Video: Shinnecock Hills Second Hole Flyover

At 252 yards for this year's U.S. Open, this uphill, typically downwind long par-3 is one of the more subtly artful and not-so-subtly difficult one-shotters around.

In 1986, P.J. Boatwright noted the small approach added to players land the ball short of the green, 226 yards away: 

A very strong a par-3, uphill to a green that is appropriately large. Normally, we isolate greens on par-3 holes with rough. In this case, because the hole is so long, we left a strip of fairway in front of the green so that players can bounce the ball onto the green. This is only fair because the hole is likely to play downwind.

The aerial showing the entire fairway drenched in rough!  Fairway was installed by 1995:

The flyover today:

For full coverage of the 118th U.S. Open Championship, visit usopen.com.

Video: Shinnecock Hills First Hole Flyover And Past Comments From Boatwright, Eger

It's a tradition here pre-U.S. Open: counting down the holes until Shinnecock Hills hosts a fourth modern-era U.S. Open over its magnificent William Flynn design.

Besides some excellent flyovers filmed in fall 2017 by the USGA, for added giggles I'm going to share--when helpful--the 1986 comments of P.J. Boatwright and the 1995 comments of David Eger. Both were the Senior Director of Rules prior to the U.S. Open at Shinnecock. Their comments appeared in the tournament programs.

For the 1986 U.S. Open, Boatwright said of the opening hole:

A pleasant starting hole that offers a sweeping view of the course from an elevated tee. You'll see most players get off the tee with four-woods and one-irons since it's a tight drive zone--one we narrowed from 46 yards to 28 yards. The green has been enlarged at the back left to provide a testing hole location behind the bunker at the left of the green.

Eger in 1995:

This is a great starter, as the elevated tee provides players with a sweeping view of the course. It's a slight dogleg right and the prevailing wind quarters from left to right. Many players will use a fairway wood off the tee as the fairway is only about 30 yards off the tee.

The 2018 U.S. Open website description suggests a much different possibility than 1986 and 1995. It's those foam rollers keeping them limber. And the roll of course!

This manageable opening hole plays from an elevated tee near the clubhouse. Players who hit driver will find that the fairway narrows dramatically as it nears the two fairway bunkers on the right side of the drive zone – from 47 yards wide at 275 yards, to 30 yards wide at the 300-yard mark. Under certain wind conditions, players might attempt to hit driver close to or onto the putting surface. It’s a birdie opportunity, but a player could make a quick bogey here as well.

USGA On 2004 At Shinnecock: "What basically happened then was a lack of water.”

Lush rough at Shinnecock Hills less than a month from the U.S. Open.

David Dusek reports from U.S. Open media day at Shinnecock Hills and the USGA made the first effort to put behind them the course setup boondoggle from the last Open.

Somewhere Tom Meeks and Walter Driver aren't liking these comments from current Executive Director Mike Davis, but the truth can be painful:

“It’s been 14 years, and it’s a different time, with different people,” Davis said. “When you set up a U.S. Open, it is golf’s ultimate test and is probably set up closer to the edge than any other event in golf. The difference between then and now is that we have a lot more technology and a lot more data. And frankly, what basically happened then was a lack of water.”

This probably won't bring great comfort to Phil Mickelson, who lost by two with a double at the virtually unplayable 7th hole.

“Looking back at 2004, and at parts of that magnificent day with Retief (Goosen) and Phil Mickelson coming down to the end, there are parts that we learned from,” Davis said. “I’m happy we got a mulligan this time. We probably made a bogey last time, maybe a double bogey.”

"U.S.G.A.’s Long Relationship With Shinnecock Indians Frays Ahead of U.S. Open"

Bill Pennington of the New York Times says negotiations aren't going well between the USGA and the 1,500 member tribe. A parking area rented for $100,000 in the past is not being used by the USGA this time around, but the Shinnecock logo most certainly will be.  

The USGA is offering to sell products made by tribe members.

The U.S.G.A. also wants to include the Shinnecock in the event’s opening ceremonies and during the trophy presentation at its conclusion. And the U.S.G.A. has suggested other ways that the tribe could generate income during the championship, such as inviting the Shinnecock to sell a locally made product in its massive and usually mobbed merchandise tent.

“We’ve had great success with locally made products in past years — they’re a fan favorite wherever we go,” Annis said.

Annis added that the Shinnecock had also asked to set up a tent and a display for a putting simulator manufactured by a tribal partner. The U.S.G.A. agreed to find a high-traffic place for the tent.

Bifurcation: The Post-Erin Hills Narrowing And Resodding Of Shinnecock Hills For The U.S. Open

Newsday's Mark Herrmann has the definitive account of Shinnecock Hills' last-minute narrowing. 

Given USGA CEO Mike Davis's public concerns about the role distance plays in being able to present courses as the architects intended, the admission that last fall's narrowing of this year's U.S. Open course at least does not come with any aggravating spin. This was a reaction to Erin Hills, where the freedom to hit driver lead to incredible driving distances and low scoring. 

Still, the expense to keep Shinnecock Hills relevant speaks to a very different version of the game.

“They did it almost overnight,” said Mike Davis, CEO of the USGA. “As someone at the club said, it was like a military exercise. When all is said and done, it looks tremendous. It fits your eye because these are the appropriate grasses.”

Herrmann notes that landing areas will still "be wider than they were for the previous three Opens in the modern era — in 1986, 1995 and 2004 — but slimmer than they had been after the club’s recent restoration project."

Three contractors were employed and the fairway grass taken out is resting comfortably at a New Jersey sod farm should the Shinnecock Hills members want it back.

“Some of the fairways had gone to 60 yards wide. It was great fun to play,” Davis said, adding that the average width had been 26 yards in 2004. “What we’ve done is come back and say, ‘You know what? You’re going to have to tighten it up some because accuracy is part of the test.’ ”

As absurd as all of this is to theoretically protect "accuracy", the real issue remains huge distance gains passing by the governing bodies. If the professional game were in balance, the width could be tolerated thanks to the green complexes serving as the defense. Angles would matter. A form of accuracy would be rewarded. Just not this year at Shinnecock. Again.

(Booth) Bifurcation At The U.S. Open!

The Forecaddie says Fox is taking a different approach to the U.S. Open this year at Shinnecock Hills, with two lead teams(ish) featuring Joe Buck and Paul Azinger, along with another team of Shane Bacon and Brad Faxon.

Loomis explained what viewers can expect to see at Shinnecock Hills in June: “On Thursday and Friday at the U.S. Open there will be hours when it’s just Shane and Brad, and hours where it’s just Joe and Paul. On the weekend, there will be times where Joe and Paul will get two holes, Nos. 1 and 2, and Brad and Shane will get two holes, Nos. 3 and 4. It adds up to 10 holes for Joe and Paul, eight for Brad and Shane. Because people don’t see us all year, it allowed us to be a little simpler in figuring out who’s talking for the viewer.”

Congrats to Shane on the big vote of confidence! It must be the Shotmakers bounce!

Not Even A Due Date Yet: Jason Day Already Expecting To Miss U.S. Open For Birth Of Third Child

Breaking new ground in telegraphing a non-entry to one of golf's major, Jason Day has decided he's likely to miss the U.S. Open next June to witness the birth of his third child. A due date has not been set.

From an unbylined AAP story:

"Although I've had some good results at the US Open, Ellie and I are really excited about our third child and I want to be there to support her," Day told AAP.

"I'm not missing the birth."

Day boasts a superb record at the US Open - finishing runner-up twice in addition to three top-10 finishes and will explore every opportunity to be there.

"Once we know the due date, I would have to see what my options are," he said.

Is this option on the table: not bringing it up again in 2017?

Update on 2017-11-07 03:55 by Geoff

**We discussed on Morning Drive.

Shinnecock Update: Restored But Also Narrowed

Golfweek's Bradley Klein visited Shinneock Hills as the legendary layout prepares to host the 2018 U.S. Open.

He is the first expert on site to comment on the recent narrowing revealed by Jaime Diaz at Golf World and writes:

A recent push to narrow the fairways marginally has seen the grounds staff convert seven of the layout’s 50 acres of shortgrass to rough. The idea is to create more strategic twist and turn to the fairways consistent with Flynn’s plan and to bring more fairway bunkers closer to the line of play. Fairway widths are still on the relatively generous side for U.S. Open, 28-34 yards in the championship landing areas. But their delineation pays close attention to the lay of the land and the role of airway bunkers.

Erin Hills Fallout: Shinnecock Hills To Be Narrowed After Restoration Widening

In light of the recent brouhaha over player comments at TPC Boston's forced layup that caused driver-hugging players to go down another fairway, Jaime Diaz concludes for Golf World that recent distance gains are going to keep leading to more setup and design dramas. He says the big picture of recent course setup issues suggests "a day of reckoning is coming."

Much of that conclusion is based on this disheartening news out of Southampton.

Next year the U.S. Open is going to a Golden Age classic, Shinnecock Hills, artful in the extreme, but also shortish. It’s the kind of venue that is most at risk of being overrun by the modern game.

In the last few years, Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw restored the course. The fairways were widened (up to 60 yards), the greens expanded, and trees were removed. Visually, the result was spectacular, and the club’s members have loved the changes.

The USGA, too, initially sang the restoration’s praises, but recently officials have reconsidered their original setup plans at Shinnecock. The fairway width—done to create more strategic angles and options—was deemed too wide (perhaps in the wake of Erin Hills). Native fescue rough is now being planted on the edges of the fairway to narrow them back down. The course won’t be as narrow as it was when it held the championship in 1986, 1995 and 2004, but it will be narrower than what was originally planned on for 2018.

Why? Diaz concludes...

So that the art of Shinnecock can be brought out rather than overrun, the decision was made that long and crooked has to be punished.

In an odd way I wonder if such a high profile change to such a high profile course this late in the game is being implemented with the full knowledge that this reinforces the need for a variable distance ball?