When the U.S. Golf Association was deciding where to take the
organization’s Really Big Show, the 1995 Centennial U.S. Open, they had their
pick of most of this country’s top courses.
The requirements were obvious: a club of historic significance; a
course able to withstand the abilities of the modern golfer and at the same time
one with sublime elegance and character; a layout with just the right amounts of
fairness, challenge and open space for corporate tents and media relations;
finally, a course with undulating terrain, impassable rough, narrow fairways,
slick putting surfaces and the potential for lots of wind. That’s exactly what
the governing body received when it accepted the invitation of Shinnecock Hills
Golf Club.
This Long Island club was one of five that sent representatives to
the meeting in New York City in December 1894 that led to the founding of what
became the USGA. To this day, it honors golf with its pure and simple approach
to the game.
There have been several courses in Shinnecock’s history. The first
was a 12-holer. It opened late in 1891 and the architect often credited with the
work was Willie Dunn, although records suggest that it really was Willie
Davis.
In 1929 the Philadelphia-based architectural firm of Toomey and
Flynn was asked to design a new course for the club. Before Shinnecock signed
off on William Flynn’s design it had the British expert C.H. Alison review and
comment on the proposal. He concluded: “We are entirely satisfied that Bill
Flynn’s plans are as good as can be made on this site and that the proposed
course will prove to be of the first order.”
Flynn’s holes he designed are the ones played today with very few
minor changes over the past 66 years. The course has a ruggedly refined, natural
look and feel to it, and the holes just flow together, one undulation after
another after yet another. To the uninitiated, the fairways at Shinnecock Hills
appear to be generously wide, but with the wind, the actual playable width of
many is less than half of what they appear to be.
The course is made up of marvelous mix of holes: the par 3s range
from the 158-yard 11th to the 226-yard 2nd. The 11th, “Hill Head,” requires a
lofted shot—usually downwind—to the smallest green on the course.
There are only two three-shot holes, the rather short but narrow
5th hole and the famous 16th, with the tee box that points you to heaven. For
the first and only time during the round the straight-on view is one of the
entire north side of the clubhouse as well as a side view of the spectacular 9th
green area.
It’s interesting that nowhere in its terrific layout does
Shinnecock Hills have what you would consider a really short par 4. What it does
have, however, is a stable of 12 really fine two-shotters. “Thom’s Elbow,” the
444-yard 14th hole, is a perfect example. As you look down the narrow fairway
toward the green, it appears as if you are looking in the wrong end of a
telescope. The fairway starts out 30 yards wide and is guarded on both sides by
Shinnecock brambles, scrub pines and bunkers in all the right spots. But as you
approach the green the fairway narrows.
The one feature that defines Shinnecock Hills more than any other is its
simplicity. Unfortunately, simplicity, like its kid sisters, beauty and grace,
is a very difficult concept to adequately describe in words; they somehow seem
to get right smack dab in the way. But one round at Shinnecock Hills explains it
perfectly.
