Five Things About the 2023 U.S. Open with Geoff Shackelford

to really be excited about. And uh, I think one of the things we learned last year with the live PGA Tour drama then was that once the ball is in the air on Thursday, it becomes all about the golf. And this week should be spectacular. I can't wait. It's been kind of circled on my calendar for years, and you know, we are we are really thrilled to be there and be on the ground for this week's US Open. So we are doing our traditional five things about the

US Open with Jeff Shackelford. Jeff obviously a long list of accomplishments in golf, but in particular here in Los Angeles. He's he's from here and I had a hand. He was a co architect on the Los Angeles Country Club restoration with Gil Hans and Jim Wagner. So Jeff you know, and also writes a substack about you know, major championship golf. So this was a no brainer for the guests for this one.

in Los Angeles. It's about thirty minutes. It features Jeff, gil Hans and Tom Doak, all of whom have worked at George Thomas Designs. Here and is a look at the life of George Thomas and his accomplishments and impact on golf in Los Angeles. It is. It is. I'm really proud of what the team put together, Garrett and Cameron Hurdis on this project. It was. It was a big undertaking and I'm really please that they we got it done and it will be out on Monday night.

So join us. We're doing a YouTube premiere. It's fun. There's a chat and join us put it up on the big screen. It is. It is a beautiful piece with you know, footage and insight into Thomas's three famous courses as well as his life and some other just cool historical photos. Also, it's gonna be a big week for Club TF our membership program. We have a every Hole at LACC video that will be going up early in the US Open week. If you're interested in joining.

We we do basically daily content on that on that website. It's one hundred and twenty dollars for the year. It's an awesome way to support us. It is. You can join and look at it at the Frida egg dot com slash membership and yeah, we get all kinds of stuff, early access to events when we when we launch those discounts in the pro shop, but then regular content from US you know, video and written. So without further ado, here is Jeff Shackelford. Jeff, welcome on. I you know,

there's not much. I was excited to talk US Open and this US Open preview. I was excited, you know, finally the first tournament where things seemed to start to become normal majors. Weren't this like spectacle of gathering of these two parties. And here we are at this historic LACC major US Open, first time they've ever hosted, and the whole pre lead up will not be about the US Open.

But but I mean, I mean we I yeah, we just have to talk about the elephant in the room though, don't you think I mean, it's not Yeah, it just wouldn't be right to do a pod without addressing one of the greatest stories of our time, which which one is that this this this general Patton running the smash GC squad.

that has to do with anything of substance. It's that all these people in the club of the BGA tour weren't informed. But my god, I mean, if there was ever a story that validated why we need team Golfox ordering the team to the gym, Brooks ordering a vigorous workout that rendered two of his four players unplayable. I mean, what was he thinking looking at Cocrak, thinking, yeah, yeah,

that getting him in shape overnight. That's gonna help smash, you know, finally get the top ten of the uh of the live whatever whatever they call the thing in DC. We won't even get to know what these tournament name names are, or will we. I don't know they're going away as we record this. They may not be going away.

reading it. And so I've had some cool responses of people. Well, first, I love when I hear that people quickly read it because it was meant to be a quick read, and some people wanting to play more golf because of it, and all the things that you kind of hope to do with a book like that, and and and then I got a bad review on Amazon today say it was too basic and for too many it's geared to you know, just somebody who doesn't know anything. I'm like, Oh, that's the best review possible.

You know that person who's and we have so many people now that are are intrigued by what goes into a course design or the construction or things to be able to look for. And so that was the idea of the book, was to give those people something without going off the rails the way that a lot of the rankings have. So so I'm thrilled and excited and look forward to more hearing more feedback for people.

an easy read, a lightlift. It's not too long. You know, you could read this and then you could go dump

jump into George Thomas's golf architecture in America. You know, if you if you really enjoyed this, right, it doesn't you know, it's not a laborious read, and you don't feel like you're reading you know, sometimes I feel like, you know, When I'm reading golf architecture stuff, it's like a ten to fifteen page read and then I'm putting it down because it's you know, it's like this is this is a textbook type stuff like this, this thing

you can breeze through. Uh so congratulations. I would recommend everybody going and checking that out that is interested in getting into architecture. That is. That is even somebody that has you know, read a ton about architecture is additive it. You know, there are there are things in there that that will make you think and that's really what you want from a book.

about the US Open. So, Jeff, this is a as an l A native. Uh, this is a property that you're quite intimate with your a co art.

they used to, and they like to play nine holes a day and I don't see that working real well. So I'm fascinated by how this early week is going to go in terms of people get to know the course, trying to understand it, because it it is a it is a course that has some elements that takes them

getting used to. And so yeah, not to start off with about the least sexy sounding thing you could throw out, but I really do feel like, it's going to be fascinating to watch how these players take a crash course when they're just not used to this kind of thing anymore. You know, they used to do the pre scouting trips, and there have been guys who've gone there for scouting trips,

but not as many as you think. And I mean we saw it at ok Hill, which was essentially a new golf course, and I was out there at late afternoon Monday, beautiful day. Marshalls were all out there and they were like, where are the players. I said, what do you mean. I've been here on about six hour six of my shift and I've seen four golfers come through,

and I'm like, it's a new world. They like to rest, they watch aerials, the caddy tells the where to go, and I just don't think that's gonna fly on La North and so that I think that's just gonna be really interesting.

to operate here. There's some space to think about playing a whole a different way. You talked about this, what what's one area you think? Think like you know, one particular spot you think is an example of maybe you want to see this more times so that you understand the way something works.

The course is pretty green right now. But if it's dry, it's this this massive fairway. But you have this this slot up the left side, and you have to get comfortable, even though you know it just it just calls for kind of a big, beautiful cut. But if you get that running and it runs down the fairway into the rough, into the with a semi obstructed view of the see shot by trees, you're going to be kind of annoyed. And it's an awkward line and you just have to

get comfortable with that. Is it? Are you going to try to hit a slight draw? Are you just going to have to start it left? But if you start it left and double cross it, you're going to be in massive trouble. So that's one, and then the whole right after. It's a drivable four. And I just know how these guys tend to play ten at Riviera, But that one's data driven, andy, so you know they don't have the data to say, well, just bomb it up there and gouge.

you can. It's a great starting point. It's a great sense of place thing, knowing where the bathrooms are, or where the range is, or where the bunkers are, or where the bunkers are cut short or set short of a green. But in terms of a hole like the six that La, it just has so many dimensions depending you know, it's it's a it's a version of the tenth of Riviera, only it has a little bit of a kind of hazard. E Baranca won't be marked as hazard. I don't believe. I know that decision was going to

be made this week by Thomas Pegel. But it's not a it's not a waterway, so it'll be this kind of sandy problematic thing. And then you have a green that's perched and it's a long green, and I happen to be of the view that you know, it's a hole.

You lay up down the fairway, you basically hit almost the same link shot you could hit to the front of the green, and that's just gonna make head spin, you know, just just that notion that a two two point eighty shot what you get when it's two ninety to the front of the green, let's say, or to eighty five, but you really should lay up to eighty five and then have a wedge end of the length of the green. That's just not the way they play

golf today. So they have a lot to figure out on that hole, and I just don't think you can do that in one day. And so things like that I think are those would be those holes just stand out immediately to me to your question.

the old photos in certain wings and stuff. And with that, like one of my things about this US Open is it is kind of the anti US Open test right the traditional narrow fairway, thick rough test we've seen the USGA they started to go away from that narrow fairway, thick rough test. It feels like they've gone a little bit back into it. But this is a place with space. It's I think it's going to reward some creativity shot making. It is not going to be a bludgeon fest like

we saw at Wingfoot or Tory Pines. You know, this is a golf course that is going to potentially, you know, reward some different skill sets that we've typically seen at

the US Open that's become superpower driven. So with that in mind, it kind of brings to me to Jordan Speeth, a guy that won a US Open at a non traditional US Open site of Chabers Bay that had wide fairways, that was firm and fast, that presented a golf course that you had to think about where you were landing shots, you know where they were going to end up because of contours in the ground. And obviously he played phenomenal at the Memorial, a golf course that doesn't suit his

his his really profile of game. The swing looks great, the numbers look great, and I wouldn't be surprised if we see a player that we usually don't consider a US Open type player in the mix here he's.

I know he's played some some Wednesdays of LA or Tuesdays of Genesis week with Jay Danzy and some members and likes the course. But more importantly, I mean there's always that's always a nice thing to your point on creativity, imagination and the things that this course brings out. I mean, as I've thought a lot about the course, what I'm most excited about, and I may be proven wrong, but I feel like all sorts of styles of play can

handle this. If you're playing well, you're going to be rewarded. And I do think there's some some T shots where if you can hit a very long, high draw, you're going to get a huge advantage. And I do think being able to kind of hit a soft cut into the greens like any US Open, will still be a wonderful advantage, both because of assuming the greens get nice and firm and all so just the shape of the shots. There are a lot of holes where it feels like you kind of have a right to left bend T

shot and the kind of a nice cut second. But again, I think if you're playing well, it just doesn't matter. If you're short, you're long, whatever you're gonna you're gonna do well there. But I do believe that he is still of a generation where I think he goes up to a different level if he feels like he can be uh creative and that he can that he can work his magic, and so yeah, I think it's a it's just set up really nicely for him, and I'm

anxious to see how he manages a week. And uh, I think having played their decent amounts really gonna help him kind of you know, ease into the week, whereas some guys are gonna be on this crash course Monday through Wednesday trying to trying to learn it.

You know, they are going to be extremely challenging iron shots with the way the greens are, the little nooks and crannies that they have. But you know, there's a feasible world where somebody might hit every fairway in a round of golf out here, which you cannot say about

the majority of US Open courses. They're like, I would not be surprised if somebody hits fourteen to fourteen fairways in a round of golf here And to me, you know what, like, if you're talking about a test, it makes sense that somebody should be able to excel at that component of the test. And it to be that's where so many venues get it wrong in major setup is like, are we really striving for a success to be sixty percent on one of the aspects of the test?

Let's just start there. And we know what that kind of does to the whole mojo of a tournament when when when they take the a driver out of their hands, it just becomes this, It immediately loses something and uh and I and I guess we should explain a lot a lot of people maybe wondering why is it wide.

It's it's it's a very severe property in places. And if it gets running, and we've seen it in the Pac twelve and a little bit in the Walker Cup, you have to be careful because a couple of these massively wide fairways can get to where they play so narrow that it's a little bit goofy that that no good drive is rewarded, not every hole but a few key holes. And the USA doesn't want that, and that's a great thing. That's where they've changed, i think in

a lot of ways. Or they're just more cautious, and they really do. They're not paying lip service to this about the architecture. They're they're genuine. They want to they want to let the design when the design is good, they want to let the design determine the champion. And they they are less concerned with the winning score than they used to be, even though they used to claim they never were interested in the winning score. They are.

And I'm thinking the winning score will probably unless we get just a ton of afternoon when it'll probably be thirteen fourteen under. But I think it'll be as I think it'll be a great finish in a sensational week, don't. I don't see it being something like a birdie shootout. I think it'll still separate the field, and uh, that's what you want. I think.

T shot on fourteen to hit that fairway. And one of the things I think about is like the variety of windows. Not showing somebody the exact same with every hole makes driving much more difficult because you don't get used to what you're looking at. And I think that's a big part of this is looking at you know, around the greens, you're gonna have bunkers, you're gonna have baranka, which is different than the bunkers. It's a very unpredictable lie like you don't know what you're gonna get when

you go into a baranka. You have thick rough, you have short grass like that's the type of around the green tests that you want to see every type of shot. People aren't just it's not just a hack it out of the rough or I'm in a bunker. There are a lot of variety, and that's what I want from a test. I want I don't care about the score. I care about the wide range of shots that are being asked to be hit to succeed. We want a test,

a well rounded test that looks at everybody's game. And I think that this has the opportunity to do that regardless of score.

You feel robbed, you feel cheated, And I think that's what's exciting about this setup, regardless of whatever the whatever the score is. And so, but you set me up for my second thing to look for pretty pretty nicely there, so if I may, if you, if you'd like me.

some ways because there's there's some blindness out there. But to your point on variety, uh, I feel like this course. If these part threes are set up well, there's five of them, has the best set of part threes in the United States. And that's I understand that there's pine Valley in Cyprus point places like that, and places with

oceans and dramatic shots. But I think when you pick these apart, and again, if they're set up well, and and when I say set up well, what happened, Uh when we did the restoration work, you know, we we got away from box t's and so you have kind of what you saw at Southern Hills, a lot of you know that fair way moment or cut, and you have a lot of flexibility and and we were more than comfortable doing that because George Thomas was big on

day to day variety. That was his that's where he wanted to see architecture go in the future, and did that you use this course as his example, and so we actually went beyond the original design concept. You know, there's a new left tee on nine that happened after some eucalyptus trees died. There's a longer tea on four. There's two long te's on seven and eleven that I'm that those were built by us. Those were meant to be alternate par four ties and his courses in the course,

but well now they're Part three t's. But I hope those I hope those teas are moved around a lot, because, as you said, all these wings and nooks and crannies in these greens allow you to just have these radically different yardages. But more than that, radically different shots, you know, the feel it's just can be so different day to day that that these part threes never feel the same.

And there's nothing worse, you know, just watching where they just know what they're gonna hit, where to put it, and and I don't know how they're gonna figure that out in the practice rounds, and I don't know how much the USGA will telegraph. You know, Carrie Hague didn't do that at all this year. It's o kill, which

you thought was interesting. I mean one, I think one spot he had some netting, but other than that, he just left left the Part three t's wide open and he moved him around, which was fun for me to see because he I think he used to kind of roll his eyes at that a little bit. But we saw and we've seen it over and over again, it's a better test, it's more interesting for the player, it's

more interesting for us to watch. And and then within this set of five at LA again it's just, uh, I can't wait to see how they're set up and what they do to kind of kind of ring every little bit of of character out of them. And I know what you think in terms of a set of

par threes and where they rank. But I know, and I know some people would probably question that comment, but I but I do believe if they're set up with a lot of fun and variety, they'll they'll people will see like, oh wow, that was that's a pretty cool set of holes.

more on it. And having that combined with a green that that runs really repels everything is a really fun shot, right, And I think that one is, you know, it probably the the one that probably gets least talked about of the par threes. And then I would say I think the the leventh works well downhill because of its length, right,

and just the the whole setting with the skyline. I mean that, yeah, that par three And I don't think from a playing standpoint, that's my favorite par three out there, but from a just a setting standpoint, and and like knowing where you are and everything about it, it's a hard one to pass up. And I'm sure that's gonna to be that banner shot of live from all week of going to commercial breaks the skyline, the eleventh green, that one is going to get it. It's a lot of airtime.

just You're just dead. And it just was it just was not a good hole. And so that was the one where we most just completely rebuilt the entire green and we had some great photos and and Gil I think, just did a phenomenal job of recapturing those contours. He did that one on the dozer. I mean, it was all the other greens, you know, we were kind of working in a general shell, but that one was really a full destruction job. And what's so cool about that one is that you know you can play it, and

we've already seen it. You could just play the tee up to a front pin that's that's got a big tier behind it, that's just a wedge, maybe a nine iron if it's blowing in the afternoon, depending on where they put the tea, And it's just this delicate shot. You just got one little place to put it. And then you have these other dimensions when the pins are on the upper shelf on the right where it's kind of a you almost want to cut it in and you almost want to play safe to the middle and

just take your two putt. And then oddly the back left pin the kind of dramatic, the one where you could put the tea back, put the pin back. It can be fifty yards difference from that front tee to front pin, so you know, two three clubs difference. At least. That's actually probably the easiest pin on the green because the green kind of can funnel down to the pin and it's and it's but it's a great feeling shot.

You can kind of air it out, you can play a draw, you can kind of cut it and and I just love like it just every day that hole can just be it's like a new hole to the players, and so it's probably the one I'm I'm just most excited about watching what happens there and with the setup and then how the how the players deal with that and whether they like that or not. And and it's one that's really affected by the afternoon win. If we can get this this morning marine layer to lift, that

afternoon breeze can really be something. But but in the mornings, you know, people just be ready when it's when it's foggy, and that's when max Omer shot is sixty one. When it's that marine layer, look out, there's gonna be some good scoring because players just it's funny. I mean, I asked them, I've tried to do an article on it, and you just can't. You just can't. You just can't break through. But yeah, Ken Venturre used to always believe that that that marine layer was just so much better

for scoring. It just took away the shadows. You just saw what you needed to do better. Everything was just just quieter. And I agree with him, and I think, yeah, we don't have the shot linked at it because I don't think they enter the weather I've asked if that's possible to start entering weather hour by hour and someday be able to see this difference. But I think you're going to see some amazing scoring in the morning waves on Thursday and Friday.

cool it was in the Walker Cup. So I'm a little nervous. You know, it's that was a walker cup. That's that was not a lot of players. We'll see how it behaves when they go, you know, to the seventy eight eighty yard shot with a full field and you know, just more.

the way he got up and down. He was long, and he had to use the little bump in the green and funnel this crazy little shot. And I was standing down in the front. It was just the coolest little shot you've ever seen. And we had guys almost hole out. There'll be a couple of hole in ones. I almost guarantee it if they put it in the right spot and a couple tap ins. You know, in the Pac Twelves in twenty thirteen, Casey Martin was out

there on the green standing I mean actually coaching. This is a real truth, Like I've never seen a golf coach to get this much into coaching, showing the guys what line he won, and two of his guys hit it. Yeah, they just had tap ins. It was so beautiful. It so cool to watch, you know, and he was allowed to do that. And because you kind of have to pick a spot and then let it. If you catch it right, you spin it and it'll just kind of funnel down. And so it's going to be a magnificent hole.

I don't know how many people will be able to get around it. You know, it's in a very busy intersection. But I sure hope it's a featured hole, coverage hole. I don't have those are Yeah, it just it would just be so cool, it better. But I know Tommy Roy even a year ago, was already starting to talk about it the NBC producers, so pretty confident. He has a good sense of what a what a great little

hole it's gonna be. I mean, like the eleventh the Country Club last year, it was a nice little part three. This has got way more going on as a short short part three.

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g A. I guess this is a combination. I've decided to combo this. We're gonna spin with the with the obviously the Saudi Arabia news, the the great, the great merger, the PGA Tour brought to you by Saudi Arabia that we have entered into, and then obviously the U. S g A and their efforts to reign in the golf ball. I think this is a this is gonna be a big week. We will get a ball update. There's been some presentations made to the PGA Tour, you know obviously, uh,

Mike One will have it. We'll speak at this event and I'm sure I'm just this is the through line I think of major championships, uh for the foresee of future is you know, and this will be one at the Open. But like, what's our update on the golf ball? In our pursuit to maybe not have these these fantastic athletes that just be able to drive the ball to where they render five hundred and forty yard par fours into driver nine iron like we'll probably see this week.

tee for another hole and things like that. I don't expect him to give us much because I think that comment period goes through August, so I'm guessing that we we won't get much of an update on how that

that meeting went. And uh uh, it'll be interesting to hear where that is on the priority list of the of the players now in light of everything that's going on, you'd like to think it's about forty eighth on the list of things that really should matter to them, which is their their their deals with companies, and their their

their their victimhood at at possibly losing thirty yards. Although you know, of course now we're hearing the they were told the professional ball would fail under the new testing parameters. The ball from the mid nineties where we saw the huge leap ironically here at Riviera in the ninety five PGA, is when I really saw the the leaf from them. So yeah, it's it's it's one of those things that that I look at some of these t's in THATXT week and I just I just shake my head. They're

they're in some crazy places. And uh and then but this time of year when the guys are it's warm, hopefully warm. Uh and and and and the forecast of the tournament days is looking pretty good in terms of warming up. It's warm, they're in shape, they're in peak performance mode. They just hit it some crazy places.

had a set formula. It was the only really formulaic thing that he and Billy Bell did started it really, I guess with well White Marsh has a par five opener, but at Griffith Park, which he spent his own money George Thomas to finish in nineteen twenty three, and that was before he was working with Bell. Starts with a beautiful, beautiful par five and then a really great tough part

four and that became his thing. And so the good news is LA Country Club with between one and two good ghettle par five should average about four point five or something. They'll they'll play it well, and I think number two will probably average four point five. Uh, And that's his thing, and he did it at Riviera. Although I've heard I've heard rumblings that when they have the US Open there in twenty thirty one, they're going to go par four part five, which doesn't quite go with

his concept of letting you ease into the day. But whatever, that's the that's their thing. And so you then you have three and then fours. A par three and five is a good long par four, so you kind of can space it out there. But then you get this stretch. Six is driveable, seven is a hard part three, eight's a reachable. Par five be a lot of waiting on

six and eight. Nine's a devilish little part three. And I think in the US Open conditions and especially in the afternoon when the wind starts picking up and then ten is ten and twelve or two, you know, three eighty ish par fours on the back nine that I have no idea how those are going to play, but I think they're gonna. Yeah, they're not going to be fast holes. And the elevens a hard part three, So that stretch of six through twelve has the potential to

be quite a slow play nightmare. So I'll be really curious what they're going to be able to do, if anything, to try to prevent an all out debacle on that front. I mean, I am I am I being overly nervous here? Or is that something you noticed when you when you've been looking at the golf course?

bring a little chair out with you. Yeah, you have the cardy, have the caddy, bring a little stool for yourself. At every style.

the good news. I think only the only good news I can find. Well, we'll see is if a decent number of guys actually see the benefit of laying up down the fairway and then they'll just hit, they'll lay up, and they'll uh, they'll they'll I could see, you know, ready, golf being something the USGA is willing to to to ponder. I may ask about that early in the week. I'd

be curious. I'd love to see that. But you know, and this will be as you know, I've talked, tried to talk to many players about slow play and how the architecture and the weights and the and the distance component plays a role, and they just they're just not interested in hearing it. They really aren't. So it's mine fading.

championships stories. And there there are three players that are playing outstanding golf and they come in to a venue that, you know, obviously I think fits their games. I don't know of many venues that don't fit their games. But you know, can can Brooks, you know, he's gone first and second in the majors this year? Can he continue on a pace that we've seen him do before? Could he add another? Here? Is it another? In contention late

moment with Scottie Scheffler. Obviously you've got the putter issues, but at the same time. When you hit it as good as he's been hitting it, you know, you can put poorly and win. And then John Ram Finally this this seemingly would be a golf course that really will highlight his strengths. Those three, to me are the are the three big favorites, and they have some separation from probably I would put you know, Rory in a bucket of other players next, But those are the three favorites.

Do we get one of those players winning and continuing on, you know, in all three like Brooks, it's kind of unfortunate he's not playing on on the regular two on the PGA Tour, so we could see how this year might be with Brooks because those other two guys have just been such dominant stories of every tournament they tee it up in.

some memories will come back. I mean, I think Scheffler is the favorite just because of his experience there and the way he's hitting the ball and the greens being yeah it's a mix of greens, Yeah it's George Thomas was not a great putter, so he did build a lot of He didn't go crazy with the contour, but there's some that are really steeply pitched and some really devilish putts out there. However, I don't think you need to be incredibly creative and you need to be below

the hole a lot. That's really as I've been going through these holes in the newsletter and I hate even writing it, but you know, really be good to be

below the hole here. Yeah, thanks Sherlock. That's brilliant, but it really speaks to how well you you need to be playing with your irons and maybe even miss a few greens just short, uh, and not have that down Hiller And and I think that the key with him is is is he going to let this frustration with the putting eventually sort of boil over into into his game. So far he hasn't, but he doesn't look like he's you know, exactly patient with those around him and not

finding a solution. That's it again. The last time he was there, he was struggling that week, And I mean Camera Champ hit a four hundred yard drive on fourteen and yeah, you could walk out in the fairways and everybody was wanting to watch Camera Champ that and hits a four hundred yarder on fourteen, he delivers and Scott

he hit it so far out of bounds. I mean, he had the entire golf course to the left and he hit a four iron just past Aaron Spelling's house the manor excuse me, and which is down below the fourteenth hole. And he didn't play in the afternoon that day and it was probably that shot. But he even just kind of knew he was struggling coming into the week. So it's funny he was Alatauris and Scheffler were the two that were really just not on their game coming

into that Walker Cup. But some things have changed. So yeah, I agree with you those three. And then I yeah, I'm gonna throw. I mean, I just I think it's just a phenomenal golf course for Rory, but I can't get past all this drama and not having been there and trying to play Canada come in and do the crash course. I mean, if I were him, I would say, no press conference. I'm not doing a press conference, and and just I mean, I I don't know why he needs to do one.

don't want to talk about it. And I would have all the admiration in the world for him and doing that, because, like I said, man, some of those t shots, Oh man, I would love to be able to hit his drive on his And even there's even a couple that in this setup in the Open you wouldn't normally call draw holes, that that are really becoming draw holes because of the

kind of US Open. Tees one and sixteen immediately come to mind so and then yeah, I'm I'm I'm just but I am with you on speeth and and just feeling like you know, Bermuda grass too. You know, that's another thing people need to remember. That's the Yeah, he plays that a lot. I mean, it's not a big thing, but there are a lot of stars aligning, certainly for speed, but it is hard to get past Ron, Scheffler and Kopka and Brooks. No reason why he won't love the

golf course. I can't, I don't. I don't believe he's been there. I believe he did answer that question. I don't believe he's been so I'll see when he rolls into town.

this championship. But so George Thomas and Billy Bell worked together and they kind of had a style and it evolved with each course. They got a little more aggressive with it. It was sort of a fringy dune blowout, baseball glove, floating cloud, you know, irregular edges look. And we had good photos, but we didn't have every whole a perfect groundshot of And so when we pitched this restoration, we said, look, we you know, the bunkers become totally dysfunctionally.

They were hard to get in and out of. Everything buried. I mean it was a Friday egg everywhere. They were awful. They had these shelves h they'd just been edged to death,

they'd been rebuilt not very well. And we wanted to get get everything backed down a little bit, a little less swollen and nice, nice easy walk in on the low side with fairway right up to the edge, and people are going to see that and then get back this this look that Thomas and Bell did but we said, look, this is an old club and it's an old golf course,

and he should look old. And Gil and Jim had done a process that created a process of creating a thicker lip and you know, just just just that kind of cool old look. And so we did a test bunker figured out which grasses would be best. And it's fine fescue kind of as you'll see on the lips, and then it's tall fescue on top, which is kind of a popular or was a popular lawn grass. I don't think it is as much now because it loves water.

It's cool season grass, and so they're very hairy and they're very there's a lot going on in there, and then with all the rain we had, they're really you know, they're thriving right now, and there may be a little too much, so you know, it's a visual thing mostly was the goal, but also just to kind of really make those bunkers pop. You know, Bermuda edges wouldn't have done so, so those things are pretty hairy and wild

right now. Whereas the rough on the course, you know, we just haven't had much warm weather, so it may not be the dense Bermuda rough that people expect. Also because the style of grass bandera, it just the way it grows. Sometimes the ball sits up on top of it. Even at three inches, it just doesn't just doesn't quite fall down as much. So I'm very nervous.

that's that's been standard of the US Open a while. So, uh there's no liners in these. You can get some funky stances sometimes if you really hit a weird shot, and uh so, you know, I hope that well, I don't know what I'm thinking. Players don't view these things as now I'm so naive they they just they think they're just very spoiled when it comes to bunkers as we know. U.

we keep getting some sun to dry it out. So uh, I just hope that people understand that they are they're supposed to be hazards. George Thomas did not throw at bunkers everywhere, and they're really well placed and and if you're in one, you know that's your problem. But I I know, I know, I'm naive. I realize that's that that the guys and then you may not have a perfect lie on them, and I think they're going to

have some meaning and the areas around them will have meaning. Uh, And I don't I don't know if players will be how receptive they'll be to that. So that's definitely something to keep an eye on.

much of anything in notable events. But they are quickly ascending the weeks of the top ten of the world rankings list, and I think they need to be talked about like these This is a perfect fit for both of them, xanderst Patrick Cantley to Southern Californians coming to play LACC. You know, they do everything well. This golf course should should set up beautifully for them. They've spent each of us Xander's been in the top ten in

the world for one hundred and eighty nine weeks. Patrick Cantley has been in the top ten for one hundred and seventy nine weeks. To put that in perspective, Ricky Fowler, who everybody always cites is the best player that didn't win a major of this generation, he was in the top ten for two hundred and six weeks. I don't know if he'll get back there. Luke Donald at two twenty. So really in the next year, in the next calendar year,

these two will have passed. Luke Donald will have passed Ricky Fowler, and we'll be bearing barreling down on the next next longest stint without a major, Steve Stricker. And at that point there are Lee Westwoods, the only next target really that's on this list in Monte without majors. So you know, these guys, I don't see them falling out of the top ten in the world rankings because they seemingly knock off a win or two in these in these elevated, uh hitting giggles on the PGA Tour

that are contested. So to me, in particular with with Patrick Cantley, I need to see something from a major championship, you know, and if.

He knows members, he's played there a decent amount. You know, he's just so Jeckyll and Hide and these in majors. You know, he does show up sometimes and and but seems to and then their weeks is just not there at all. I I really do expect him to play well. I mean, this one is just set up for him. But as we know, there's a lot of pressure too that can really throw you off. And I think the good news is, by the way, another guy who should not do a press conference because I just again I

think it's a week where he needs to go. You know what, that's a big one for me. This is my my my area. I have a lot of views on the tour thing. I don't want to get I don't want to go down that I want to. I want to play well here. I played a lot here at U C l A, So I hope he does that. Plus I don't think his press conferences are very interesting. So then there's Xander. Yes, I mean great US Open record again this one just he's played there with Patrick he by all. I talked to him at Riviera this

year and he really likes the golf course. And I mean, I would just like to step back to and just point out what an unbelievable time this is for us in Southern California. And I know the people think that golf here is is really a wonderful place for a developing player. It is not. There are a lot of great ranges, especially if you're a public course person, you have no place to hit off of grass and so, and I include San Diego in this. They have a

few better ranges, thankfully than La Area. So and Xander's obviously the San Diego side of Southern California. So you have Max Homa, you have Xander and Patrick a Southern Californians. Patrick obviously grew up at Virginia Country Club. Not a public course guy, but but somebody who played you know, all the junior stuff around here, and so you have yeah,

Max saiath Thikala, Yeah who played. I just found out as a ten year old and a qualifier at LA Country Club, a US junior on Earth by either somebody at the USGA. But Julia shared that with me, Julia Pine. So yeah, those two. You have Colin Morricawa, another public course kid from southern California. I mean this, you know my dream scenario is and.

you're Californian, now you got Yeah, we don't count that. No, that's central California, I guess, but no, no, no, no, no, no, we draw the line. Plus it's him, So yeah, so we have these I mean, I feel like all those players should have a great shot. I mean, so I was playing beautifully. Another person who this is, you just look at the golf course. It's great for him. So yeah, I'm excited about all of those players and and I

feel like all of them are. And it's just a it's just an amazing thing to think about when if you've been here, I know we have beautiful weather. Now. The one thing is most of those people all grew up on Coculea and Poa, Coculia Fairways, Poa Greens, so uh La is beautiful, Bent and Bermuda. It's more of a kind of a upscale southern golf course kind of thing. But I yeah, you know how it is you get to your home area. You know, there's something about the

sea breeze you just you just remind us comfortable. I think, so, I think so. And and just knowing the city of l A and kind of where to be and where to stay and and and all that stuff is those are all little things. And having some some hometown crowds behind you, which also sets us up for my last item. So yeah, I feel like it's an exciting time.

traffic and crazy stuff going on. I don't know.

there's something here about celebrities. Uh. People are kind of used to seeing them out in the wild and they generally kind of leave them alone. So yeah, I think there's an element to that that people don't quite understand how centered this course is in the city. And there's all these neighborhoods you can go off and it's not like everybody's staying in the same area. There're gonna be people in the Palisades Brentwood, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Hollywood,

Culver City. They're going to be coming at the place from all these different directions, and you can kind of leave the course and not be in that sort of herd like tour World. And some players I think are like that. They like being with the herd at the hotel. But we know the great ones don't, and they want to be left alone. They need their they know, in a major they need their their quiet time or their

getaway time. And yeah, go out to dinner. They can actually go out to dinner, although they all bring their chef now I know, and there's a very good chance they won't be bothered. There's some amazing, amazing things to do in terms of foods. So but yeah, that sets me up for the last thing, which is is another

weird one. I'm a little you know, besides obviously the location and you know, I've been kind of covering both the architecture, but the surrounds of the golf course are just amazing, you know, the homes are crazy, and then the views and the idea that you're on the cusp of Beverly Hills u c LA to the West Century City, the towers. You know, everybody's probably getting tired of hearing about it, but when you're on the property, it really

is spectacular. But I am I am nervous, and I will defend my hometown Andy because the last time we had a major championship, we had very poor attendance at Riviera. It was one of the last majors before Tiger. They overpriced the ticket. It was August. People do other things. It's a it's a big place, but nobody knows this thing is coming.

nothing about the US Open. Uh. You know, the Genesis sold out this year, So I just want to establish that. First of all, yes, Tiger was playing, but the price was actually raised and they did cut off because they wanted to have a quality fan experience at a certain point That's never happened in my lifetime. And there were crowds were fantastic. It was also the one decent week of weather we all of January and February, and we're

not complaining. We needed the rain. But so this is a very expensive open and they've sold you know, two thirds of the tickets are going to the members or to the corporate world. So I'm just very nervous about what this is gonna be like energy wise, We're gonna be playing late in the day. Uh, I got you know, thank thankfully NBC doesn't have the synchronized swimming trials to cut away to. So we're gonna have nothing Olympics. Wow. I'm sure there'll be some tacky promos to remind us

about Paris. But I am nervous about what it's going to be like out there in the evenings with with the amount of people and who's out there, and how much energy they're giving the players, because already it's a tough one in terms of you know, with all these back teas, getting close to the getting close to some

of the greens and teas. So it's just something, you know, you want things I'm looking for and I'm looking for that how that fan experience goes and what kind of energy is there, And I'm hopeful, but I am nervous that that uh, you know, later in the day and people, Yes, there's a lot going on and people might be worried about traffic or whatever getting back to their car. I I uh, I think it's something to watch and we'll see how that how that plays out.

They start to ah, we gotta go. You know, it's like the uh, the commercial where they arrive at the game and you know they're already wanting to know what time they're gonna leave. So uh uh So we'll see how that plays out. But uh I I if the sun comes out, it's gonna be spectacular on TV. And you know the way the bunkers look, uh, you know, they've had a lot of time to plan how to

how to show this visually. And I don't think they'll do anything that matches your you know, your drone shots, but I'm confident that they'll they'll do some great stuff.

in that. Although I did see some little afternoon thing on Monday, I don't know. That may have been my weather app getting confused about it. Rained.

this drops, people will know. But the I think the Belmonts in jeopardy and yeah, so we're so we'll focus on the positive, sunny beautify California, and I just, uh, I can't wait, and I can't wait to hear what people think. But I'm pretty confident they're gonna They're gonna have a great, great show to watch.

compartmentalize and learn the golf course. I think he's good at at at picking up a golf course pretty quickly. But man, it's still I still don't like the rolling in late and I do love the idea that the way speed's trending, But I I just think that Scott he's on a slightly different level right now and and rom I yeah, I I just I'm back on that on some of those t shots, I don't know if he has that shot that that that he really feels great turning one over if he has to, I don't know.

I don't feel like I've seen many of those though over time. So uh, but I think I'm most excited that. I just feel like it's going to be a course. It rewards a lot of different styles and and I think that's the most exciting thing. I don't think it's going to pigeonhole this into a bomb bomb and gouge thing group or anything like that. And uh. And then there's some great qualifier stories too. I'm excited about those. And I mean Stafford getting four four guys in the

field and Barry the Yeah, so yeah. I watched him a little bit at at at Hillcrest on Monday, Omore Morales and really cool story talking to his coach Arman at U C L A and UH finished d D D F L in their first tournament in the fall, and UH won the last tournament they played, and you see Davis qualified for the Mexico Open a one spotter shot eleven under. I believe it was at Hillcrest and has a low round of the Bruins this year at

the North Course where they play a lot. Weirdly, Yeah, it's mostly USC club and yet U C. L A plays there more than then sc don't don't ask me why that is. So yeah, he's a he's an interesting one to keep an eye on if you're you're looking for for a young player that you've never heard of. Uh, and gool representing Mexico. And but yeah, I mean I'm still just blown away by Stanford that is, that's impressive.

And then we'll get to see Gordon Sergeant see what he does and uh, you know a lot of short grass around the greens, so we'll see how that, how that, how the chipping is and and but it's it's easier chipping than I guess this is guess this tricky chipping. So I I don't know if I don't know if that's a good one to judge somebody on the more I thought about it after the Masters. So and yeah, Barry the uber driver, I mean how about how about this.

I don't know about you, but I I think so. So when we were in the.

an actual occupay, regular occupation for aspiring professional golfers. If you think about think about like the I think about like you know, in even like two thousand and nine, twenty ten, before Uber was around, you know, the occupation was caddying or or waiting tables. Talk about any way, better job for somebody trying to play professional golf is Uber then then having to wait tables at a restaurant.

You go practice all day and you you want to go wait tables at night, or you know, trying to get up the next day after waiting a table, you know, versus like sitting in a car and driving.

twenty minutes. So we've got those videos. But then we're gonna have a bunch of little breakout videos. They're gonna be available on social media on our Instagram page but also YouTube and Twitter. So if you're looking for more LACC stuff, it's gonna be some fun features. They aren't just gonna be your stock you know about you know this whole We're gonna we're gonna cover some different top in them, and so be sure to check those out. If you haven't subscribed to our YouTube page, do that.

It's a we're going to be We're continuing to be up the YouTube content that we're doing, but these vignettes will be spectacular watched there, you can always put them up on your TV and h and that makes for nice viewing. So if you're looking for more LACC content, we have more video content coming. Just be tuned into our social media channels and our YouTube page. Thanks again for listening to the pod. We will be back later

this week, Garrett. We'll have another podcast and then we'll be back after the US Open to talk about what happened. So thanks and thank you to be Draddy and we hope for a great championship here at Los Angeles Country Call