Erin Hills "met or exceeded the expectations" of USGA officials for the U.S. Open, which "bodes well for a return engagement," according to Rich Kirchen of the MILWAUKEE BUSINESS JOURNAL. USGA Dir of PR Janeen Driscoll said, "We were thrilled about the U.S. Open at Erin Hills. We had great crowds. We enjoyed great support from the community -- volunteers, security, traffic, transportation." The USGA does not disclose specific attendance figures, but Driscoll said total attendance for the week was "over 200,000." USGA officials "planned for a capacity of 35,000 fans a day at Erin Hills." Driscoll said that feedback from golfers, media and USGA officials was "overwhelmingly positive for Erin Hills and the Wisconsin golf market." Merchandise sales, which "ranked second all-time in the days leading up to the U.S. Open, continued strong through the weekend" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 6/19). In Milwaukee, Gary D'Amato in a front-page piece notes USGA Exec Dir Mike Davis "gave every indication" the tourney will return to Erin Hills. Davis said, "Operationally, I would say I can speak for our ops guys that it was a huge success. Parking and traffic went well. It is such a great site." He added, "I actually had people who have been to multiple U.S. Opens tell me it was one of the best they’ve attended." D'Amato writes there is "no way" the USGA "isn't coming back" to Erin Hills. The course was in "immaculate condition, the spectator experience was exceptional and the whole thing worked well from an operations standpoint." However, it is "far too early for the USGA to commit to another Open to Erin Hills." There is a "process that begins with a nomination from the championships committee, which is considering multiple courses" for '27 and beyond (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 6/20).
GOLF CLAP: GOLF DIGEST's Jaime Diaz wrote Erin Hills overall "did very well." The course got "almost universal praise from that vital jury, the players." The USGA "bent over backward to be fair, making sure there was no chance, even if the dearly missed strong winds had finally arrived, the place would become goofy." Erin Hills is "well positioned if the USGA is truly committed to moving the championship around the country." At the moment, there is a "vacuum in the Midwest." Medinah Country Club and Olympia Fields Country Club near Chicago "don’t inspire," and former USGA mainstays Hazeltine National Golf Club and Oakland Hills Country Club have become more "aligned with the PGA" (GOLFDIGEST.com, 6/19). MORNINGREAD.com's Gary Van Sickle asks, "Should Erin Hills get another Open?" The course "looked great on TV, parking and traffic were near best-ever levels, and there is room for even more money-making luxury suites onsite." It felt like a "slam dunk." The next available date for a U.S. Open is '27. Van Sickle: "The USGA should write in Erin Hills now" (MORNINGREAD.com, 6/20).
NOT SO FAST: In Minneapolis, Jim Souhan writes the USGA "brought the Open to Erin Hills for two good reasons: To stage the championship on a public course and bring it to the Midwest." The USGA "understandably wanted to create its own Midwestern base." The problem is that Erin Hills is "not interesting." It "doesn’t challenge players off the tee, and it doesn’t look interesting either from the gallery or the couch." If the USGA decides to return to Erin Hills, it "probably will do so for the wrong reasons -- because of strong relationships with the course owners, or because there is plenty of space for parking, infrastructure and corporate tents on the massive property" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 6/20).
MIXED FEEDBACK FROM SOME PLAYERS: GOLFCHANNEL.com's Randall Mell wrote Erin Hills "won the hearts of a lot of major championship winners this week, but they didn’t all love it as a U.S. Open test." Golfer Webb Simpson said, "It was fair. I love Erin Hills, and it was a fun week to be a part of, but it is definitely not a U.S. Open in any way." Simpson said that Erin Hills "reminded him more of a soft British Open course." Keegan Bradley "loved the test Erin Hills offered," but it "didn’t remind him of a U.S. Open." Bradley: "It’s more like a PGA Championship style course, but I think it’s fantastic." Ernie Els said, "I hope we come back here. They deserve another U.S. Open." Kevin Na added, "There's a lot of pressure on the USGA, I get that. Overall, they did OK." Els said of the '15 U.S. Open host, "I don't want to take anything away from Chambers Bay, but this was far better than Chambers Bay was as a new venue" (GOLFCHANNEL.com, 6/19).
