Video: Shinnecock's 8th And 9th Holes
/The par-4 8th has been lengthened 41 yards and even then, the lovely strategy carved out by Toomey and Flynn is rendered meaningless by all but a gale force headwind.
The 250-yard carry to get the best angle of attack at the green won't be an issue for most of the field at this 439 yarder that played 367 yards when the U.S. Open was played here in 1986. Eat your Wheaties kids!
The flyover of your last "flat" walk of the round before Shinnecock ramps up the walk from park-like to rolling to downright combative:
The 485-yard 9th begins a three-hole stretch of blind or obstructed-view approach shots and it's one of the better three-hole stretches in golf. Then again, Shinnecock features no average stretches of golf, but for those who appreciate the challenge of a well-designed uphill approach shot, the 9th-10th and par-3 11th are as good as it gets.
The big issue here in 1986 for PJ Boatwright? An unreachable 9th with a north wind and its 447 yard distance.
If the wind comes out of the northeast, the players might not be able to drive to the bottom of the huge swale in the fairway, in which case they would be left with an impossible long shot rom a downhill lie to the elevated green. So if we get a prediction of a northeast wind, we will move the tee-markets up.
For some, this will be the least likable hole at Shinnecock because of the severe stances and uphill approach severity. The flyover:
