Calling Shinnecock Hills "Shinny"

[raynorfan1]

Great series of short articles by Andy Johnson at the Fried Egg blog (hat tip to Geoff Shackelford for noting it on his blog):

 

The Skinny on Shinny, Part I:

http://www.friedegg....hills-golf-club

 

 

"The Skinny on Shinny", Part II:

http://www.friedegg....lls-restoration

 

 

Part III has not yet been posted, I can hardly wait for it. This series has some terrific before-and-after photos, an excellent concise history of the club and the course, and a lot on the playability and the strategic options and challenges in the era of golf's technological distance problem. Andy Johnson makes the case that Shinnecock Hills is the best U.S. Open course in history. And quite a lot on what has changed, course-wise, since 2004. 2004 seems like a long way off, now, and it bears recollecting that when the USGA selected Shinnecock Hills in 2004, the year was 1999. The Pro V era hadn't even yet begun.

 

IMHO this is a pretty lazy piece of journalism. He tries to establish that Shinnecock is "the best" of the US Open venues...largely on the basis of its history, and then poops all over the course that those previous events were held on. This is US Open #5 for Shinnecock - the first one (1896) was on a totally different course than the 1931 William Flynn version. The 1986, 1995, and 2004 events were hosted on a course that - according to Andy - had "drifted away from its masterful Flynn design".

 

But he doesn't know what he's talking about. He goes on at length about what a great job they've done cutting trees down (a super popular thing among the architecture set these days). Look at pictures of the 2004 US Open. Count how many trees you see. Shinnecock was never a: "victim to tree planting". There were never any tree-lined holes in Southampton.

 

He then calls them out for replacing their fescue fairways with rye; but I sincerely doubt it. William Flynn almost certainly used the same grass at Shinnecock as everybody else in the northeast - a mix of creeping bentgrass and winter rye, with the inevitable inclusion of poa. When mowed to fairway height, it's all bent and poa (because rye can't manage that cut); when allowed to grow in the rough, the rye mostly chokes out the bent. They didn't replace their fairways with fescue, they replaced the second cut of rough with fescue. Which is totally reasonable to make the course more playable.

 

Overall, it feels like he wrote the piece he wanted to write, regardless of the actual history or facts.

If you look at the picture that slides back and forth, the removal of trees is pretty clear. No, the fairways were never "tree-lined" but they definitely opened the course up so the wind could blow more freely, particularly along the perimeter of the property. I have read more than one article that said Coore & Crenshaw removed "hundreds" of trees. Seems pretty factual to me.

 

It's really not. I've played it both before and after the restovation, and it was always as links-style as any American golf course (until Bandon et. al. were built). Sure, they nibbled a couple hundred trees around the edges. It really didn't change how windy it is on the course.

 

A proper "tree removal" program likely removes thousands of trees from a golf course. I think our grounds crew probably removes a hundred every year just in the course of regular maintenance.

 

Of course Shinnecock removed some trees. It's what Coore and Crenshaw do. But to imply that said removal changed, in any way, the strategic integrity of the course is pretty ridiculous.

[WidespreadPanic]

I bet the guys at Barstool Sports love saying Shinny.

[scotee]

It’s Tiger’s fault. He and Freddie and Jordy and Stevie and Joey. Marko, Strick, Notey, Double D, Cookie, Scottie and Jimbo.

[bscinstnct]

It’s Tiger’s fault. He and Freddie and Jordy and Stevie and Joey. Marko, Strick, Notey, Double D, Cookie, Scottie and Jimbo.

 

Ha! TW said "brooksy" in his presser ; )

[Fireballer]

https://twitter.com/ShinnecokParody?s=09

 

#dontcallmeshinny

[Fireballer]

Calling out the pros...???

 

https://twitter.com/ShinnecokParody/status/1006647473711075328?s=19

 

https://twitter.com/ShinnecokParody/status/1006535563313340416?s=19

 

https://twitter.com/ShinnecokParody/status/1006506619029590016?s=19

 

https://twitter.com/ShinnecokParody/status/1006707838343962625?s=19

[jonsnow]

It's Tiger's fault. He and Freddie and Jordy and Stevie and Joey. Marko, Strick, Notey, Double D, Cookie, Scottie and Jimbo.

 

Ha! TW said "brooksy" in his presser ; )

 

Tiger is the master of the diminutive. My favorite was when he used to refer to Butch Harmon as Butchie. For crying out loud, his real name is Claude Harmon Jr.; isn't Butch enough of a nickname?

[Fore Putt]

I had the good fortune to play a few Long Island courses, including Shinnecock, a few years ago. My host was a long-time member at Shinnecock and a couple of other clubs in the area. He and all his friends we were around referred to it as Shinny. It certainly didn't offend me, but i never could bring myself to say it.

[Ferguson]

I had the good fortune to play a few Long Island courses, including Shinnecock, a few years ago. My host was a long-time member at Shinnecock and a couple of other clubs in the area. He and all his friends we were around referred to it as Shinny. It certainly didn't offend me, but i never could bring myself to say it.

 

 

We are proud of you for NOT saying Shinny.

[BlackDiamondPar5]

Perhaps just refer to it as the c0ck.

[FairwaysToHeaven]

i can deal with shinny, but tiger is calling his 20 million dollar yacht his dinghy....?

[jonsnow]

i can deal with shinny, but tiger is calling his 20 million dollar yacht his dinghy....?

 

Not sure he was referring to his yacht...

[Ferguson]

"I only tell you this one time - don't Shinny me, Tony.........don't you ever Shinny me."

 

 

 

 

[legitimategolf]

It's Tiger's fault. He and Freddie and Jordy and Stevie and Joey. Marko, Strick, Notey, Double D, Cookie, Scottie and Jimbo.

 

Ha! TW said "brooksy" in his presser ; )

 

Tiger is the master of the diminutive. My favorite was when he used to refer to Butch Harmon as Butchie. For crying out loud, his real name is Claude Harmon Jr.; isn't Butch enough of a nickname?

 

Tiger is definitely that guy. Not sure if Steve Williams ever really signed off on "Stevie". I believe that's the real reason for him being sore at Tiger.

 

In fairness though Tiger does it to himself too ("Woody").

[Ferguson]

Tiger once said "Thanks Kochie" after a a brief interview with Gary Koch.

[jerebear21]

yeah but can they do the shimmy at the shinny?

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfhDx4Gfx3Y

[Ferguson]

yeah but can they do the shimmy at the shinny?

 

https://www.youtube....h?v=GfhDx4Gfx3Y

 

 

Shimmy-ing is illegal at Shinny, sir, and I never slice.

[Sean2]

This reminds of those who call Callaway, "Cally". "Shinny" seems a bit silly too.

[Ben Martinez]

I bet the guys at Barstool Sports love saying Shinny.

haha so true!!!

 

"I only tell you this one time - don't Shinny me, Tony.........don't you ever Shinny me."

 

 

 

 

 

Love it!! Great reference...

[rawdog]

This reminds of those who call Callaway, "Cally". "Shinny" seems a bit silly too.

 

"Mizzy"

[Ferguson]

Account holders at IG, Sugarloaf, Mackenzie and Seamus are required by the social media double secret electronic handshake rule to say Shinny.

[rawdog]

Account holders at IG, Sugarloaf, Mackenzie and Seamus are required by the social media double secret electronic handshake rule to say Shinny.

 

Hipster companies. I steer clear.

[jonsnow]

Account holders at IG, Sugarloaf, Mackenzie and Seamus are required by the social media double secret electronic handshake rule to say Shinny.

 

Hipster companies. I steer clear.

 

OT I know, but I've been watching some older George Carlin videos on YouTube recently. I wonder what George would have thought of hipsters?

[Ferguson]

Account holders at IG, Sugarloaf, Mackenzie and Seamus are required by the social media double secret electronic handshake rule to say Shinny.

 

Hipster companies. I steer clear.

 

OT I know, but I've been watching some older George Carlin videos on YouTube recently. I wonder what George would have thought of hipsters?

 

 

Dislike them like he did everything else................as only Carlin could.

[rawdog]

"I said I played Shinny. Goodnight, Denise."

 

Anything to get Isla Fisher in there. Where's PorscheFan and SwingMan?

 

[media=]

[/media]

[Ferguson]

I prefer Eva Green and her Shinny look.

 

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYiplrdlJvE

[bscinstnct]

ShinnyCrockett

 

 

[theboypinoy]

Just like when some people don't use Mizuno (6 letters) and instead go with Mizzy (5 letters)

[indianalawnguy]

Maybe it is shinny? What kind of grass do they have ? Is this New York slang ? As in “ hey yo Tony , Youse Eva play ova at shinny “?

 

Hahahahaa

[Ferguson]

Do it for SHINNY!