Plus, Nebraskans need something to do besides grow corn and watch the Huskers. Why not volunteer for the PGA Championship?
Tobacco Road Golf Club-- Sanford, NC
I groaned when I heard that the USGA had scheduled another US Open at the mediocre snore-fest of Pinehurst No. 2 (Can you describe one hole at Pinehurst in detail? Yeah, didn't think so.)
If only the powers-that-be would take a short drive and consider the beauty that is Tobacco Road. To put it short, Tobacco Road is the most unorthodox championship-caliber course in America. Everywhere you look, there is trouble.
Since a major will never be played at Pine Valley(read below), this is the next closest challenge. Sand pits and packed trees line the course. God forbid the USGA ever got a hold of this gem and tricked it up with fast greens and tight fairways. 8 over par for a winning score, anyone?
The International-- Bolton, MA
Before we describe The International, just think about how astounded golfers are at major championship courses that top 7,500 or 7,600 yards, with par-5’s pushing 500 yards or more.
Now, consider The International: Par 73-- 8,325 from the tips (no typo: eight-thousand three hundred and twenty five).
There are three par-4’s over 500 yards: respectively standing at 530 yards, 535 yards, and a paltry 565 yards. It’s a USGA dream.
Used to pulling out your 6-iron for par-3’s? At The International, even the best PGA pros will be glad to hit the green with their driver. There are two mammoth par-3’s: one 250 yards and one 270 yards.
Oh yeah, and don’t forget the par-6 (again, not a typo: par six): it’s only 715 yards.
The International sure seems like a major championship venue. So, what’s keeping a championship from arriving in Bolton? Probably the fact that the tournament committee would need some serious flack to protect themselves. Imagine the onslaught of complaints from short-hitting players (forget a Rocco Mediate or Kenny Perry win) and whiny traditionalist golf pundits who will cry foul for eliminating 75% of the field from contention with the course’s sheer length.
But come on, wouldn’t it be a blast to see how the pros could handle this mammoth?
Spyglass Hill Golf Course-- Pebble Beach, CA
Pebble Beach, California might be the world capital of golf. While the USGA has a steamy love affair with Pebble Beach Golf Links, and golf enthusiasts wax poetic about the natural beauty of Cypress Point, the area's true gem might be that other unheralded course sitting in the mecca of Pebble Beach.
Spyglass Hill is one of the three courses currently used for the Bing Crosby Pro-Am (now the AT&T National Pro-Am after the corporate takeover of sports), but it’s never shown on TV. So, chances are you’ve never seen the raw beauty of the Glass and its many challenging holes.
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