US Open week. Golfers ripping the course.

[R.J. MacReady]

Playing the week before is his routine. I think messing with that would have been more of a detriment vs. how much knowledge he'd gain with extra practice would help him. It's a links course but the weather is going to be really mild for them so I don't think it's going to play like your typical British open. I was kind of hoping it would have because the course is completely exposed and June is always dicey in June but the players lucked out. I think getting creative with the ball short is going to be key and he's a master of that.

As far as the joke thing goes, there's one hole where I do agree with them. It's a driveable par 4 with a ridiculously bowl shaped green that feeds to the hole. You can take it right off the hill, it will roll left beyond the hole and then feed back down to it. That's just silly. I wouldn't be shocked if there was a hole in 1 on it. That's just not right.

They are going to need that hole in 1.


"The U.S. Open at Chambers Bay will feature the three longest par 4s in the 115-year history of the event.

The downhill 14th hole is listed at 546 yards, the 11th hole at 527 yards and the 13th hole at 534 yards.


The par 3 15th hole, which has the only tree on the course, will be the sixth longest par 3 in Open history when the 246-yard tees are used. The 15th has two shorter teeing grounds available — 167 and 123 yards."

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Playing the week before is his routine. I think messing with that would have been more of a detriment vs. how much knowledge he'd gain with extra practice would help him. It's a links course but the weather is going to be really mild for them so I don't think it's going to play like your typical British open. I was kind of hoping it would have because the course is completely exposed and June is always dicey in June but the players lucked out. I think getting creative with the ball short is going to be key and he's a master of that.

As far as the joke thing goes, there's one hole where I do agree with them. It's a driveable par 4 with a ridiculously bowl shaped green that feeds to the hole. You can take it right off the hill, it will roll left beyond the hole and then feed back down to it. That's just silly. I wouldn't be shocked if there was a hole in 1 on it. That's just not right.

Routine...I agree.

Weather...that's good because it could get really ugly if the weather turns...not knowing much about weather out in pacific northwest, I was expecting rain and 70s. There's a good reason why the USO probably won't be back down south anytime soon...we're in the low 90s with humidity running about 55% but trending higher.

Joke...I actually like #12, all sorts of numbers are in play from 1 to 6...those guys will need some eagles after playing #11 (530+ par 4 is a lot of golf hole I don't care how fast the fairways are)

 

[ATL96Steeler]

As we are talking about this I realized they should have paired Rory and Phil for a great story line.

Here is Rory who for the most part hates links golf. He was embarrassed by the last 2 courses he played, which were links. He is in desperate need to right the ship but all is well, his next tournament is back in the states for the US Open. He is all ready to dominate another American golf course and then ..Boom. It's a links course.

And then you have Phil. Who could be voted sports athlete of the world with the most painful missing Trophy.
Here is ready to play at the tournament that holds his greatest failures. It's so bad that he managed to do the impossible. Win the British open before he could win the US Open. And now for Phil, for some diabolical reason the US open is on a links course.

Maybe that is just too many ironies for 1 paring.

That would've been a great story line. Idt this is the week for Rory...what separates him from the field is that driver when it's on...this course...placement over distance seems to be the king. We'll have to see how this one unfolds for him.

Phil...yep...I never thought he'd win a British, just hit it too high, weather sucks, etc.

The course doesn't seem to favor any particular style...I think this one is wide open.

 

[Rex Racer]

The course doesn't seem to favor any particular style...I think this one is wide open.

Maybe it ends up favoring the short hitters who are more accurate with their drivers like Zach Johnson or McDowell?

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Maybe it ends up favoring the short hitters who are more accurate with their drivers like Zach Johnson or McDowell?

Possibly...Spieth said in his presser that he felt the bigger hitters might not be able to hit driver on some holes and the moderate to shorter guys will making approach shot distance fairly even.

If the weather stays ideal and the forecast is hedging that it will...even par to maybe -2 should be in the hunt on Sunday I'm guessing.

 

[Rex Racer]

Possibly...Spieth said in his presser that he felt the bigger hitters might not be able to hit driver on some holes and the moderate to shorter guys will making approach shot distance fairly even.

If the weather stays ideal and the forecast is hedging that it will...even par to maybe -2 should be in the hunt on Sunday I'm guessing.

-1 would be awesome since that is my tiebreaker pic in the pool.

 

[gohusk]

Routine...I agree.

Weather...that's good because it could get really ugly if the weather turns...not knowing much about weather out in pacific northwest, I was expecting rain and 70s. There's a good reason why the USO probably won't be back down south anytime soon...we're in the low 90s with humidity running about 55% but trending higher.

Joke...I actually like #12, all sorts of numbers are in play from 1 to 6...those guys will need some eagles after playing #11 (530+ par 4 is a lot of golf hole I don't care how fast the fairways are)

Yeah, it should be interesting. There's holes where you think being crafty will help but there's others where you can blast your way over it off the tee. Short game is obviously going to be key and it's like an 8 mile hike up and down and up and down so there's going to be some tired legs on Sunday. Definitely going to be hard on the guys who don't take conditioning seriously enough (not many of them left but there's still a few in the field). This thing is wide open. Hopefully it grows on the players. I think the biggest thing is they're at a course they've never seen before and it's real funky. Sure that's frustrating given the magnitude of the tournament.

 

[gohusk]

Can't wait until Thursday. Hit the open around 7:30 to follow Phil, go until my legs are shot, hit a grandstand on one of the holes and get a beer/dog or something (probably cost like 30 bucks), get my schwag, and hit a nice course around here for 18 of my own. Get home around 9:30-10:00 PM.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Yeah, it should be interesting. There's holes where you think being crafty will help but there's others where you can blast your way over it off the tee. Short game is obviously going to be key and it's like an 8 mile hike up and down and up and down so there's going to be some tired legs on Sunday. Definitely going to be hard on the guys who don't take conditioning seriously enough (not many of them left but there's still a few in the field). This thing is wide open. Hopefully it grows on the players. I think the biggest thing is they're at a course they've never seen before and it's real funky. Sure that's frustrating given the magnitude of the tournament.

I like it...the players have known for 3 or 4 years this course was getting a USO so shame on them if they didn't take a few day and at least see what it's all about. I think most of the top guys have all been there before this week.

I saw where you had tickets...great deal!!...on a course that you can actually play too.

I've been to the Masters twice, PGA twice, but as mentioned...doubtful the south will get another USO in my lifetime so I will have to travel to catch one of those...

 

[Rex Racer]

Goofy golf is underway. Phil and Bubba have already learned a valuable lesson about attacking the flags on this course although Mickelson did nail his 3rd shot and will save par.

Dis is gonna be fun.

 

[uncfan103]

Yeah...I think Ryan Moore's comments were far more pointed...but players seem to complain about a lot of setups...Pinehurst #2 had a major restoration to essentially take the course back to the way it was intended originally...it had become so pristine and polished looking that aside from the Turtleback greens it looked nothing like the original designs...some players complained.

Almost every interview I heard, read, etc. to during last years open regarding the conditions of the course were very, very positive. Some players said the conditions we're the best they've played. The only person who I can remember being negative was Bubba Watson and it had nothing to do with the course, and all to do with the way it looked.

Non golfers complained, but golfers talked very highly of the course. But it was people that just cared about the way it looked like and weren't good golfers.

As far as Ryan Moore talking about Chambers Bay, when I ran into him I was not a fan. He seems like a jerk and someone who could complain about anything. I don't take his complaints too seriously. Lol. That being said I think it'll be interesting seeing how this turns out because it's been talked down upon a lot.

 

[R.J. MacReady]

The 2015 US Open has the widest fairways in the history of the tournament.
Guys who are weak off the tee are the only one's with a legitimate gripe.

 

[Broncosballer32]

Sergio GarciaVerified account‏@TheSergioGarcia
I think a championship of the caliber of @usopengolf deserves better quality green surfaces that we have this week but maybe I'm wrong!

---------

Then again it is Sergio. Complains about everything.

I love this US Open. I love the look of the course even better.

 

[Fiero425]

The 2015 US Open has the widest fairways in the history of the tournament.
Guys who are weak off the tee are the only one's with a legitimate gripe.

The course is awful; "lakes" of finely powdered steel-gray sand with "rough" islands in the middle! I've never seen anything like it and I've seen some real bad courses in Scotland that looked like Hitler had ordered a bombing! The traps were so deep, ladders may have been required! This is the first time I've seen a trap with a couple steps on the edge because they're so treacherous trying to get out of them! Woods is not going to make the cut; once winning by 15 shots, now trailing by 15! Oh the humanity; last time out playing his final round alone! How the mighty have fallen!

 

[gohusk]

I don't understand what these guys were complaining about. The course is awesome. Views are spectacular, when you walk the course all the hazards make total sense and force the guys to make tough decisions and give them some options, the elevation changes are going to really work their legs (12th hole seems like it needs a ski lift). Saw one guy blast it, came up a little short from where you need to land it to funnel to the hole, and it took like 2 minutes to roll back from a little short of hole high to about 30 yards from the pin. It's different and you don't see links courses with such ridiculous elevation changes but different doesn't mean bad.

 

[gohusk]

There was a funny Kevin Na thing too. So he tees off and then is taking his time to get off the tee box. Thing is the spectator crossing is right in front of it. So everyone goes (even his caddie leaves him behind) and they open the ropes and people start going. There's Na with this bewildered look on his face wondering what to do. It was funny and he handled it well but it certainly doesn't help his reputation. Sad thing is, as slow as these guys are they're still in light speed vs. the typical idiot you see at a public course taking a couple of minutes standing over a 5 foot straight as an arrow put preparing to lip it out like they always do because they're thinking way too much about it.

 

[Fiero425]

I don't understand what these guys were complaining about. The course is awesome. Views are spectacular, when you walk the course all the hazards make total sense and force the guys to make tough decisions and give them some options, the elevation changes are going to really work their legs (12th hole seems like it needs a ski lift). Saw one guy blast it, came up a little short from where you need to land it to funnel to the hole, and it took like 2 minutes to roll back from a little short of hole high to about 30 yards from the pin. It's different and you don't see links courses with such ridiculous elevation changes but different doesn't mean bad.

Being picturesque doesn't make a course playable for these spoiled, pampered babies! I feel the same when it comes to tennis pros whining about noise or movement in the stands during play! I played on a public court in a park across the street from my home! While I played, I had to deal with 2 or 3 baseball games going on, a basket ball court with some serious players flying through the air, a playground with kids, and a volleyball net set up just behind the court I was playing! All that was going on with traffic, horns blowing, and sirens going off! "Get bent" is probably my refrain to them as well! lol!

 

[gohusk]

Being picturesque doesn't make a course playable for these spoiled, pampered babies! I feel the same when it comes to tennis pros whining about noise or movement in the stands during play! I played on a public court in a park across the street from my home! While I played, I had to deal with 2 or 3 baseball games going on, a basket ball court with some serious players flying through the air, a playground with kids, and a volleyball net set up just behind the court I was playing! All that was going on with traffic, horns blowing, and sirens going off! "Get bent" is probably my refrain to them as well! lol!

Pfft. Not our fault you can't afford a court on your estate like the rest of us here.

 

[uncfan103]

I don't have a problem with the way the course looks. The issue with the course is that the greens aren't putting well. The green speeds aren't consistent, the ball doesn't roll well, etc.

There's nothing wrong with the color or how it looks to the eye, in my opinion. It's the playability. And, for the most part the players complaining about the course are trying to do so respectfully

 

[gohusk]

I don't have a problem with the way the course looks. The issue with the course is that the greens aren't putting well. The green speeds aren't consistent, the ball doesn't roll well, etc.

There's nothing wrong with the color or how it looks to the eye, in my opinion. It's the playability. And, for the most part the players complaining about the course are trying to do so respectfully

I was hearing this for months from local greens keepers at other courses. They were saying that they weren't going to be ready in time after some renovations they did last year in preparation for this. I like course a lot but can't criticize the players when they bitch about the greens. They scrambled to get it ready and didn't have enough time as far as the greens go. Poor planning by course management. If they would have planned a little better then they wouldn't be hearing half the complaints that they are from the players right now.

But I'm sure a lot of it is also guys not liking fescue in general because they don't see it that much. There's another course around here that uses it that I play from time to time and I actually like it a lot.