US Open Preview - Pinehurst

June 11, 2024

The US Open tees off this week and I wanted to see where they’ll be aiming and what they’ll be up against so here’s a hole by hole preview.

A few quick notes:

  • The tee shot preview is 65 yards wide (yes, that is the dispersion for Pros. The ones leading on Sunday will be “playing better” and won’t be as wide, but the 65 yards wide is expected)

  • Approach shot previews shift to feet. I’ll leave the proximity chart at the bottom for reference.

  • The grid on the greens are 5×5yd block

Hole 1: Par 4 - 402 yards

  • With the backdrop of the clubhouse, this one is pretty straightforward. A left “bunker” sits around 300 out from the tee. 

  • The course’s turtle back greens make themselves known right away. 

  • The green is 40x20 but only usable from 20x15, as will be the case with most greens.

Hole 2: Par 4 - 501 yards

  • Absolute beast of a hole. A 300 yard drive still leaves you a 200 approach shot. With avg dispersions of 80’ and another nasty 🐢 backed green, you won’t see many GIRs here. 

  • The avg score will be well above 4.5.

Hole 3: Par 4 - 377 yards

  • The fairway is pencil thin unless you can cover 310.

  • The approach shot is pretty straight forward but going long is dead. Like dead, dead. Trust me. I went long and 🪦.

Hole 4: Par 4 - 526 yards

  • This was an easy Par 5 before 2014 but now requires two massive ball strikes to reach the green in regulation which is why its the #1 handicap hole on the course.

  • The only good thing about this hole is the green is on the milder side.

Hole 5: Par 5 - 568

  • The entire fairway slopes right to left significantly so expect plenty of balls to roll down into the nasty wire grass.

  • The green is one of the nastiest on the course with little to no bailouts left, right or long.

  • Don Ross will be laughing at players here.

Hole 6: Par 3 - 236 yards

  • Your heart rate isn’t getting a break just yet.

  • The green has a long false front.

  • The traps are deep and the miss here is short.

  • This will be a fun one to watch.

Hole 7: Par 4 - 371 yards

  • Time to catch a breather.

  • There’s not much to this one and the green is pretty straightforward.

  • Birdies won’t be a given but bogeys are really bad.

  • Just have to trust your cover number and yardages.

Hole 8: Par 4 - 488

  • Usually a par 5 for us mortals, but plays as a par 4 during the open.

  • The 40 yd fairway snakes its way to the green which means plenty of players will be dealing with wiregrass.

  • The is yet another 🐢. (I birdied this one a month ago).

Hole 9: Par 3 - 184

  • You do not want to be short left in that bunker. Trust me.

  • The green has some really good undulations and depending on pin placements, you might not want to go pin hunting.

Hole 10: Par 5 - 617

  • We teed off a whole 160 yds closer (red X) and was still a par 5 for us. It’s a fairly easy hole but probably won’t be reachable in 2 unless you’re Bryson.

Hole 11: Par 4 - 482

  • This starts a stretch of long par 4s and the green is harder than it looks.

  • It seems like everything is tilted right to left but there a several spots that break the other way.

Hole 12: Par 4 - 484 yards

  • A good tee shot here sets up a smooth par.

  • But like every hole on No. 2, anything in the wire grass throws your plans out the window.

Hole 13: Par 4 - 381

  • With most holes mainly flat, this green is slightly elevated and should t throw off the players rhythm but this is Pinehurst.

  • The green was noticeably faster than others when I played but I’m expecting birdies here.

Hole 14: Par 4 - 464 yards

  • Another birdie hole so long as trouble is avoided.

Hole 15: Par 3 - 200 yards

  • One of the most domed Greens on the course which shrinks the zone 15x10. Good luck on this one.

Hole 16: Par 4 - 526 yards

  • Another former par 5, but this one has a wicked back to front tilted green.

  • Landing an approach shot on the green is going to be a challenge.

Hole 17: Par 3 - 208 yards

  • I suspect most players are going to be aiming for the back middle or the green no matter where the flag is.

Hole 18: Par 4 - 446 yards

  • This isn’t really a birdie hole but also not a bogey hole.

  • Most will hit 3w and a look at birdie with the grandstands ready to crown a new champion.

  • The only thing better than than a birdie here is a post round beer at the Deuce overlooking the hole.

All hole previews was taken with the app Shot Pattern. Their free version has many features you see here and the paid allows you to customize your yardages. For green reading, that’s on the paid version of the GHIN app. Most courses have the slope direction available.

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