"Think about a University of Michigan football game. You could put that many people on this golf course and they would move around just fine."

Gary D'Amato talks to Mike Davis about Erin Hills and he compares this week's U.S. Amateur site with Pebble Beach, Shinnecock Hills and Oakmont, saying, "This stands up with all of them."

He also loves the scale of the place.

"I guess I'd put it this way: If I compare this to, say, Bethpage or Pinehurst, which would be our biggest U.S. Open sites, this makes those sites look tiny in terms of what you can do," Davis said. "It is a huge site.

"This might be the first U.S. Open where we don't have to put a cap on tickets. . . . Think about a University of Michigan football game. You could put that many people on this golf course and they would move around just fine."

Ed Sherman also declares Erin Hills a hit, and notes the setup early in the week was a far cry from last year and has been important in winning over players.

The United States Golf Assn. went fairly easy with the pin placements during the first two rounds of match play, resulting in some low scores. The USGA also is learning about the place. But tellingly, USGA Executive Director Mike Davis told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, "This is a course we could set up so that 15-over par would win a U.S. Open. I'm not kidding you."

I believe him. I was out there Wednesday afternoon when the wind was blowing 20 to 25 mph. I didn't see many birdies as the players were doing their best to hang on.