Notes on the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open Media Days

Last week, we had the fantastic opportunity to participate in the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open media days, which entailed consecutive days of golf at Los Angeles Country Club and Pebble Beach. Tough duty, I know. The Fried Egg crew included Garrett Morrison and Cameron Hurdus, and we spent an extraordinary couple of days playing two of the most spectacular courses in the world.

The most beautiful U.S. Open venue?

Many would argue that Pebble Beach, “the greatest meeting of land and sea,” is the most scenic venue in the USGA’s arsenal. However, I was taken aback by the beauty of the North Course at Los Angeles Country Club. While Pebble Beach overwhelms you with its ocean views, L.A. North offers an understated beauty, defined by a more muted color palette. What I particularly appreciate about is how the course integrates with the natural environment instead of dominating it. This observation is not a criticism of Pebble Beach but rather an expression of admiration for L.A. North and the rare glimpse it offers into what Los Angeles might have looked like before it became a concrete jungle. The barrancas are particularly stunning right now, full of multicolored foliage after a rainy winter.

Andy in the barranca on No. 8 at L.A. North

To win a Hanse major, shoot this score

Before our media-day round, we spent some time with LACC’s consulting architect Gil Hanse, who brought up an intriguing state: at all of the major championships held at Hanse renovations so far (Winged Foot, Southern Hills, and the Country Club), six under has been the winning score.

If I were to predict a range of scores for this year’s U.S. Open at L.A. North, my guess would be between -6 and -8. Let’s see if the trend continues.

This year’s short-par-4 darling

The sixth hole at L.A. North, a short par 4, is likely to generate considerable chatter. It pairs a wide, shallow green with an expansive fairway. Before the media day, I assumed the dominant strategy would be to aim at the green, taking a chance with a bunker shot or barranca lie. However, after seeing how grown up and gnarly the barranca now is, I realized it will be challenging to get up and down from around the green.

This predicament makes the hole quite intriguing. Going for it is still a viable option, but a layup may also be appealing. We had a front-right pin, and I played a shot far left, which turned out to be smart. It left me a 60-yard wedge from a flat lie right up the axis of the green. If you get too close to the green and up the right on the line to the pin, the wedge shot becomes brutal. It leaves you little green to work with and often a downhill lie. Meanwhile, when the hole location shifts left, the preferable layup will be far right. In other words, depending on the pin, players who choose not to go for the green will want to use one side or the other of the huge fairway.

Andy approaching the sixth green at L.A. North from a friendly angle

So what’s interesting about the sixth hole at L.A. North is how the layup line differs significantly from the “go for it” line on a daily basis. It forces players to choose between two disparate options rather than automatically playing toward the green and being content with coming up a little short.

Some frustrating fairway lines at Pebble Beach

A low point of the trip occurred on No. 6 at Pebble Beach, possibly the greatest hole in golf. As we walked down the breathtaking fairway, we discovered a new mow line that cuts in from the right, creating a buffer of rough between the fairway and the ocean. Let me say it again: there is now rough where there used to be fairway leading to the cliff and the ocean. When we asked officials about the reason for the change, they explained that a small number of tee shots found the ocean in past tournaments, so they figured they would introduce an additional penalty for missing right.

But there’s a reason that few balls find the ocean on the sixth hole in high-level events: most players are making a strategic choice to steer away from danger. They’re deciding to play safely left, which leaves them with a longer, more challenging path to the green. Those who challenge the cliffs are rewarded with a better angle and a shorter approach. Now that risky play is not a valid option because of the rough. Furthermore, the long grass will likely prevent many misses to the right from reaching the hazard. The added rough may increase the scoring average, but it has made one of the best holes in the world more one-dimensional and less genuinely treacherous. I mean, what are we doing here?

Garrett playing out of rough where there probably shouldn't be rough on No. 6 at Pebble Beach

Our disappointment deepened when we saw that the eighth hole also features a new mow line that creates a band of cliff-side rough.

At one point, I felt like Mugatu from Zoolander:

Nae wind, nae golf

At Pebble Beach, I carried two bags for the first time in 14 years, which in itself was a challenge. Another significant hurdle was providing accurate yardages to Garrett and Cameron on a windy day. It had been years since I last looped, and I had forgotten how difficult it is to calculate numbers for others. Much of my own club- and shot-selection process happens over the ball, and I make small adjustments based on how I feel. When caddying, you can only provide a number and have no control over shapes and ideas. On the seventh hole, for instance, I gave Garrett a yardage based on a heavy wind that was hurting and coming off the right, and he proceeded to launch a draw over the green and into the ocean. I apologize, Garrett; I thought you might be able to cut it into that crosswind. (Ed. note: It’s cute that Andy thinks I can “cut it” on command.)

More than any other U.S. Open course, Pebble Beach depends on wind for difficulty. On a calm day, the course is decently challenging because of the sloping terrain and small greens, but on a windy day, holy smokes. The greens get even smaller, and when you start missing your yardages, it becomes almost impossible. Pray for wind during any tournament at Pebble, as it will truly allow those who have control over their ball to separate themselves.