEW US Open venues as much as possible. I don't care if public or private, if trees or no trees, if a new or old course, but I do like eeeing new venues.

 

 

But I thought about it; no matter where they play, I really do like seeing firm/hard playing surface (I realize that's no guarantee many places in June).

 

And I personally like seeing missed approach shots punished a little bit more than they were this week (trees or no trees, if you miss green by 40 yards I don't think you should have a perfect lie in the fairway).

[jay_dwight]

Should host it at Spyglass Hill - its good enough for a US Open and would be a nice change of pace from Pebble Beach.

 

+100 If they could get it long enough and host the spectators. Doubt you want 30,000 people standing in ice plant.

[mocokid]

Holes seemed indistinguishable, every one had zero trees, elevated tee, then proceed downhill to valley, more elevation, valley in front of green, than a tricky elevated green.

[DrRob1963]

Time the US Open was played at Royal Melbourne! Now there's a great golf course!

[glk]

Given the venues thorugh 2026 and those projected to 2030, I think the USGA is done with "new" courses for a bit. I suspect that neither CB or EH will see another - CH due to greens issue and possible due to poor spectator viewing - EH cause they can't count on the Sunday AM weather to be consistent for 4 days - and otherwise to make it a US Open test they would need to trick it up (or redo the greens to provide a stiffer test) comparing the stats for DD, Fairways, GIR and Putting EH was lights out compared to a really wet Oakmont in 2016, imo. Torrey is back for 2021 and LA CC gets a shot in 2023 - and it is far from CB and EH in it's design.

[glk]

Time the US Open was played at Royal Melbourne! Now there's a great golf course!

wasn't the PGA talking about taking things international a bit ago?

[Thrillhouse]

Given the venues thorugh 2026 and those projected to 2030, I think the USGA is done with "new" courses for a bit. I suspect that neither CB or EH will see another - CH due to greens issue and possible due to poor spectator viewing - EH cause they can't count on the Sunday AM weather to be consistent for 4 days - and otherwise to make it a US Open test they would need to trick it up (or redo the greens to provide a stiffer test) comparing the stats for DD, Fairways, GIR and Putting EH was lights out compared to a really wet Oakmont in 2016, imo. Torrey is back for 2021 and LA CC gets a shot in 2023 - and it is far from CB and EH in it's design.

 

LA CC is a linksy style course though, although it's a classic design that had the trees removed to take it back to its roots. That one is going to be really interesting, it could be the one that succeeds where CB and EH failed as links style courses. At the very least I'm more receptive to it as a venue.

[glk]

Given the venues thorugh 2026 and those projected to 2030, I think the USGA is done with "new" courses for a bit. I suspect that neither CB or EH will see another - CH due to greens issue and possible due to poor spectator viewing - EH cause they can't count on the Sunday AM weather to be consistent for 4 days - and otherwise to make it a US Open test they would need to trick it up (or redo the greens to provide a stiffer test) comparing the stats for DD, Fairways, GIR and Putting EH was lights out compared to a really wet Oakmont in 2016, imo. Torrey is back for 2021 and LA CC gets a shot in 2023 - and it is far from CB and EH in it's design.

 

LA CC is a linksy style course though, although it's a classic design that had the trees removed to take it back to its roots. That one is going to be really interesting, it could be the one that succeeds where CB and EH failed as links style courses. At the very least I'm more receptive to it as a venue.

That and it would be pretty unusal weather for the USGA not to get the place playing fast and firm - they should be able to control the water the course receives. It won't be Pebble or Riveria in Winter. Torrey and Pebble in June are good examples.

 

I have gone to both the 1994 and 2016 Open's at Oakmont - Oakmont is back to it's roots as a links style course - just spectacular compared to 1994 - you can see 17 holes from the clubhouse whereas before you didn't even know there was much of a course on the other side of the turnpike - we sat in the bleacher on 18 and walked approaches there and tee balls on 12 - in 1994 my wife sat in the stands at 18 while i was donwn at the tee on 12 - we couldn't see each other to even wave. Marked difference and glad they did it.

[Bad9]

Going back to the title of the thread, I actually 100% would like to see NEW US Open venues as much as possible. I don't care if public or private, if trees or no trees, if a new or old course, but I do like eeeing new venues.

 

 

But I thought about it; no matter where they play, I really do like seeing firm/hard playing surface (I realize that's no guarantee many places in June).

 

And I personally like seeing missed approach shots punished a little bit more than they were this week (trees or no trees, if you miss green by 40 yards I don't think you should have a perfect lie in the fairway).

 

I saw lots of missed approached being penalized this week. Might not have been ankle deep rough 3 feet off the green but lots and lots of the chips and pitches players were left with were not easy.

[PuttCurseRepeat]

Eh, once Butler National decides to let women join...

[sekrah]

Half complain when it's a struggle

The other half when it's a birdie fest

 

CANT WE JUST GET ALONG

 

A very small minority complain when it's a struggle. Most people love it. Erin Hills was a giant turd in the punch bowl and the TV ratings prove it.

[Andrew Bond of Glencoe]

Half complain when it's a struggle

The other half when it's a birdie fest

 

CANT WE JUST GET ALONG

 

A very small minority complain when it's a struggle. Most people love it. Erin Hills was a giant turd in the punch bowl and the TV ratings prove it.

 

Ratings mean nothing- golf's ratings have been dropping for every major.