Southern California's No. 1 Golf Source
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GOLF RESOURCE GUIDE:
2008 U.S. Open
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 Torrey Pines Golf Course gets national attention every year. As a favorite of Tiger Woods and the site of the PGA Tour's Buick Invitational, millions of golf fans see the scenic layout on television each winter. The South Course also makes national print and online lists of top public golf courses in America each year. But the venue will really be under the microscope this month when it plays host to the U.S. Open. As is par for the course in today's society, early reviews have been prevalent. "Ideally, a U.S. Open site is a time-tested design with plenty of interesting, strategic decision-making," said golf historian Geoff Shackelford, a frequent contributor to Golf World, the publisher of geoffshackelford.com, and the author of 10 books. "At Torrey Pines, there isn't a lot of great architecture to begin with. It was a better design before [Rees Jones' 2001 redesign] in many respects." Shackelford said Jones' design gave the course a more modern appearance but stripped the green complexes of their character. Even Mike Davis, the USGA's senior director of rules and competitions, said Torrey Pines doesn't fit the historical mold of a U.S. Open course, which is usually played on tracks designed in the golden age of architecture (roughly 1910 to 1930). "When we choose a U.S. Open venue it absolutely starts with the course," Davis said. "It's got to be a great test of golf for the world's greatest players. And Torrey Pines, by far, will be the longest course we've ever played for a U.S. Open. Plus, while the course's [layout] won't be significantly different from what players see during the Buick, they will find a much drier course in June, so you won't see them rifling 3-irons that hold the green like they do in the winter, when the course is much softer." The geographic location and physical size of the venue also played a role in the selection of Torrey Pines. "I think there's a real desire by the USGA to go to different parts of the country and to stage the Open at public, resort and true private courses," Davis said. "And we've had a desire for many years to get back to Southern California, since it's such a big golf area and hadn't had one since [Ben] Hogan won in 1948. But not every course, no matter how good it is, has the infrastructure to handle the on-site operational needs, such as parking, traffic and access to hotels and airports." While Torrey Pines isn't among the best-designed courses in the area, Shackelford said, there isn't a more ideal regional site than the La Jolla venue to play host to a U.S. Open. "In terms of infrastructure and television, Torrey is the best site by far," he said. "It's going to look great on TV, and they also can finish late on Sunday, which is vital to the USGA and NBC, which is enamored with finishing the Open in prime time in the East. "In terms of pure design, Riviera and Los Angeles Country Club North would be superior. But these days, the U.S. Open is so massive in scale that it would be tough to stage at Riviera. L.A. North could pull it off, but it would mean losing their South Course to six months of construction." Though Torrey Pines might not be a vintage U.S. Open course in terms of style, even a golf purist such as Shackelford thinks it sets up as a win-win event on many levels. "Architecturally, it's obviously not in the league of Oakmont or Winged Foot," he said. "And I know the USGA isn't wild about how things have played out with the golf course conditioning. But I think you'll see a long and demanding test, but by no means goofy golf. It should be exciting, and I think 10 under might win. If it's Tiger and Phil going at it, even the USGA won't care if there are a lot of birdies." Shackelford also thinks the weather, sights and allure of Southern California will be a great fit for the U.S. Open. "I think that barring a week of dense fog or bad traffic, it's going to be a wildly successful Open and they'll be back every 10 to 12 years," he said. "San Diego is a great town, with plenty of nice lodging, great restaurants, a fun vibe and, of course, no rain delays." SG |
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