US Open Locations

3,519 Views | 24 Replies | Last: 9 yr ago by AggieIce
jonj101
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Recently I looked up the future locations for the US Open in coming years, and pretty much none of them are in the south, or more specifically Texas.

Is the primary reason for this our summertime heat, or is it basically the politics in the USGA? I ask because it appears from the list that the same courses are in rotation over and over. Based on wikipedia, the last time it was anywhere close was in 1977 at Southern Hills in Tulsa.
ORAggieFan
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San Diego is South
Chipotlemonger
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AG
I've always heard that they don't want to gamble with summer time heat (which I think is bullsh, as the Texas swing tourneys are just a month earlier in May).

Probably just don't like Texas.
jja79
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AG
Valero is in March.
proudaggie02
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Not many great courses in TX & bad weather.
LeFraud
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It was at southern hills in 2001, and the pga was there in 2007.
Hotdog Hamblin
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AG
Going off of recent Golf Digest rankings, I think there's only like one or two Texas courses in the top 100. Not that the USGA gives a damn about Golf Digest rankings, but it doesn't seem like there are many options in Texas where they would even consider hosting a modern day US Open. Same can generally be said for all the SEC States.
AgDotCom
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I went to the 1994 U.S. Open at Oakmont. The first round was easily one of the Top 10 hottest days in my memory ....by feel....and I've lived in Texas all my life. And that was in June, not July or August.

Chris Patton, the rotund amateur sensation from Clemson, said **** it and WD'ed. Tim Simpson walked the course with a damp towel draping over his head. A few other guys were dropping like flies. It was Arnie's last Open and he was wearing a bucket hat. My buddy was a caddy and was drawing straws to see who got to wear the white vest.

My guess is the USGA does not want to risk oppressive heat. It may have been an anomaly at Oakmont that week and is perhaps more likely to happen in Texas or in the south.

I like the heat, I often walk 18 on summer afternoons unless it's over 100 then I may use a push cart. I lose about 5-8 lbs. by doing this and I feel fantastic. But the heat absolutely destroys some guys.



Forgot to add.....Nicklaus won the '63 PGA in Dallas. It was so hot, Nicklaus had to hold the trophy using a towel.

jonj101
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quote:
It was at southern hills in 2001, and the pga was there in 2007.
Good catch - I over looked that one. I think the PGA was also played at Champions, but honestly I wasnt watching golf back then so I cant remember when.

Also, by worthy courses, do we mean the whole steeped in tradition, original locations where the founding golf association members sipped tea and signed charters?

Because my perspective (as a relative new comer) is that exciting spectator golf has much more to do with the tournament and course setup at hand versus the amazing shot that Hogan made on a hole years ago that played completely different than it does now.

Sure, there is the golf history side of me that enjoys reading about that stuff and learning. But if the major draw to a location centers around a tournament that happened at it 50 years ago, versus seeing some exciting golf at a new/unique layout, I'll take the second option. Might be home grown bias, but Its hard to believe that there are not such courses in Texas.
Tony Franklins Other Shoe
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AG
I can play in the heat also and walk, but to have to do it 4 straight rounds with that on the line, I don't think the PGA wants to take a chance. We can be acclimated to it, imagine some of those guys going nuts on Friday afternoon after missing the cut when they haven't played in heat like that for 6 weeks. Some of them whine about bad pin placements and greens and rough already. Throw in some nice Texas heat and the PGA would be in damage control for the final 2 rounds and it would overshadow a lot of the actual golf.
bagger05
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Seems that if they're willing to host the PGA in Atlanta in the middle of August that playing in Texas in June shouldn't be out of the question.
Cavender Neutze
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Both the PGA and the USGA used to hold a number of their biggest events in Texas. Pecan Valley hosted a PGA, Champions hosted a U.S. Open and a Ryder Cup, and Colonial had its U.S. open in 41 among others. I honestly believe we just don't have the caliber of course to draw an event of that magnitude anymore. The heat doesn't help, but like others have said, that's not a huge deterrent. Oakmont in 2007 was one of the hottest days I've ever seen on a golf course. They ran out of water cups it was so hot hah
Chipotlemonger
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quote:
Seems that if they're willing to host the PGA in Atlanta in the middle of August that playing in Texas in June shouldn't be out of the question.
USGA77
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There are many factors that influence site selection for a U.S. Open championship in future years. I will try to clear up a few misconceptions, if possible.

The primary drivers, all of which must be present:

First, the venue needs to have a large amount of physical open space outside the ropes for the huge needs of television, corporate hospitality, merchandise tent, media facilities, security and other infrastructure that is required to stage a major championship. It is far, far greater than the weekly tour stops. This tends to favor sites that have other courses adjacent to the championship course. Once in a while they can bring the championship to a physically "tight" space like Merion but they give up millions of dollars in hospitality revenue and ticket sales in doing so.

Second, the golf course itself needs to be a supreme test of golf. This is our national championship. It's not the Humana Classic. These players are incredibly talented. It takes a special golf course to test all aspects of the games of the best players in the world and worthy of hosting our national championship. The USGA has been pretty good about finding venues that are great venues and have not held a US Open since Hogan hit his one-iron, and are great tests--Bethpage, Pinehurst, Torrey Pines, Chambers Bay, Erin Hills are examples.

Third, the U.S. Open has an impact on the community. The USGA needs cooperation of the governing bodies of the communities for things like parking, police, fire, transportation, etc. Sometimes the governing officials are not very cooperative (imagine that) and can kill a potential bid. This has been an issue with Torrey Pines getting future consideration, at least to this point.

Fourth, there most certainly is politics involved. But the USGA has to be invited by a potential site, and some clubs don't want it. Hosting an Open can put a golf course out of commission for an entire golf season, particularly if significant renovations are required. Other sites have a very well coordinated, years-long lobbying effort to host the US Open. Call it politics if you want, but the USGA wants to take the championship to places that want very much to host it.

So you add all that up, and the list gets pretty short. Weather can be a factor to be sure, but the USGA doesn't rule out a site because it's hot in the summer. They like to move the championship around geographically, so if we had a site that had everything in place mentioned above, there is a possibility it would be considered. But unfortunately, we don't, and on top of that, it's hot here in June, so the reasons cited above plus the weather are why places like Texas, Arizona and Florida are unlikely to host a U.S. Open any time soon.
Mr.Bond
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I've seen at least a dozen courses in texas that looked better than that "natural" dump they played the US open at last year. Travesty what they did to Pinehurst
Chipotlemonger
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I like it. Need more courses like it for the next gen . Water is a huge factor.
Mr.Bond
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To each his own
Chipotlemonger
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Why can't most disagreements end like this? What a gentleman's game and forum. Golf is the best.
agsalaska
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quote:
I've seen at least a dozen courses in texas that looked better than that "natural" dump they played the US open at last year. Travesty what they did to Pinehurst
Post of the Year. Someone should have been arrested.
agsalaska
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To USGA77's last point, some courses just don't want to deal with it. I was at one time in my life attached to a club that hosts a PGA event. If the PGA went somewhere else, I bet 30% of the members would openly cheer and about 50% would be happy. Half the course is roped off during the best time to play and it is then trampled for a week and partially killed. Not to mention the random restrictions throughout the year.


I would never in the remainder of my days join a club that hosted a PGA tour event.
ORAggieFan
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A yearly event is different than a U.S. Open though. I'm actually bummed with the Farmers coming to Torrey in a few weeks because I can't play. But, in stoked about the 2021 Open. Although two tourneys will suck. Would be easier if the Farmers only played one course like the Open.
agsalaska
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quote:
A yearly event is different than a U.S. Open though. I'm actually bummed with the Farmers coming to Torrey in a few weeks because I can't play. But, in stoked about the 2021 Open. Although two tourneys will suck. Would be easier if the Farmers only played one course like the Open.
Oh you are right I am sure they are very different. And I would rather be at a club that hosted one event every 5-10 years. That I could handle.

Take Southern HIlls and Colonial. Southern HIlls gets to live in relative peace for 5 or six years, then gear up for a big USGA or PGA Championship. Most of Colonial gets roped off every May, shut down for the tourney for 8 or 9 days, then constantly tinkered with and 'upgraded' throughout the year.

If I lived in Tulsa Southern HIlls would be great. But in Fort Worth, even though Colonial is nothing less than a masterpiece(so is SOuthern HIlls), I would much rather be a member of Shady Oaks(another fantastic course) and play Colonial with friends a couple of times a year.
birdman
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I think it's all the reasons listed. Pretty simple.

Another reason is spring and fall weather above the Mason-Dixon line. New York, Pennsylvania, Minnesota have no shot at hosting tournament in early spring and late fall. Weather isn't good enough. Those tournaments have to be played in Texas, Arizona, California, Florida, etc. Our plate is full. I think Texas gets plenty of golf tournaments, just not the US Open. I'm fine with that.

Also, if you find a Texas course better than Whistling Straits or Pebble Beach, lemme know.
ORAggieFan
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Speaking of the Open, Chambers Bay will be interesting. My BiL is a pro who used to work at Sahalee in WA (hosted Sr Open). Him and my sister both hate Chambers Bay. Played with a guy at Torrey last month who just played a tourney there and didn't like it either. Said the greens were absolute garbage.
God-Family-Friends-Ag FB
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quote:
Not many great courses in TX & bad weather.


BS, River Ridge is amazing.
AggieIce
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quote:
Why can't most disagreements end like this? What a gentleman's game and forum. Golf is the best.


Up until the drinking and gambling on the course begins
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