Golf Club Atlas
GolfClubAtlas.com => Golf Course Architecture => Topic started by: PCCraig on June 23, 2022, 03:21:50 PM
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2028 US Open goes to Chicago Golf Club
There have been rumors that it's been in the works between CGC & the USGA for some time.
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That appears to be the only date open for the next decade or two. What is the rationale for assigning sites so far into the future? The 2051 event is at Oakland Hills - maybe Charlie Woods' son will be competing in that event. This smells like FIFA awarding multiple world cups so that current members can maximize their graft.
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That appears to be the only date open for the next decade or two. What is the rationale for assigning sites so far into the future? The 2051 event is at Oakland Hills - maybe Charlie Woods' son will be competing in that event. This smells like FIFA awarding multiple world cups so that current members can maximize their graft.
I don't think there is actual graft going on with the site selection but it is a case where the current USGA leadership is hogging all the perks - site visits (read plays), publicity, etc...
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That appears to be the only date open for the next decade or two. What is the rationale for assigning sites so far into the future? The 2051 event is at Oakland Hills - maybe Charlie Woods' son will be competing in that event. This smells like FIFA awarding multiple world cups so that current members can maximize their graft.
I don't think there is actual graft going on with the site selection but it is a case where the current USGA leadership is hogging all the perks - site visits (read plays), publicity, etc...
They can sell "2051 U.S. Open" merch for the next 29 years!
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Poor Oakland Hills -- it's gonna be renovated at least 3 times before then!
Sorry, I meant 'restored'.
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That appears to be the only date open for the next decade or two. What is the rationale for assigning sites so far into the future? The 2051 event is at Oakland Hills - maybe Charlie Woods' son will be competing in that event. This smells like FIFA awarding multiple world cups so that current members can maximize their graft.
I don't think there is actual graft going on with the site selection but it is a case where the current USGA leadership is hogging all the perks - site visits (read plays), publicity, etc...
That's what I mean - they aren't getting actual cash but they do get to bestow prestige on golf courses. They also take this job out of the hands of their successors. What's the next board of the USGA going to do? Award the 2100 US Open to a club?
Here are the actual sites that have been announced:
2023 LACC
2024 Pinehurst #2
2025 Oakmont
2026 Shinnecock
2027 Pebble Beach
2028
2029 Pinehurst #2
2030 Merion
2031
2032
2033 Oakmont
2034 Oakland Hills
2035 Pinehurst #2
2036
2037
2038
2039
2040
2041 Pinehurst #2
2042 Oakmont
2043
2044
2045
2046
2047 Pinehurst #2
2048
2049 Oakmont
2050
2051 Oakland Hills
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As I understand it, the USGA and Chicago Golf had serious talks, but Chicago Golf doesn't want to play an alternate routing, nor have construction to make it happen.
Even with limited attendance – they had to print more tickets for the inaugural U.S. Senior Women's Open – I can't see where all the Open infrastructure would go, from merchandise tent to television compound.
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Does it have the length and footprint for all the corporate/merchandise/etc?
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I find it absolutely fanciful to think that the USGA is negotiating with Chicago Golf Club for an Open. As great as the course is, the infrastructure is not there to host anything bigger than a Walker Cup. You need several arcres just to park the TV equipment. Plus the land required for storage, extra lightning evacuation vehicles, the merchandise tents, essential worker parking, And you need a practice range that can accommodate a minimum of 80+ players at once with a length approaching 400 yards. Then you need a couple decent sized practice greens along with a sizable putting green. Those who sight Merion as an example forget that the practice facility is the West Course which is not too far from the clubhouse. In addition, they have Haverford College adjacent to help with infrastructure requirements. I am pretty certain that Seven Gables Park and Wheaton College would not be adequate to add some acreage for the above mentioned needs!
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That appears to be the only date open for the next decade or two. What is the rationale for assigning sites so far into the future? The 2051 event is at Oakland Hills - maybe Charlie Woods' son will be competing in that event. This smells like FIFA awarding multiple world cups so that current members can maximize their graft.
Who will still be employed at those clubs at that time?
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Could you use another golf club nearby as the driving range? When the Canadian Open is held at St Georges, as was the case two weeks ago, Islington Golf Club is used at the driving range. I have never been to Chicago Golf, and I am not familiar with the area, but when I look at Google Maps I see a few other courses within a mile or two.
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I find it sort of strange that sites are committed from 2023-2030 but no announcement for 2028. I had heard a while back that '28 was offered to Winged Foot but for some reason the club was dragging their feet on committing.
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Everything I know about Chicago GC and my handful of rounds there, nothing would indicate them wanting to change their course or add any more tees. Realistically they could add farther back tees to 3,5,6,7,9,12, and 13 without having goofy teeshots over the previous greens. Just on par 4's that would leave 5,6,8,9,14,15, and 18 as wedge approaches for the pros. Both par 5's are very short for the men's game at 536 and 525 with no room to really lengthen, though I could see 4 playing tough even for the pros with that perched green.
I was out on the grounds at Brookline last week and the amount of infrastructure is immense, I'm struggling to see that at Chicago as a few other posters mentioned.
Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see the pros play Chicago, maybe there's something you know that I don't!
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Maybe CGC can be the test case for the rolled back equipment in 2050.
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Q: since Chicago has happily / proudly avoided the expensive and ego driven dog & pony show that is the hosting of the US Open for these many decades, why would they be interested in participating now, when the USGA can use its 'anchor sites' like Oakmont and Pinehurst and Pebble to leverage higher fees from insecure or promotion hungry contenders? In other words, what's changed now that would have Chicago wanting in?
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8) ? what would threaten CGC??... maybe Inverness having the Women's and Men's US Open in 2028???... 8)
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Q: since Chicago has happily / proudly avoided the expensive and ego driven dog & pony show that is the hosting of the US Open for these many decades, why would they be interested in participating now, when the USGA can use its 'anchor sites' like Oakmont and Pinehurst and Pebble to leverage higher fees from insecure or promotion hungry contenders? In other words, what's changed now that would have Chicago wanting in?
What's changed is that the USGA would like to go back to Chicago [the city], and they've ruled out Olympia Fields because of local politics, and obviously they love their history and Chicago Golf Club is chock full of history.
Years ago the whole idea was a non-starter, because the small membership did not put in the kind of money for conditioning that such events require, but that's no longer an issue.
Would it require compromises or practical solutions on infrastructure? Absolutely, but it's hard to imagine they would have multiple conversations about it if the USGA thought it was a non-starter. Even so, it's not a done deal, and probably less likely to happen than not.
Maybe they intend to have the equipment rules sorted by 2028?
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I'm not allowed to say where it IS going, but I didn't hear Chicago...
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That appears to be the only date open for the next decade or two. What is the rationale for assigning sites so far into the future? The 2051 event is at Oakland Hills - maybe Charlie Woods' son will be competing in that event. This smells like FIFA awarding multiple world cups so that current members can maximize their graft.
Who will still be employed at those clubs at that time?
Robot Mowers and rakes, you'll only need 10 on Staff
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That appears to be the only date open for the next decade or two. What is the rationale for assigning sites so far into the future? The 2051 event is at Oakland Hills - maybe Charlie Woods' son will be competing in that event. This smells like FIFA awarding multiple world cups so that current members can maximize their graft.
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Mostly to help confirm and justify the investment in the big golf course things needed to host an Open.
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Dream on Chicago. Chambers Bay is the obvious choice. ;)
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Everything I know about Chicago GC and my handful of rounds there, nothing would indicate them wanting to change their course or add any more tees. Realistically they could add farther back tees to 3,5,6,7,9,12, and 13 without having goofy teeshots over the previous greens. Just on par 4's that would leave 5,6,8,9,14,15, and 18 as wedge approaches for the pros. Both par 5's are very short for the men's game at 536 and 525 with no room to really lengthen, though I could see 4 playing tough even for the pros with that perched green.
I was out on the grounds at Brookline last week and the amount of infrastructure is immense, I'm struggling to see that at Chicago as a few other posters mentioned.
Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see the pros play Chicago, maybe there's something you know that I don't!
Agreed the infrastructure at TCC was mindboggling. They have an extra 9 holes to utilize and the event still felt very compacted - cant imaging CGC would feel anything but extremely congested.
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Everything I know about Chicago GC and my handful of rounds there, nothing would indicate them wanting to change their course or add any more tees. Realistically they could add farther back tees to 3,5,6,7,9,12, and 13 without having goofy teeshots over the previous greens. Just on par 4's that would leave 5,6,8,9,14,15, and 18 as wedge approaches for the pros. Both par 5's are very short for the men's game at 536 and 525 with no room to really lengthen, though I could see 4 playing tough even for the pros with that perched green.
I was out on the grounds at Brookline last week and the amount of infrastructure is immense, I'm struggling to see that at Chicago as a few other posters mentioned.
Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see the pros play Chicago, maybe there's something you know that I don't!
Agreed the infrastructure at TCC was mindboggling. They have an extra 9 holes to utilize and the event still felt very compacted - cant imaging CGC would feel anything but extremely congested.
Zack-I thought that TCC did a terrific job with the tournament and never felt like any part of it was compacted. I went to a practice round and if anything was surprised at the amount of walking that was involved in seeing all the holes, clubhouse, practice areas and concessions. Clubs with more than eighteen holes have a big advantage when hosting.
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Dream on Chicago. Chambers Bay is the obvious choice. ;)
Not there either...
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Regarding the dates way into the future, I think the USGA is being pretty smart about the whole thing.
Because while the U.S. Opens are getting all of the headlines, the USGA is also securing sites for some of their championships that don’t get as much publicity or generate as much revenue.
Oakland Hills - for example - is also going to host a Women’s Open, a Boys’ Junior, a Girls’ Junior and an Amateur. Merion is getting two women’s opens and two Opens. Oakmont will host women’s opens, a Walker Cup and a Women’s Am.
I think it is a great move that the USGA is using the lure of the U.S. Open to ensure that other championships get good sites.
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I don't think that they should worry so much about hosting the maximum potential gallery. Just set the course up as well as possible without altering it and fit in a reasonable amount of spectators to give it a nice atmosphere. Aren't 99% of the viewers on TV anyway?
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Flory: TV/Streaming/Apps
The USGA can go to Chicago Golf Club...It's called Arcadia Bluffs South. Even less infrastructure there ;)
Look at where the event has been signed, sealed, delivered: 27-36 hole clubs. Merion is the outlier. It has 36, but they are separated by a half mile. Not dissimilar to St. George's/Islington. Township closed the road for Curtis Cup and will do same for Open, as it always has. Less rain this time, we hope.
Rare for a club to enter/re-enter the Open rota without hosting a major male amateur event. For LACC, it was Walker Cup. For others, US Amateur. You won't see a surprise that doesn't follow that pattern. Even TCC did it, albeit nine years prior.
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Regarding the dates way into the future, I think the USGA is being pretty smart about the whole thing.
Because while the U.S. Opens are getting all of the headlines, the USGA is also securing sites for some of their championships that don’t get as much publicity or generate as much revenue.
Oakland Hills - for example - is also going to host a Women’s Open, a Boys’ Junior, a Girls’ Junior and an Amateur. Merion is getting two women’s opens and two Opens. Oakmont will host women’s opens, a Walker Cup and a Women’s Am.
I think it is a great move that the USGA is using the lure of the U.S. Open to ensure that other championships get good sites.
I think a big part of those clubs hosting the US Open is that they agree to take some of the lesser events. You want a US Open? Great, we will give you one but you are also going to take the Women's, Junior, etc.
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You have to think 2051 was an outlier date that Oakland Hills requested as part of the entire package to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Hogan's win.
They must be considering Cherry Hills, Inverness, and Hazeltine as sites with USGA legacy and as upcoming hosts of the US Amateur. Hopefully a return to Brookline is on the menu as well.
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RE: John Blain's point two posts up (and I know that he knows this) events with Juniors and Ams serve as wonderful test runs for Opens. Since the young-uns rear back and let it fly, the USGA gathers great data to use for those upcoming Open championships.
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Rare for a club to enter/re-enter the Open rota without hosting a major male amateur event. For LACC, it was Walker Cup. For others, US Amateur. You won't see a surprise that doesn't follow that pattern. Even TCC did it, albeit nine years prior.
They had a Walker Cup in '05. Granted, it was a while ago, but also only 5 U.S. hosted Cups ago.
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RE: John Blain's point two posts up (and I know that he knows this) events with Juniors and Ams serve as wonderful test runs for Opens. Since the young-uns rear back and let it fly, the USGA gathers great data to use for those upcoming Open championships.
Ron-
That is absolutely true about seeing how the course plays. The idea that these big-time US Open sites are also hosting the smaller events is great for the USGA and the contestants but maybe not so much for the clubs as most of the events - if not all of them- lose money but it's the price you have to pay for getting an Open.
I think the ultimate test run for the US Open is the US Amateur and if you look at future Amateur sites it includes many clubs who want a US Open.
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Bill S.......I started another thread, so as to not jump this one any longer. Good point about that 2005 Walker Cup.