USGA Prepares Shinnecock Hills for Windy, Challenging U.S. Open

The U.S. Open returns to Shinnecock Hills this week with conditions expected to challenge even the world's best golfers. Sustained winds near the eastern tip of Long Island are forecast to exceed 30 mph at times, with particularly strong gusts expected on Saturday from an unusual northwesterly direction. The USGA has taken proactive measures to make the course playable while maintaining its championship difficulty.

USGA course setup official John Bodenhamer has implemented a strategy that includes watering the greens during the first two days of competition—a deliberate choice to prevent a repeat of past controversies. In 2004, workers famously had to drag a garden hose onto the seventh green during the final round, a moment widely viewed as the USGA losing control of the course. This year, the organization is being transparent about its watering plan, which involves lightly misting greens between morning and afternoon groups to keep them receptive. The approach aims to keep putting surfaces softer and slower than typical for a major championship, with green speeds expected to measure around 10 on the stimpmeter compared to the standard 13 for majors.

To give players a fighting chance, the USGA has widened fairways and adjusted course difficulty expectations. "When we start to talk about numbers in the mid-30s, that becomes problematic in a number of ways," Bodenhamer said of the wind forecast. The course setup may resemble the 1992 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, when Tom Kite won in gale conditions, or potentially even more difficult conditions on Thursday. The slowest putting surfaces since Corey Pavin's victory in 1995 could result.

Shinnecock Hills has a storied but turbulent history as a major championship venue. In 2018, Phil Mickelson was penalized two shots when he swatted a rolling ball back up the hill on the 13th hole, calling himself "embarrassed and disappointed by my actions." In 2004, the course proved so severe that no player broke par for the day. Despite its reputation for severity, the USGA under Bodenhamer's direction has shifted toward different winning score benchmarks, with average victories now around 7 under par rather than at or above par.

Notable players, including Rory McIlroy, initially questioned the watering strategy but came to understand its rationale after the USGA explained the approach. McIlroy stated, "When I first heard of it, my first reaction was, 'That's stupid, why are they doing that?' Then, once you actually listen and you've let them break it down to you, you're like, 'Yeah, that makes sense.'" The championship kicks off Thursday morning at one of America's most difficult and windswept golf courses.