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The Best
WINGED FOOT GOLF CLUB WEST COURSE No course has as much of a devastating synergy of history and misery as Winged Foot. The Graveyard of Champions, just look at this list of those who never won here: Nicklaus, Watson, Woods, Hogan, Snead, Mickelson, Furyk, Miller, Floyd, stop me anytime. With greens to rival Oakmont, the two have been back-to-back Open venues in the 1970s, 80s and 00s.CHICAGO GOLF CLUB (Wheaton, IL) The best course in Chicago by an unbelievable distance. Designed by Charles Blair Macdonald, the man who showed America how to build a real golf course at National Golf Links of America, the course hosted Opens from as far back as 1897 (Joe Lloyd won). The legendary harry vardon won the 1900 Open, his only victory in this tournament despite winning matches across America on his Vardon Invasion tour of the same year.
GARDEN CITY GOLF CLUB (Garden City, NY) a stunningly beautiful golf course, which Tom Doak compared to fabled Muirfield in Scotland. Is there a more stirring sight in golf than the first and second flags fluttering in a sea of fescue covered dunes with nary a fairway in sight? Yes, turning for home and seeing the welcoming embrace of the clubhouse, her arms extended warmly as if saying safe in our bosom, and above, the majestic grandeur of the old hotel standing sentinel over the entire tableau. Such is the scene playing to the eighteenth green. The par-3 finishing hole is a replica of the Eden Hole at St. Andrews, right down to the bunkers which guard the green front and behind. For over 100 years it has been one of the grandest crescendos in golf, the stuff of holy whispers.
MERION GOLF CLUB (Ardmore, Pa.) More U.S.G.A. championships have been held here than any other course. Perfect said Jack Nicklaus. Site of the 2013 U.S. Open and several epic historic moments like Bobby Joness clinching the grand slam in 1930. I originally though Woods would pass Jacks major championship record here, but it may be sooner, maybe Congressional in 2011.
MYOPIA HUNT CLUB (South Hamilton, MA) According to Ran Morrissetts review on Golf Club Atlas, The golf course has as much character per hole as any course in the United States, including courses that are packed with character like Pine Valley, Oakmont, National, and Pinehurst No. 2. From 1898 to 1908, the coursed hosted four U.S. Opens, including two own by Willie Anderson
OAKLAND HILLS COUNTRY CLUB SOUTH COURSE (Bloomington, MI) a schizophrenic golf course, half Donald Ross and Half Robert Trent Jones, although expect Rees to say his name should supplant both as the designer. Eight majors have been played there, six opens and two PGAs. According to Dan Jenkins, four winners made sense. They were giants. Ralph Guldahl, Ben Hogan, Gene Littler, and Gary Player. There were also flukes: Cyril Walker, David Graham, Andy North and Steve Jones. As Jenkins quipped, Andy North did save us from T.C. (two-chip) Chen, who wasnt even well known in Taiwan.
OAKMONT COUNTRY CLUB (Oakmont, PA) My personal favorite venue for a major championship, edging out Winged Foot (West) by a blade of grass. It has the best greens I have ever seen and with the trees gone looks like a gorgeous grassy ski area, Whiteface Mountain for golfers. When I asked Tiger Woods after he lost the U.S. Open by one shot to Angel Cabrera what he would copy from this golf course when building his own he replied, nothing.
PEBBLE BEACH GOLF LINKS (Monterey, CA) Do you really need an explanation?
PINEHURST No. 2 (Pinehurst, NC) What took so long? What a pedigree. The North and South can you imagine golf pros traveling with tuxedos several U.S.G.A. championships and greens that require a NESCAC College degree in geometry to chip to and putt. Payne Stewarts victory was an honor to golf and to the club. Conversely, people still dont recognize Michael Campbell after he sped off, tires spitting gravel, screaming later, chumps, and disappearing like an assistant in a vanishing cabinet belonging to a conjurer. Befored that Open, you couldnt pick him out of a line up of Biggie Smallss entourage.
SHINNECOCK HILLS GOLF CLUB (Southampton, NY) Everyone remembers Ray Floyd winning the 86 Open, where the lead was changing every minute according to Golfweeks Jeff Rude. Hey also remember Corey Pavins incredible 4-wood to eighteen and Retief Goosen making everything he looked at to edge Phil Mickelson. History, great architecture by William Flynn and a spectacular setting: what more do you need in an Open venue?
The Worst
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THE COUNTRY CLUB (Brookline, MA) Overrated. A drab layout where the members still cling feverishly to the hope that someone besides the U.S.G.A. will care about Francis Ouimet being the first American amateur to win our Open. I have two words for the members and their blind reverence of amateurs Chick Evans. And dont lob the 1999 Ryder Cup at me either. It was a drunken, disorderly mess and the textbook example of poor sportsmanship by fans and participants alike. Moreover, the U.S. never would have won if Mark James hadnt gotten locked in the trunk of his car and had his evil twin fill out the Sunday pairings. I hear theres still a warrant out for Jamess arrest in ten U.K. counties.
OLYMPIA FIELDS (Olympia Fields, IL) Another milquetoast, lackluster, bowling alley, more like Olympia Yields after the pros torched the place the first two days in 2003. Tom Meeks managed to keep scores down by setting the pins in the greenside rough over the weekend, saving himself the embarrassment of being on the clock for the lowest U.S. Open aggregate in history. Why do you think Shinnecock was burned to a crisp when they got there next year?
HAZELTINE NATIONAL (Chaska, MN) Take my Medinah review and add too much rough and too narrow. Theres plenty of better courses in Minnesota.
TORREY PINES (San Diego, Ca.) Thanks for screwing up our golf course, Rees seems to be the consensus after $3.5 million didnt get a better golf course, but a much harder one. Still, its southern California, where the air is like wine, the days break clear and glorious, and the sun beams jubilantly. A scent of pine wafts over the course and television gets to broadcast four of those days you see advertised in breakfast cereal commercials where a sickeningly chirpy, overly-pretty family bounces around like cheery kangaroos while flakes of corrugated cardboard shower into a bowl, and where Dan Hicks nasally drones on for hours about Tiger like a deery-eyed gazelle. Bethpage cant get here fast enough.