SIX THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT ERIN HILLS
1 It’s not a links course
It looks like a links course it has fescues, it has wind, it has no trees but it’s not a links course. Rather, it’s what one of the course architects, Dana Fry, likes to call a “heartland” course - in between a links and parkland course.
2 It’s a first for Wisconsin
Of the first 116 US Opens, 65 were held in the Great Lakes region 18 in New York, 17 in Pennsylvania, 13 in Illinois, seven in Ohio, six in Michigan and four in Minnesota. This will be the first in Wisconsin.
3 It’s a par 72
For the first time in 25 years, and just the ninth time since World War II, the scorecard is at par 72. The last time was at Pebble Beach in 1992 when the 502-yard second hole was still played as a par-five. Since then, it has generally been played at par 70, with Pebble Beach adjusted to par 71 the last two times it hosted the event.
4 Avoid the bunkers
There are 138 of them and unlike bunkers at most courses, there are almost no flat bottoms. Tour pros who normally don’t mind finding bunkers if they miss a green will now have to suffer the consequences of an endless variety of uphill, downhill and sidehill lies. They will have restricted back-swings and at times won’t even be allowed to play at the green, let alone the pin.5 Flexibility
Erin Hills could play differently off the tee in each of the four rounds thanks to the flexibility the architects embedded in their design. Every hole except the par-four 11th has at least two teeing grounds the USGA can choose from, while the par-five 18th has four. Depending on the yardage, the drive zone may be different and bunkers may come into play one round and not in another. Plus, the par-four 15th, at 288 yards, will likely be drivable in at least one round.
6 Six-hole shoot-out
The last six holes on Sunday could be frantic with two parfives (14 and 18), two par-fours (15 and 17) and two par-threes (13 and 16). And as mentioned earlier, the USGA has the option of making the 15th drivable. Par 72 courses such as TPC Sawgrass and Augusta National have shown that having two par-fives on the back side can produce fireworks down the stretch. The USGA hopes for the same thing.