2019 Major Championship Design Challenge Results Page

[mayday_golf83]

POS	DESIGNER	COURSE
1	LOGAN	SUSQUEHANNOCK GOLF CLUB (MAJOR)
2	PETTY	CYPRESS DUNES
3	GEDDES	O SAY COUNTRY CLUB
4	NESBIT	THE MANTIS (TOUR)
5	FRITSCH	TIMBER KNOLL (TOURNAMENT)
6	McCONNELL	HOOPHOLE RIVER CLUB TOUR
7	SMEDLEY	THE PATRIOT
8	COCKERILL	McCORY SHORES GOLF CLUB
9	BATES	PROMETHEUS COVE
10	GODFREY	THE LONE RED MAPLE
11	ALONSO	MONONGAHELA NATIONAL GOLF
12	DAVIES	CLOUDBREAK (US OPEN)
MC	ALLEN	GLADIATOR
MC	BRONSON	EMPIRE PINES G.C. (TOUR)
MC	DRIVER	AMERICANA
MC	FISCHER	CROSSWINDS GOLF COURSE
MC	GOODEY	BLACKHEART COVE
MC	HUDSON	SINHARAJA GC - THE ANIMAL
MC	JOHNS	SAPPHIRE VALLEY (TOUR)
MC	LANE	STONECYPHER CLUB (TOUR)
MC	MERT	BIG PINE VALLEY GC
MC	RAUSCH	THE DUNES OF FROG HOLLER
MC	VAUGHN	SAND CROW HILLS

ANNOUNCMENT SCHEDULE:
May 1-11 -- Courses that missed the cut (random order). One named/day and will be listed alphabetically on leaderboard.
May 12 -- First two courses out (11th & 12)
May 13-17 -- The top 10. One course/day starting at 10th and going to 6th.
May 19 (approximately 8:30 p.m. ET) -- Announcement of Top 5 live on Twitch

[mayday_golf83]

COURSES MISSING THE CUT:

Crosswinds Golf Course by overr8edplaya

Judges Liked: 16th hole, shot variety/values

Judges Didn’t Like: Continuity, Planting, Technical execution

Mayday’s Thoughts: The No. 1 thing the judges agreed on about this course is that it lacked continuity in a number of areas -- fairway shape/size, green size/contouring, bunkering, planting. Felt more like 18 thoughts than one all-encompassing composition. Also, one judge pointed out a potential problem with the 5th hole if played in the wrong headwind. Otherwise, it was a middle of the road course in terms of difficult. Some thought the challenge was good, others felt the PGA’ers would have their way with this course. There were some decent thoughts here. I remember liking the 18th as a par-5 closer, and the Harvest theme seemed to work well but, overall, the course lacked enough flow and consistency for the judges to put it in the top 10.



Sand Crow Hills by XJ_Jagman

Judges Liked: Hole variety, Technical execution/cleanliness, Routing

Judges Didn’t Like: Fairway undulation/widths, Planting

Mayday’s Thoughts: The judges were pretty much in lockstep in their thoughts on this course. Give credit to Danny for thinking outside the box with a desert-style U.S. Open venue. Some appreciated the gamble, others weren’t so keen on it. Meanwhile, to a judge, they appreciated the routing on this course with varying lengths, changes of direction, etc. However, the judges also pretty much said in unison that the fairways were this course’s biggest stumbling block, both in their narrowness and undulations. Led to too many holes in the penal school of design, as opposed to strategic or heroic, for some judges’ liking. A few guys mentioned the sparseness of some of the planting -- which doubles back to the comments regarding the risk of going with this style of course. Speaking from my own experience, planting a desert/steppe style course is tedious, and it’s a very difficult look to get right. Again, I credit Danny for taking risks, as that’s an essential part of contest design, but the risks taken here did not pan out in the judges eyes, hence why this course did not make the top 10.



Americana by drivert

Judges Liked: Technical execution, environment,

Judges Didn’t Like: Overly wide fairways, Out of play planting

Mayday’s Thoughts: As far as US Open atmosphere goes, Americana definitely has it going on, starting with the name and continuing with the American flag flower beds. If there was a way to put bunting and festoons in the game, I’m sure Todd would have found a way as it would have totally matched the patriotic theme he was going for. As for the course, it was a solid round of golf but -- and I think this is ultimately what cost him -- I can’t really recall a single hole from the course. One judge said the course played great, but felt a little stale. I don’t know if stale’s the right word, but it definitely felt safe. It was difficult to nail down items judges liked and didn't like to post above, and I think that goes to support the theory. There wasn't much the judges didn't like, but there wasn't enough there to really make the judges stand up and take note either. I also think too much emphasis was put on the greens being the course’s primary defense. While there were angles and strategy plays to be had, a number of judges said they didn’t feel challenged off the tee. It felt like most of the challenge of the course started once you got on the putting surfaces and that a little more balance of difficulty, would have served this course better. At the end of the day, Americana was a very solid, well put together course, but just was lacking that little something extra to make it standout and crack out top 10.


The Dunes of Frog Holler by GrumpyOldMan

Judges Liked: Routing/Hole Variety, Planting

Judges Didn’t Like: In-play sculpting, Course setup (lack of legnth, narrow landing areas)

Mayday’s Thoughts: I’ll echo what some guys said about the planting. I thought it was very nicely done in spots and the native areas felt just that -- natural and native. That was a highlight on this course. Also, a number of judged pointed out the course was routed well. However, there were times though it felt like the actual course itself could have used some love be with sculpting and brush/spline work in the in-play areas (fairways, greens, bunkers etc.) that felt a bit haphazard. Also, where trees were placed in relation to the tee box on a couple of holes (in particular 1 or 2 of the par 3s) made me question if I’d be able to play the shot required for the hole unobstructed if the wind blowing in the wrong direction. I appreciate the gamble of the sand island green on 12, but its construction felt too manufactured and geometric in an otherwise natural and asymmetric environment. From a playability standpoint, the 12th hole was a good 30-50 yards too long to be effective. Different green shape and a yardage of about 150-175 could have made that hole a centerpeice. All and all, while the difficulty was fair and the course had some good things going for it, just too many little things kept this course from being in our top 10.



Sapphire Valley by Tenahka

Judges Liked: Waste areas, Overall course flow/continuity, Use of angles

Judges Didn’t Like: Terrain inconsistency, Quirky routing, Relative easiness of course

Mayday’s Thoughts: I’m not supposed to have rooting interests, but I can’t help but feel a little bummed that my Diamond Cutters partner in crime didn’t make the cut, just because I know that was his goal going in. Without divulging the scoring, I’ll say he wasn’t too far off, but I do believe this course slotted in where it should have in the final pecking order. Massive props for the waste areas, which were the star of the show here but also underscored one of the courses biggest flaws -- whereas there were a lot of humps and bumps and rolls in the fairways, some of the rough areas were pancake flat. That’s something pretty much every judge mentioned in their comments. Also, there were a couple of times where corner cutting was a big advantage, which a number of the judges pointed out. That said, the overall strategy/playability of this course was very good and the 12th was a devilishly fun short par 4. At the end of my stream of this course, I went back and looked at the comments I wrote when I judged TK’s rookie contest course, and I noted vast improvements from that course to Sapphire Valley, especially in bunkering. My hunch is he’ll take another step forward in the upcoming CC contest.



Empire Pines G.C. by TannerBronson

Judges Liked: Macro sculpting, Routing, Pin positions

Judges Didn’t Like: Lack of shot variety, Micro sculpting, Lighting

Mayday’s Thoughts: I want to talk less about the course with Dylan and more about the process of mastering a skill. Dylan, though a rookie, came in with every intention of winning this contest and, to me, has been his own harshest critic on this course. I appreciate the drive and hunger, but I hope Dylan embraces the process, takes the feedback from this course and works to improve on his next track. If he does that, I’m confident he’ll become a design star in this game (and quite possibly IRL) sooner rather than later. As for the course itself, the bunker faces were a bold strategy that judges were mixed on in terms of their execution and Dylan knows he could have brightened the course up a touch. For me, as I said in my playthrough, I get where he was going with the tighter fairways, but I think he cost himself some strategy plays and heroic carries because of it. The combination of length and narrowness was something a number of judges pointed out as becoming tiresome over the course of the round. Personally, I really enjoyed the course and thought the stretch of holes 12-14 was one of the more memorable stretches I played in the contest. Ultimately the judges didn’t put this course in the top 10, but I thought it was a great first effort and am sure Dylan will use it as the foundation for more great courses in the future.



Big Pine Valley by vladthemert

Judges Liked: Strategy, Hole routing/variety

Judges Didn’t Like: Technical execution, Lack of consistency

Mayday’s Thoughts: Vlad was one of our alternates and showed very well for himself, I thought, considering the lack of publishes under his belt. This course really made me think from tee to green and, though there were some very penal areas, usually the biggest penalties occurred when the biggest risks were taken (and not properly executed) by the player. Each time there was a safer alternative to be had. Think a couple of the greens and bunkers got away from him a bit and would have served their purpose just as well being a touch less severe. Judges also pointed out a number of technical misses in terms of sculpting and planting -- all signs of a guy still feeling his oats in the desinger. That’s OK for Vlad as that I have no doubt he will figure it out with time. The playability and strategy is there. That's a great foundation from which to build and I’ll be excited to see what he can do going forward as his skills in the designer become more refined.



Blackheart Cove by rob4590

Judges liked: Challenge; Routing/hole variety

Judges didn’t like: Sculpting/sightlines; planting; Fantasy feel

Mayday's thoughts: Judges were mixed in how they viewed this course from a playabilty/challenge standpoint, either loving it or hating it. That, to me, indicates he was very close to hitting that sweet spot, but went just a fraction too far over the line to earn broad appeal in this category. My personal take is I felt too often misses were penalized too severely … especially on holes were length was already a major challenge. A course with virtually no bunkers was a bold choice, and one I felt actually worked out pretty well on this course. Overall, the planting/sculpting of the out of play areas fell flat on this one -- not enough variety in the terrain and the shapes/sizes/types of bushes made for a monotonous look. One of our judges summed it up best saying, “The technical stuff, etc. needs to be worked out, but the ideas here had high potential.”


Sinharaja GC - The Animal by ohheycat

Judges liked: Hole variety/routing; overall environment; replay value

Judges didn’t like: Technical execution; bunkering; tameness of greens (contouring)

Mayday’s thoughts: Having played some of Thomas’ earlier works, he loves to create interesting environments, and Sinharaja is no different. Those early works really felt forced in terms of strategy and playability. In that aspect, I thought he took a big step forward with this course -- maybe almost too big of a step given the type of challenge we were looking for in this contest. A number of judges felt it was almost a bit too safe in that regard. He still needs to fine-tune some technical aspects and polish (sculpting, brush/spine work, etc.). Yet, overall, I feel this course was a big step forward in the designer for Thomas. He just didn’t quite put it all together enough to make our top 10 … but when he does, watch out. Once he gets it all dialed in, I feel he has the ability to put out some scary good courses.


Gladiator by culallen

Judges liked: Green contouring; Tournament environment; Low-lying swampy areas

Judges didn’t like: Shortcuts (driving into adjacent fairways for better angles); Technical execution; shot variety (too many wedges on approach)

Mayday's thoughts: Cullen admitted that time snuck up on him in this contest with real-world stuff interfering. I applaud him for putting out what he had finished but, ultimately, the time crunch showed in the end product. That was a tough break for him as this course had some real interesting thoughts that could have been enhanced with some more polish. I applaud the risks he took, including the quad green and putting a 270-yard par 3 and a 255-yard par 4 together on the back nine. Unfortunately, for Cullen, the overall package was not enough to crack our top 10.


Stonecypher Club by majorhigh

Judges liked: Colors/lighting, tree planting, Routing

Judges didn’t like: Green shape/contouring. Lack of continuity (green/bunker shape & depth), Hole length (number of long holes)

Mayday's thoughts: Judges were mixed on this course, which showing in their scoring. Some thought the green contouring worked. Others felt like spots on tricky parts of the greens were a bit too much. Some interesting thoughts here, but they we’re hit or miss. The par 3 nearly separated in two by heavy rough was interesting in concept, but could have been executed better. While a solid course, the judges, collectively did not consider this to be among the top 10 courses in this competition.

[mayday_golf83]

The following two courses were the last two to miss the cut. In discussion w/ TGC Tours staff, the 11th-place course will host the first U.S. Open Qualifier next week. Courses that finish 2nd and 3rd will host the two other qualifiers.



12. Cloudbreak (US Open) by mav78

Judges Liked: Use of textures, hole variety

Judges Didn’t Like: Bunkering, continuity

Mayday’s Thoughts: This is probabaly one of the more enjoyable Mav courses that I’ve played and, for a tropical course, I still got the major/US Open kind of vibe, which isn’t easy to do in any means in that theme. I keep coming back to 17 as perhaps one of the most scenic par 3s in the contest. Framed well, good color palette and really appealing to the eye. Technically there were some bunkers that didn’t quite pan out, especially with the massive fairway slopes into them, just felt a little jarring. Also, this course felt like it had split personalities. I found the first six holes to be very tough then hit a stretch of really easy holes (including a couple of par 5s in which I flirted with albatross) before toughening slightly at the end. Personal preference, but I prefer a mix of easy and difficult holes spread throughout the round. In the end, a very nice course, fun to play, but just a couple of little things that kept it out of our top 10.



11. Monongahaela National Golf by pablo

Judges Liked: Bunkering, Course atmosphere

Judges Didn’t Like: Course conditions set up, lack of hole variety, hitting into adjacent fairways

Mayday’s Thoughts: Of all the courses in the contest, I felt Monongahela conveyed the US Open vibe better than most. I felt the land had nice flow to it, some of the long views were outstanding and the bunkering really worked well for the style of course he tried to create. A number of judges didn’t care for the lack of variety on this course, particularly the number of lengthy par 4s. Said it led to a bit of a monotonous round. A couple of guys also mentioned the color palette was a touch washed out. The biggest hang-up ultimately was the round 1 set up in very high winds, which made some of the holes borderline unplayable and a few par 4s unreachable. As I said on stream, if the golf gods give you 15-20 MPH very high winds, that’s mitigated somewhat, but when they’re blowing 25-30, it got a bit much. Given that the designers were tasked with setting conditions of their courses, it was something that couldn’t be overlooked. This course was painstakingly close to making the top 10, and probably would have been there if not for one or two little things. But, in the correct conditions, it will be a fun test of golf. As the course that finished 11th in the contest, Monongahela also gets the bonus privilege of playing host to the first U.S. Open qualifier beginning next week.

[mayday_golf83]

POSITIONS 6-10



10 . The Lone Red Maple by digitalbunny

Judges Liked: Planting, Tee Box work, Clubhouse area

Judges Didn’t Like: Lack of variety, The deck green, Fairway sculpting

Mayday’s Thoughts: This course had perhaps the widest variance of score from the judges which seems to play into the the opinion of most of the judges, that the course tried a little too hard to be great to actually be great. That shows in several areas. The planting off the tee is layered very well and lets your eye flow down the hole, but seems a bit heavy handed in other areas. The bunkers that you can see frame the holes well, but there were missed choices here in terms of visibility and some thought the waste bunkers were a touch forced and artificial. There were a lot of long par 4s here, but those holes almost played too straight-forward and made the course feel bland in spots. The course was very aptly-named, with the lone red maple on 18 leading to a very detailed clubhouse area, which may have been the star of the show. However, said clubhouse was not the place to put a green, like it was on the 14th. That may have been the single most curious decision in the contest. It’s definitely memorable, but not in the right ways. The shape of the green (serpentine) and the deck (rectangle) clash. And, as I pointed out on stream, the rolling area to the left of the deck would have made a better, more natural greensite for that hole. I applaud Adam for taking some big swings on this course, he didn’t strikeout, but he didn’t hit a home run either. This course was more of foul straight back. He’s close, but this one pressed a little to hard to be great, instead of just letting it happen naturally.



9. Prometheus Cove by warhawk137

Judges Liked: Use of textures, Green complexes, Hole variety

Judges Didn’t Like: Bunker style, Planting, Forced layups

Mayday’s Thoughts: A solid effort by Chris on this course. A number of judges appreciated the minimalistic/linksy approach, though some thought it felt a touch forced in spots. The planting on this course was almost too sparse for a number of judges, who would have liked to have seen a bit more planting detail in the out of play areas, along with a more rugged look to some of the bunkers. A number of comments about effectiveness of the green complexes on this hole, which added difficult without being over the top. I seem to remember some subtle phantom breaks near the pins in my playthrough, which I don't personally care for, but it’s certainly an appropriate decision for this contest. There were also a couple of holes, where judges noted they didn't feel there was an effective way to minimize risk off the tee, and one judge mentioned there were a couple too many forced layups for his liking. Overall, I would say Chris put together a very solid course, and really did nothing to lose the competition. However, I don’t think he did enough to try to win it either, which lead to a nice round, but not necessarily a memorable one.



8. McCory Shores Golf Club by toddfather

Judges Liked: Planting, Crowd execution, Routing/shot values

Judges Didn’t Like: Bunkering, Difficulty level (too easy)

Mayday’s Thoughts: Very solid effort out of Curtis on this one. Overall a very nice coastal Cali feel to this one and 17 is in the running for one of the best-looking par 3s in the entire competition. But the 18th that followed didn’t quite rise to the same level, which was a bit of a let down at the end. Looks and visuals got high marks of judges. The only real knock in this category is that several judges said some of the bunkering, especially to work around the lips, could be improved. Like was said with our No. 9 finisher, aside from the late par 3, there aren’t a ton of holes that still resonate with me after playing through everything. Technically sound with good angles and shot values, but nothing overly memorable. Also some felt the playability was a touch too straightforward and easy for the intended audience of this contest. Things get really tight from this point out and a couple of judges had this course in their personal top fives. Bottom line on this course, as stressed by one of our judges, the key to this contest was to make both a difficult and interesting golf challenge. McCory had the interest factor, but just not enough teeth to be a major venue -- though I’m sure it will be coming soon to a tour near you.



7. The Patriot by B.Smooth13

Judges Liked: Angles, Shot Values, Challenge

Judges Didn’t Like: Planting, Sculpting, Bunkering

Mayday’s Thoughts: OK, let’s get this out of the way right off the bat, and this is my personal opinion -- this may be about as well as a MacRaynor style course will do in a contest setting. From an aesthetic standpoint, the sharp lines and geometric shapes are extremely polarizing -- judges either love them or hate them, and we’ve seen that play out in several contests now. That’s neither right nor wrong, just the fact of the matter. Personally, I enjoy this style of track which has an old-school, parkland style charm and falls out of bed dripping in strategy because of the use of template holes. The Patriot is no different. I found myself plotting my way around the course and though I didn’t play particularly well, I noticed a theme -- great shots tended to be rewarded with birdie opportunities, indifferent shots made par more challenging but not unobtainable and big trouble only came into play when poor decision making was met with poor execution. From a playability standpoint, in regard to this contest, The Patriot checked all the right boxes for me. Could players like Justin, or Garcia or Crawsey shoot in the -50s here if they were on their game? I think so, but the score would have to be earned. The style of course was always going to be a risk and I feel the course hurt itself in terms of the out of play areas -- between the planting and sculpting it all felt a little flat to me. At times the course felt like a manufactured course in the middle of a field. To an extent, that’s a MacRaynor (heavy on the Raynor, with a little Banks thrown in), but I felt like extending some of those lines, textures and sculpting more into the out of play areas would have gone a long way to give this course a more harmonious feel.



6. Hoophole River by ryanmcconnell

Judges Liked: Planting, Sculpting

Judges Didn’t Like: Lack of Difficulty, Retaining wall/water features

Mayday’s Thoughts: This was a fun track to play, but it felt like it pulled a couple of punches from a difficulty standpoint to hold it back. It felt too forgiving in spots, for example on the 11th hole, a par 5. I hit a very fast into the left side of a wide fairway along the river, came up short on my second shot, but was saved by a heavy rough bank that kept me from a watery grave and got up and down for a relatively uneventful birdie. Also, in terms of a major, I felt the 505-yard 7th, should have played as a par 4 -- especially with how straight forward the hole played. Yes, everyone plays the same hole and I see that argument, but psychologically, it creates a stretch of 6-7-9 of three breather holes, with a difficult par 3 8th in there. Still, I’m legitimately thinking I need to play these holes in -4 or -5 to keep pace, making 7 a par 4 would have changed that mindset a bit. That’s my opinion and there were a couple of judges who disagreed. Aesthetically, the course is sound, but a couple of judges felt it was a bit safe, which I think it a fair way to categorize the course in general. Very solid and should have broad appeal and playability, but didn’t venture close enough to the edge to crack the top 5.

[mayday_golf83]

THE TOP FIVE



5. Timber Knoll by mattf27
Judges Liked: Views/sightlines, planting, crowd/tournament object placement
Judges Didn’t Like: Lack of difficulty
Mayday’s Thoughts: I think there’s a theme for the courses that finished just outside the top 3 and it’s this -- each and everyone of them has the look of a true contender, but just slightly missed on the challenge we were specifically looking for in this contest -- erring too much on the side of forgiveness. Though I shot E in my playthrough here, those who watched saw that was more an issue of tempo roulette than anything else. I was +4 or something crazy through 4 holes, but was able to make it up quickly once I got my tempo sorted. As we’ve come to expect with a Matt Fritsch course, the planting, views and sightlines on this course are flawless and the rugged-looking bunker style is pulled off extremely well here, just as Reeb did with Bandit Ridge in the World Cup. Apart from the challenge factor, there really isn’t much not to like about Timber Knoll, and it’s just another example of great course from one of the top designers in the game right now.



4. The Mantis by VctryLnSprts
Judges Liked: Views/sightlines, planting, crowd/tournament object placement
Judges Didn’t Like: Lack of difficulty
Mayday’s Thoughts: I think Eric ultimately knows why this course didn’t come out on top. Despite its length, it played a little too straight forward and was still very gettable unless the winds were cranked up to 11, as they were in Round 2. Also, and I stole this from one of the judges, it seemed like too often the strategy required a great shot rather than rewarded a great shot. In other words, while the course was challenging, it was challenging to the wrong set of golfers -- it was more of a challenge for CC/Web guys who occasionally struggle with tempo while the pros who have their swings dialed in will be able to pull off the shots required with a very high success rate, making the course vunerable to the games best. Aesthtically, I thought the Pinehurst/Augusta hybrid feel worked really well here and created some great long views. I personally would have liked to see the planting a little more dense in the pines (especially OB), but that’s personal preference. The rock feature coming into the 1st green is sneaky good. All and all a great course that was going to score well no matter what contest it entered, but just lacked a little bit of teeth in the end.



3. O Say CC by staypuft39
Judges Liked: Terrain sculpting, tournament atmosphere
Judges Didn’t Like: Length
Mayday’s Thoughts: As I said in my playthrough of the course, I chuckled a couple of times when I played this course because making a stupid-long par 5 and a par 3 that stretched out to nearly 300 yards were concepts Matt Geddes, Matt Fritsch and I discussed when we collabed on California Tour Club. Geddes took those ideas and cranked them up to 11 on this course. The contrast between the 90-yard 9th hole and the 700-plus-yard 10th was genius and thought worked extremely well here, and the ninth hole I could imagine matching the atmosphere of the 16th at Scottsdale once the gallery gets properly “hydrated.” Overall, the test here was good, though I think length may have been used a little too much as the primary defense, the 13th sticks in my mind in this regard -- 515 yard par 4 with a force carry off the tee if you’re going to hit driver. The use of the ground game here with slopes both in the fairway and on/around the greens was sneaky good here. There’s a reason this course received a couple of first-place votes. All and all the atmosphere was good, and so was the challenge and it will be a strong test as one of our U.S. Open qualifiers.



2. Cypress Dunes by gamesdecent
Judges Liked: Unique use of theme, difficulty
Judges Didn’t Like: Routing, texture choices
Mayday’s Thoughts: There’s very little not to love about Cypress Dunes. Brian received very high marks for creativity here, using the steppe theme in a unique way to create a stunning coastal California view. The mix of planting, the textures of steepe and the unique way he combined trees to create cypress trees was outstanding, and probably the single most spectacular element of the contest. From a playability/strategy standpoint, it was rock solid as well. There were a couple of niggles, the routing got a little clunky on the inland holes (6-8 stick out in this regard, some of the judges didn’t care for very high in round 2, and there were a couple of borderline pins noted in the judging thread, but I don’t think these things “lost” him the contest. To be honest, I don’t think Brian did anything to lose the contest period. There were just a couple of things on Susquehannock that the majority of judges preferred.



1. Susquehannock Golf Club by csugolfer60
Judges Liked: Tournament atmosphere, strategy
Judges Didn’t Like: Pin positions
Mayday’s Thoughts: There’s no way around it. This course will be very polarizing as there will be some who love it and some who hate it. That’s the tightrope the designer walks when pushing a course right to the very edge, which was exactly what we asked designers to do in this contest. Why did Susquehannock win? I think it boils down to this: While every course in this contest created challenge in its own unique way, no course made me fundamentally change the way I had to play like Susquehannock. Guys who just bomb driver and fire at every pin are going to struggle here. The way the course and the greens are set up, you have to think about strategy and positioning on every shot. Playing to the a spot and leaving yourself a 20-foot uphill putt is sometimes the most prudent play. Either way, when I played this course, I found myself biding my time, and playing for the center of the green on most hole. There are a couple of holes you can attack, but otherwise, it’s a grind -- and isn’t that exactly what a U.S. Open is supposed to be? Some have asked for the greens to be toned down, or the Tour version of this course used. I respectfully disagree. This is a major. We are supposed to test the game’s best. And this version of Susquehannock is the most thorough examination of a golfer’s game that this contest provided. Ultimately, Mr. Vinegar summed it up beautifully in his judging worksheet: “This isn’t said anywhere in a rubric, but these two things are the essence of the competition: Making a difficult golfing challenge and making an interesting golfing challenge. You made both!!” That’s why Susquehannock is our champion.

[mayday_golf83]

Final Voting