The only course that will remain difficult under all conditions will be one that is designed and kept for golf of a stereotyped, monotonous character, and this makes a most uninteresting proposition. BOBBY JONES
Available via Amazon (US): Golf Architecture For Normal People
Barnes And Noble (online and in stores)
Bookshop.org option to support local independent bookstores.
Reviews:
"Golf Architecture for Normal People . . . should be required reading for those who are not ashamed to admit they know little about the subject, and for those who think they do . . . . Golf course architecture geeks have trouble slimming their thoughts down to bite-sized chunks, but Shackelford has achieved a remarkable success here." —Independent (Ireland)
"From the relative newcomer who’s slowly getting hooked to those that have played the game for most of their lives and think they know a thing or two, Golf Architecture for Normal People provides a solid and sober perspective that will help everyone recognize why some golf courses are worth playing more than once while a single trip around others is all you’re ever likely to want or need." —Links Magazine.
“It’s a wonderful book. An easy read that arrives just in time for your summer reading list. If you’ve never thought about how an appreciation for course design could heighten your enjoyment of the game, you must check this out.”—The Peterborough Examiner
"As in his prior publications, in his newest book Shackelford shows a deep appreciation for what can be done to create a golf course that appeals to the broadest possible golfing audience…Shackelford’s prose is succinct, often witty, and accessible."—Cape Gazette
"Author, blogger and golf architecture expert Geoff Shackelford, who helped Gil Hanse design Rustic Canyon and restore 2023 U.S. Open host Los Angeles Country Club, taps into his passion by creating a guide that helps every golfer understand the nuances of course design. Published by Tatra Press, the 164-page hardcover book is a must-read for every golfer to better understand the game they love." —Golf Pass
"Shackelford provides an informative picture [and]...sprinkles in history lessons about those who planted the game's architectural roots, defines common terms and helps you hone your eyes when it comes to identifying some of the tricks of the trade."—FORE Magazine
"This new book does a great job demystifying golf course design ideas for average players, but can also be a beneficial read fro PGA Professionals and other golf course employees to get a better understanding of their home courses." —PGA Magazine
Joel Beall offers nine reasons to be optimistic that Fox won't stumble during the U.S. Open broadcast this year, and I agree with most of them, including Paul Azinger's presence.
Here is this week's Forward Press, where I chat with Azinger about the announcer plan and why he's golf's version of John McEnroe.
And the column includes the necessary Fox, USOpen.com and Golf Channel coverage times.
I wanted to wait to see the closing holes again to comment on them.
The 15th is the longest par-4 at Oakmont and plays to a tilted landing area, but the fairway looked fairly ample to me. This gave up the fewest birdies of back nine hole in 2007.
This beautiful par-3 has some Redan elements and if played conservatively, can be parred quite a bit over four days. But, as temptation is at the heart of the Redan, this one seems to lure players into more aggressive plays at times, rarely with great results.
I forgot just how uphill this hole plays and how quietly the green tilts from front/center right to left. Devilish in all ways, the misses long are in big trouble.
The finishing hole is a classic straightaway two-shotter that plays downhill off the tee and uphill on the approach. Downwind it can play very short, but the green is so cruelly contoured that this one is tough to hit any approach close. Or, at all, given that the GIR rate in 2007 was 33%. I paced 26 yards for the width between fairway bunkers.
It may be a one-off because someone figured out digital scoreboards would not have really fit the Oakmont aesthetic. Or maybe they just realized after last year's sometimes-working digital video boards debuted and didn't really have the same cachet at Chambers Bay, that a return trip at such a venerable place was not the right call. Either way...welcome back manual, timeless scoreboard!
Also noticeably absent is the grandstand with white USGA branding in the seating. In fact, there is a noticeable reduction in USGA branding in signage, merchandise and on the course. And the sun will continue to rise in the east.
This won't be missed when a player wants to know where they stand...
Gerry Dulac caught up with Jason Day after the World No. 1's first time around Oakmont and the Aussie is a fan. Day was accompanied by fellow Double Eagle Golf Club member John Kasich, former Ohio governor and presidential candidate.
After talking about how much he likes the course, Day offered this assessment.
Oakmont’s fairways are still receptive from a heavy rain Monday, and Day said that will be a key when the U.S. Open starts — keeping the ball out of the rough and away from the deep fairway bunkers. But, then, he offered a surprisingly different opinion on what could happen.
“If they have it set up like in the past with good [weather] conditions, it will be pretty tough,” Day said. “But you never know. This is the kind of course, there may be a chance where one person can run away with it. You get a guy hot with their longer stuff and hitting a lot of fairways and hitting the right spots on the greens and you give yourself an opportunity and got everything firing, they can kind of run away with it. I’m not saying that’s me but there could be an opportunity for someone to do that.”
I'm not sure if this is news or not, since the USGA could announce tomorrow it's sold out and we would not know either way. 
Still, considering they were nearing a sell out back in March and you can still get tickets for Monday to Friday play, it begs the question: cost, experience, venue or some combination of all the above?
Oakmont is not quite a boutique venue, but they galleries were to be limited to 30,000 a day, which isn't Pinehurst scale.
Hanging the sold out sign has occurred alarmingly close to the event in recent years.
All but Thursday and a few practice round days were sold out by February, 2010 for Pebble Beach.
All but the first round had sold out at Congressional in May, 2011.
Olympic didn’t sell out until tournament week in 2012.
Merion sold out entirely by June 10th
Chambers Bay sold out except for practice rounds by February, 2015.
Pinehurst kept the streak intact for 28 years, but just barely (June 13).
I know in past threads some of you had noted the experience. I'm curious what you think is the most likely reason?
Garry Smits with the bizarro tale of 17-year-old Won Jun Lee getting docked two strokes for fixing a ball mark off the green.
The story gets more awkward given that the playing partner who called the violation on Lee ended up tied with him for second, only to lose out on a berth because of the penalty.
Lee denied guilt but also repeatedly apologized, and as Smits notes, there was a witness to what was apparently a violation more than once.
Tommy Dudley, a Timuquana member and one of the on-site USGA rules officials, said it wouldn’t have mattered.
“There was enough outside evidence to support [Wilkinson’s] contention,” Dudley said.
Dudley said the “outside evidence” was Wilkinson’s wife, Mandy, who confirmed Lee’s actions. Wilkinson said he asked his wife to watch Lee on Tuesday after he said he said Lee flirted with the rule several times on Monday before a rain delay.
Wilkinson said he approached Lee during the delay to tell him that he was close to breaking the rules.
Fun times in Florida!
A case could be made that the 11th is the least interesting hole at Oakmont, playing uphill to a landing area the golfer can't see and forcing a lay-up for most of today's players who have not managed to boost driving distance averages since 2003.
The green slopes from back left to front right but should give up plenty of birdies. A nice thing since there aren't many left after this.
The flyover:
The par-5 12th featured fairway contour issues last time around that let to the field's GIR finishing at only 44% according to the USGA. Those issues have hopefully been fixed. Tees will be moved around here to offer the look of a reachable five a legit three-shotter. The ingredients here are all pretty spectacular and hopefully the setup is better this time around.
Geoff Shackelford is a Senior Writer for Golfweek magazine, a weekly contributor to Golf Channel's Morning
Copyright © 2022, Geoff Shackelford. All rights reserved.
