They break toward the city...

That's one of Butch Harmon's tips for Winged Foot in a Bill Pennington New York Times story. And this is an interesting observation about the tiered rough, and one some of us have been trying to explain is yet another reason that pitch out rough is absurd:

"Guys who hit into the long stuff will wedge it out and take their bogey," Butch Harmon said. "The actual danger is the second cut of rough, the stuff that's three inches deep and three yards from the fairway. Some guys will be tempted to go for the green from that stuff, and that's where the double bogeys will come from."

Winged Foot With Tilly: No. 15, Vol. 2

Only subtle differences in No. 15 from 1929 and 2005. The front bunker has grown up and the green doesn't quite stretch out to some of the old high points in the rear left and right.

 

 

Winged Foot With Tilly: No. 15 Vol. 1

(click image to enlarge)The 15th at Winged Foot features arguably the worst fairway contouring job, leftover from the Meeks 2004 U.S. Amateur setup. Not wide enough to bring the creek into play down the left side or to let a player actually choose an angle to come in from, at least the narrowness doesn't take away from another stellar green complex.

Open up the image to read Tilly's proud take on the hole. 

U.S. Open Week Coverage

The La Habra chapter of our art department has crafted a special U.S. Open week logo, using the USGA's best, but adding the all important ode-to-the-rough.

And as you'll notice, starting today in the upper left window I have posted a few special U.S. Open links, with more to come.

Huggan Previews Open

After reviewing previous U.S. Open's held at Winged Foot, John Huggan writes in Scotland on Sunday:

There is little doubt that WFW is one of America's finest - and at times when the USGA does not have a say in the speed of the greens, the width of the fairways and the length of the rough - one of the fairest tests. It is a proper golf course, with a closing stretch of demanding par-4s that we hope will be allowed to provide a fitting climax to the championship.

"As the various holes came to life, they were of a sturdy breed," wrote Tillinghast of the design process. "The contouring of the greens places great premium on the placement of the drives, but never is there the necessity of facing a prodigious carry of the sink-or-swim sort. It is only when the next shot must be played with rifle accuracy that brings the realisation that the drive must be placed."

Forgive my cynicism, but that is one aspect of this great course that will likely be lost during this coming week. As usual, the blue bloods in the blue blazers won't want red numbers on 'their' golf course and in 'their' precious championship. So, just as they were at Pinehurst last year, many of the premium spots for drives will be covered in golf's most boring hazard, long grass.

If the USGA can be trusted to do anything, it is that they will endeavour to eliminate any semblance of strategy or thought or flair from the US Open equation. What else? Oh yes, there will be little or no fun to be had, either.

An extremely knowledgeable spy of my close acquaintance has already been to Winged Foot, and had this to say about the course: "It's the hardest thing you've ever seen. I don't see how a short-hitter could break 78. Because of the severity of the slopes on the greens, it's much harder than Baltusrol was for last year's PGA Championship.

"If you hit a shot even one-yard past pin-high, you have virtually no chance to get the ball up and in. I don't think there will be more than two people under par by the end. In fact, it would not shock me if four 71s was enough to win."

Winged Foot With Tilly: No. 11

Below are 1929 and 2005 views of the wonderful 11th, which would be even more fun if included an actual fairway. Yes, the wonderful rolling contours and crowned nature of the hole will be bathed in rough, keeping balls near the centerline instead of taking them to real trouble.

Well, maybe that's why this hole will be minus the rough tiers. Remember, this hole is birdieable and we can't allow those!

Note the differences in bunkering from then and now, especially in the front left greenside bunker.

 

 

Winged Foot With Tilly: No. 10 Vol. 2

(click on image to enlarge)Rick Carpiniello in The Journal News profiles the homeowners/members living behind No. 10 and explains what exactly Ben Hogan said and meant about a "3 iron into someone's bedroom."
(click on image to enlarge)

As for the grand 10th (which will be called the "signature hole" way too many times by NBC's announcers), it should be 6, 7 or even 8 iron next week. 

Winged Foot With Tilly: No. 10 Vol. 1

1929 and 2005 view of No. 10 at Winged Foot. The photo angles are slightly different, but you can see how the front of the green has changed (I believe raised at some point to stop balls from rolling off). In its original look, the shaping has a settled, rumpled feel. A true work of art. Today, things are a bit more linear and clean, but still pretty awesome, especially with the recent green enlargement.

 

 

Winged Foot's Greytok

Golfdom's Thomas Skernivitiz profiles Winged Foot superintendent Eric Greytok.

Here's some of the restoration work he carried out on the 10th green (you can see the old putting surface boundaries in dark green).

(click to enlarge image of No. 10 green) 

Winged Foot With Tilly: No. 6

(click to enlarge image)One of the best short par-4s in golf will struggle to display its charm when the USGA hides it in non-tiered rough and in general, tries to prevent those pesky birdies.

This is one of the three holes where there will be no tiered rough, so tall stuff surrounds the left side fairway bunker 241 off the tee. Ben Crenshaw insists there should be fairway up to and around the bunker. This would encourage leftside lay-ups to obtain better approach angles. And as you'll read in the 1929 National Greenkeeper excerpt, that's how Tilly intended it.

But with 22 yards or so of fairway, and no real reason to lay-up on a side of the hole to get a preferred angle at right hole locations, look for some guys to try driving the green.
(click to enlarge image of No. 6 tee view)

There's a killer back left hole location that the USGA will hopefully use to bring the steep fall off into play (and if the fairway was wide enough, such a hole location would have rewarded right side lay-ups).  

Golfdom U.S. Open Podcast

The first ever Golfdom podcast is now available for listening. Editor Larry Aylward chat with yours truly about Winged Foot. Disregard the talk about concerns about the fairways getting too fast for the widths, as this was recorded before the recent downpours! Just click on the small play button, it's only 9 minutes or so. And if God forbid you want to listen to this on an ipod, go to you itunes podcast page, click advance and open Subscribe to Podcast, then paste this link: http://www.gabcast.com/casts/1063/rss/rss.xml

U.S. Open #1

2nd Annual Can You Spot The $%#@& Pairing

It's that time of year again when David Fay sits down and consults with Dick Ebersol Tommy Roy Mike Davis and makes the pairings. And as per tradition, Fay may have embedded a group of not-so-favorite players better known as the $%#@& pairing, though I don't see it. Plenty of other interesting groups though.

Anyway, place your bets and other pairings quirks in the comments section.  

Thursday (June 15), hole #1; Friday (June 16), hole #10
             7:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. - Andrew Svoboda, Larchmont, N.Y.; Chris Nallen, Tucson, Ariz.; J.J. Henry, Fairfield, Conn.
            7:11 a.m. – 12:41 p.m. - John Rollins, Irving, Texas; Mathew Goggin, Australia; Steve Lowery, Birmingham, Ala.
            7:22 a.m. – 12:52 p.m. - Nick Dougherty, England; D.J. Trahan, Mt. Pleasant, S.C.; Graeme McDowell, England
            7:33 a.m. – 1:03 p.m. - Vijay Singh, Fiji; Shingo Katayama, Japan; David Toms, Shreveport, La.
            7:44 a.m. – 1:14 p.m. - Jim Furyk, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.; Adam Scott, Australia; Chad Campbell, Lewisville, Texas
            7:55 a.m. – 1:25 p.m. - Robert Allenby, Australia; Rocco Mediate, Naples, Fla.; Angel Cabrera, Argentina
            8:06 a.m. – 1:36 p.m. - Fred Couples, La Quinta, Calif.; Jose Maria Olazabal, Spain; Mike Weir, Canada
            8:17 a.m. – 1:47 p.m. - Davis Love III, Sea Island, Ga.; Justin Leonard, Dallas, Texas; Nick Price, Hobe Sound, Fla.
            8:28 a.m. – 1:58 p.m. - David Duval, Denver, Colo.; Colin Montgomerie, Scotland; John Cook, Windermere, Fla.
            8:39 a.m. – 2:09 p.m. - Jeff Sluman, Hinsdale, Ill.; Rod Pampling, Australia; Henrik Stenson, Sweden
            8:50 a.m. – 2:20 p.m. - A-Jonathan Moore, Vancouver, Wash.; Phil Tataurangi, New Zealand; Craig Barlow, Henderson, Nev.
            9:01 a.m. – 2:31 p.m. - Rob Johnson, Terre Haute, Ind.; Madalitso Muthiya, Zambia; David Berganio Jr., Sylmar, Calif.
            9:12 a.m. – 2:42 p.m. - John Koskinen, Baraga, Mich.; A-Tadd Fujikawa, Honolulu, Hawaii; Stephen Woodard, Charlotte, N.C.

  Thursday (June 15), hole #10; Friday (June 16), hole #1
            7:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. - Kent Jones, Albuquerque, N.M.; Phillip Archer, England; Nicholas Thompson, Coral Springs, Fla.
            7:11 a.m. – 12:41 p.m. - Shaun Micheel, Germantown, Tenn.; Kenneth Ferrie, England; Ted Purdy, Phoenix, Ariz.
            7:22 a.m. – 12:52 p.m. - Brandt Jobe, Westlake, Texas; Keiichiro Fukabori, Japan; Richard Green, Australia
            7:33 a.m. – 1:03 p.m. - Billy Mayfair, Scottsdale, Ariz.; A-Dillon Dougherty, Woodland, Calif.; Nick O'Hern, Australia
            7:44 a.m. – 1:14 p.m. - Scott Verplank, Edmond, Okla.; Ian Poulter, England; Lucas Glover, Simpsonville, S.C.
           7:55 a.m. – 1:25 p.m. - Phil Mickelson, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.; Tim Clark, South Africa; Thomas Bjorn, Denmark
            8:06 a.m. – 1:36p.m. - Rory Sabbatini, South Africa; Paul McGinley, Ireland; Rich Beem, Austin, Texas
            8:17 a.m. – 1:47 p.m. - Luke Donald, England; Trevor Immelman, South Africa; Zach Johnson, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
            8:28 a.m. – 1:58 p.m. - Retief Goosen, South Africa; Stewart Cink, Duluth, Ga.; Padraig Harrington, Ireland
            8:39 a.m. – 2:09 p.m. - Arron Oberholser, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Peter Hedblom, Sweden; Dean Wilson, Kaneohe, Hawaii
            8:50 a.m. – 2:20 p.m. - Michael Harris, Troy, Mich.; Andrew Morse, Chestnut Hill, Mass.; A-Patrick Nagle, Pacifica, Calif.
            9:01 a.m. – 2:31 p.m. - Jason Dufner, Auburn, Ala.; Jyoti Randhawa, India; Charley Hoffman, Las Vegas, Nev.
            9:12 a.m. – 2:42 p.m. - A-Alex Coe, La Quinta, Calif.; Brad Fritsch, Canada; Benjamin Hayes, Scottsdale, Ariz.

Thursday (June 15), hole #1; Friday (June 16), hole #10
            12:30 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. - Steve Stricker, Madison, Wis.; Oliver Wilson, England; Tommy Armour III, Las Colinas, Texas
            12:41 p.m. – 7:11 a.m. - Duffy Waldorf, Northridge, Calif.; Maarten Lafeber, Netherlands; Tom Pernice Jr., Murrieta, Calif.
            12:52 p.m. – 7:22 a.m. - Ben Crane, Beaverton, Ore.; Mark Calcavecchia, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.; Mark Brooks, Fort Worth, Texas
            1:03 p.m. – 7:33 a.m. - Jay Haas, Greer, S.C.; Joey Sindelar, Horseheads, N.Y.; Tom Lehman, Scottsdale, Ariz.
            1:14 p.m. – 7:44 a.m. - Toru Taniguchi, Japan; Ben Curtis, Stow, Ohio; Niclas Fasth, Sweden
            1:25 p.m. – 7:55 a.m. - Tiger Woods, Windermere, Fla.; A-Edoardo Molinari, Italy; Michael Campbell, New Zealand
            1:36 p.m. – 8:06 a.m. - Sean O'Hair, West Chester, Pa.; Mark Hensby, Australia; Olin Browne, Hobe Sound, Fla.
            1:47 p.m. – 8:17 a.m. - Darren Clarke, Northern Ireland; Peter Jacobsen, Bonita Springs, Fla.; Stephen Ames, Canada
            1:58 p.m. – 8:28 a.m. - Tim Herron, Deephaven, Minn.; Carl Pettersson, Sweden; Kevin Stadler, Englewood, Colo.
            2:09 p.m. – 8:39 a.m. - Geoff Ogilvy, Australia; David Howell, England; Bo Van Pelt, Bixby, Okla.
            2:20 p.m. – 8:50 a.m. - Travis Hurst, Erie, Kan.; George McNeill, Ft. Myers, Fla.; Taylor Wood, Laguna Niguel, Calif.
            2:31 p.m. – 9:01 a.m. - Tag Ridings, Southlake, Texas; Nathan Green, Australia; Greg Kraft, Belleair, Fla.
            2:42 p.m. – 9:12 a.m. - John Mallinger, Long Beach, Calif.; A-Billy Horschel, Grant, Fla.; Michael Derminio, Scottsdale, Ariz.

Thursday (June 15), hole #10; Friday (June 16), hole #1 
            12:30 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. - Woody Austin, Derby, Kan.; Jeev Singh, India; Jay Delsing, St. Louis, Mo.
            12:41 p.m. – 7:11 a.m. - Brett Quigley, Barrington, R.I.; Tadahiro Takayama, Japan; Bob Estes, Austin, Texas
            12:52 p.m. – 7:22 a.m. - Paul Casey, England; Matt Kuchar, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.; Graeme Storm, England
            1:03 p.m. – 7:33 a.m. - Corey Pavin, Plano, Texas; Fred Funk, Ponte Vedra, Fla.; Allen Doyle, La Grange, Ga.
            1:14 p.m. – 7:44 a.m. - J.B. Holmes, Campbellsville, Ky.; Camilo Villegas, Colombia; Scott Hend, Australia
            1:25 p.m. – 7:55 a.m. - Lee Janzen, Orlando, Fla.; Todd Hamilton, Westlake, Texas; Steve Jones, Chandler, Ariz.
            1:36 p.m. – 8:06 a.m. - Sergio Garcia, Spain; Charles Howell, Augusta, Ga.; Stuart Appleby, Australia
            1:47 p.m. – 8:17 a.m. - Ernie Els, South Africa; Chris DiMarco, Heathrow, Fla.; K.J. Choi, Korea
            1:58 p.m. – 8:28 a.m. - Kenny Perry, Franklin, Ky.; Miguel Angel Jimenez, Spain; Bart Bryant, Ocoee, Fla.
            2:09 p.m. – 8:39 a.m. - Skip Kendall, Windermere, Fla.; Charl Schwartzel, South Africa; Ryuji Imada, Japan
            2:20 p.m. – 8:50 a.m. - A-Ryan Posey, Dallas, Texas; Stephen Gangluff, Marysville, Ohio; Jason Allred, Scottsdale, Ariz.
            2:31 p.m. – 9:01 a.m. - Chad Collins, Cloverdale, Ind.; David Oh, Cerritos, Calif.; Lee Williams, Alexander City, Ala.
            2:42 p.m. – 9:12 a.m. - Andy Bare, Jacksonville, Fla.; Dustin White, Pueblo West, Colo.; A-Ryan Baca, Richmond, Texas

Wet At Winged Foot

Ernie Palladino reports on how it's all good over at Winged Foot even though it's really drenched. And unfortunately, it appears Tim Moraghan isn't allowed to talk to the media about agronomic matters, which leaves the task up to Marty Parkes.

Winged Foot doesn't drain well because the course is built on a rock ledge base as opposed to, say, the sandy underpinnings of Pinehurst, last year's Open venue.The various bleachers, TV booths, and other Open-related buildings could block the water's few escape routes.

That means a lot of liquid will be hanging around the fairways, rough, bunkers and greens, making it difficult for the bigger machines to get in there.

No problem, though, Parkes said. Can't use a big, honkin' ride-about? There are always hand-mowers.

"It'll be slower to do the maintenance," Parkes said. "The bigger machinery might not be able to get through because it'll create ruts and tear up the turf. For the short-term gains, the repairs won't be worth it. You have to use lighter, smaller equipment, and that will take longer."

Some might assume in reading this that the dreaded walk mowers may return to mow fairways. Surely that won't be the case?

The rough was scheduled for a final cut Sunday, anyway. But the USGA, accused in the past of making its championship courses beyond challenging, has already decided that the deepest rough will be cut at 5 inches instead of the originally planned 8 because the season's precipitation has caused the grass to grow in thicker than anticipated.

That won't make mowing any less of a task.

"When rough gets wet, it's hard to cut it to the length you want it," Parkes said. "We can hand-mow it. You won't see much of a difference."

Hand mow rough. Supers out there, any thoughts on how that would work?

Mowing may be the biggest job just because of the vast area involved, but tending to the bunkers may present as large a challenge. The rain could pack the sand into a harder surface.

Good for the golfer. They'll love it.

Bad for the USGA.

"It doesn't create the penalty we'd like for getting in there," Parkes said.

[Mike] Davis sounded a little more optimistic about the bunker situation, however.

"The ones at Winged Foot are built as well as any could be built," Davis said. "Starting in 2004, they rebuilt them more along the lines of what they originally were, and they've got all new drainage."

The greens may receive the least attention, aside from a little squeegying and normal cutting. Parkes said Moraghan and Greytock probably won't spray the putting surfaces at all. Even at that, Mother Nature may not dry them out enough to obtain the desired Stimpmeter reading of 11 or 12 — a moderate speed.

A group of exempt players taking a practice round Monday found the greens at a relatively slow 10.

"We won't touch the greens right now," Parkes said. "It's a bit early to speculate on what would be done Sunday. But there's some mowing patterns and rolling we can do early in the week to help them out."

And...

Assuming the rains stop by Sunday, Parkes saw no chance of any practice-round cancellations Monday. At worst, they might ask players to steer clear of certain wet areas. But that's only if another deluge hits after Saturday night.

"Put it this way," Parkes said. "In '96, we had a heck of a thunderstorm in Oakland Hills on Wednesday, and we started on time Thursday. The course wasn't in the greatest condition, but it was in U.S. Open condition."

The course wasn't in the greatest condition, but it was in U.S. Open condition. Sort of Meeks-esque, don't you think?

Golf World U.S. Open Preview

The latest Golf World previewing next week's U.S. Open offers a juicy set of stories, including Tim Rosaforte's look back at Winged Foot's shaky '84 Open, Ryan Herrington's profile of Mike Davis (the poor lad who has to fend off Walter Driver), E. Michael Johnson's analysis of what makes Winged Foot a special club, reviews of past Winged Foot majors by John Antonini, Bill Fields's feature on Claude Harmon and John Hawkins's analysis of Phil Mickelson's resurgence.

Unfortunately missing so far is Brett Avery's Winged Foot map, which features a fun life-size look at the different rough heights on the back.

Of course, if it never stops raining in Mamaroneck, those heights may be changing. 

What's With...

...Brian Hewitt of The Golf Channel reporting that Geoff Ogilvy did not qualify for the U.S. Open, and I remember noticing in Golfweek's initial sectional reporting that he was listed there as well. Hewitt:

The names of the players who didn’t survive Sectional play are almost as fascinating as the list of the players who did:

Jason Gore, who captured our hearts at Pinehurst in last year’s Open. Brad Faxon. Geoff Ogilvy. Aaron Baddeley. Jesper Parnevik. Trevor Immelman. Peter Lonard.

Since they both made the mistake I'm guessing Ogilvy may have been listed as a WD or DNS in a sectional that he may have entered long ago?  (Same deal with Darren Clarke, who was listed as a WD even though he's in easily based on his world ranking.)

Anyway, Ogilvy is most definitely in because of his world ranking status, as this USGA press release said in May.