US Open course guide: A look at the Brookline layout
Golf’s third major of the year takes place this week and our US Open course guide looks at the challenge facing the world’s best players at The Country Club, Brookline.
The 7,254-yard course is a par 70 and here we analyse the layout in our hole-by-hole guide, while we have also picked out five players to follow in our US Open betting tips.
1st, 488 yards, par 4: A testing opening hole plays slightly from right to left, with two bunkers guarding the corner of the dogleg. Three more bunkers guard the narrow entrance to the green.
2nd, 215 yards, par 3: The longest par three on the course. Two bunkers well short of the green will not come into play for the professionals, but another brace short and long left await an errant tee shot.
3rd, 499 yards, par 4: The fairway narrows considerably around 310 yards from the tee, meaning some players could opt to lay further back to a wider landing area. That will leave a tough approach to a green surrounded by five bunkers.
4th, 493 yards, par 4: A blind tee shot adds to the difficulty of this long par four, which has fairway bunkers short of the green to prevent players trying to run the ball up to the green – which slopes from back to front – from the rough.
Hole 4 | Par 4 | 493 yards
In collaboration with @DeloitteUS pic.twitter.com/RPHoCWLYfj
— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 11, 2022
5th, 310 yards, par 4: A potentially reachable par four, although the hole plays uphill and the narrow entrance to the green is guarded by a quartet of bunkers. Laying back off the tee leaves a blind approach.
6th, 192 yards, par 3: The only hole which remains from the original six which were laid out in 1893. Bunkers left and right guard the entrance to a multi-tiered green which sits at a slight angle and offers tough pin positions.
7th, 375 yards, par 4: Trees to the left of the fairway and bunkers to the right demand a precise tee shot, although most players will not need to hit driver to leave a wedge to the green.
8th, 557 yards, par 5: The shortest of the two par fives should be reachable in two for most of the field. Only one of the hole’s nine bunkers, right of the green, should pose many problems.
9th, 427 yards, par 4: A large water hazard eats into the right-hand side of a narrow fairway, most significantly around 320 yards from the tee. Bunkers on either side guard a small green.
Hole 9 | Par 4 | 427 yards
In collaboration with @DeloitteUS pic.twitter.com/W7RBKv0eZy
— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 11, 2022
10th, 499 yards, par 4: A slight dogleg from left to right features no fairway bunkers, but no fewer than six around the green. A tough start to either a round or the back nine.
11th, 131 yards, par 3: The shortest hole on the course was played as the 10th in the 1913 US Open and was not used for the championship in 1988. Bunkers protect the front and left of the green, but a welcome birdie opportunity.
12th, 473 yards, par 4: A slight dogleg right with two bunkers on the corner of the dogleg. The pond short right of the green should not be a factor, but the green is a small target.
13th, 440 yards, par 4: The tee shot must be played at an angle to a fairway which turns from right to left. Drives which find the rough will bring the water in front of the green into play.
14th, 619 yards, par 5: The 14th hole in 2022 was the 12th for the 1988 US Open, when it played as a 450-yard par-four. The added yardage and narrow fairway makes for a challenging combination.
Hole 14 | Par 5 | 619 yards
In collaboration with @DeloitteUS pic.twitter.com/TBYGiGbbJw
— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 11, 2022
15th, 510 yards, par 4: The longest par four on the course will require two well-struck shots to find a green which becomes progressively narrower.
16th, 202 yards, par 3: Four bunkers guard the green on an otherwise relatively straightforward hole.
17th, 373 yards, par 4: A sharp dogleg from right to left will give players the chance to cut the corner – where four bunkers lurk – and get closer to the green, especially if the front of the tee is used.
18th, 451 yards, par 4: Another slight dogleg with bunkers on the corner and probably the biggest bunker on the course in front of the green.
