Ranking The Top U.S. Open Courses

In honor of U.S. Open week, I thought it would be a good idea to take a look at the best courses currently in the U.S. Open rotation.

While not quite as defined as the Open Championship’s rota, the U.S. Open has several prominent venues that are crucial to the championship.

We’re not talking about one-off venues like Chambers Bay and Erin Hills; this list is exclusive to courses that are being played multiple times in the modern era.

All of these places are good … but a few of them stand above the rest.

7. Winged Foot

Winged Foot has hosted six U.S. Opens and will be back on the schedule in 2028.

I have a bitter taste from the 2020 event. Maybe it was because there were no fans (COVID-19) but Winged Foot felt very flat to me.

It really turned into a bomb-and-gouge contest. The fairways were so narrow that everyone was going to miss fairways so you might as well hit it as far as possible. It really eliminated shorter hitters.

I know Bryson DeChambeau putted very well that week en route to victory but the path to reach that point wasn’t super exciting. It’s hard for the sake of being hard. Players don’t have a lot of choices.

6. Pebble Beach

Pebble has hosted six U.S. Opens and will be adding another next year. It’s considered one of three official anchor sites.

I’ll say it: Pebble is grossly overrated as a championship golf course in the modern era. It’s too short, the greens are too small and there isn’t any way to defend it without a ton of wind. The winning score in 2019 was 13-under.

The course’s history and beauty are undeniable but I think it’s a clear tier (or two) below the top U.S. Open venues.

5. The Country Club

While not my favorite U.S. Open venue, I love the look of The Country Club. Brookline stands out with its rock outcroppings and elevation change throughout a wonderful piece of property.

It has the history with Francis Ouimet winning the 1913 U.S. Open there and it still holds up to the modern game with Matt Fitzpatrick winning at 5-under back in 2022. We’ll see The Country Club return in 2038.

4. Oakmont

I understand Oakmont can be a bit performative with comically thick rough and greens that run a billion on the Stimpmeter. And it does have some overlap with Winged Foot in catering to players who crush the ball.

I think Oakmont has a lot more character. The treeless property, the blind shots, the penal bunkering and all of the run-up areas leading to the hole give the course some texture while still being an extremely demanding test.

We just saw Oakmont a year ago and will see it three more times between 2033 and 2049.

3. Merion

We haven’t seen Merion since 2013 when Justin Rose won but we will be seeing it again in 2030, 2040 and 2050 (yes, the 2050 U.S. Open has already been awarded).

There is a criticism of Merion that it had to be tricked up in 2013 to combat the pros but I think the test was interesting. Players couldn’t just hit driver wherever they wanted. It required irons and fairway woods off the tees—and those weren’t mindless layups given all the meandering fairways guarded by thick rough, creeks and OB stakes.

The greens are heavily tilted and it’s a place where getting above the hole is truly a death sentence.

We’ll see it this summer for the U.S. Amateur. I’m very interested in how it plays after Gil Hanse did a two-year renovation that was completed back in 2019.

2. Pinehurst No. 2

Another U.S. Open anchor site, Pinehurst No. 2 is a phenomenal test that requires a ton of precision.

The native areas are a crapshoot which I prefer to the thick rough of most U.S. Open venues. Rarely do you have to hack it out sideways. The sandy areas bait players into trying to take on more than they should in many cases.

These green complexes are treacherous and you can’t get away with much. I love all the short-game shots where players have options.

It doesn’t feel like anything needs to be tricked up here. Bryson won at 6-under which feels like a fair winning score given the way the game has gone with technology advances.

1. Shinnecock Hills

We’re seeing the best venue this week.

It might not be the most beautiful. It might not have the narrowest fairways. It might not have the fastest greens.

But Shinnecock is the most complete test of golf that the U.S. Open has to offer.

In 2018, players hit 71 percent of their fairways but only 58 percent of their greens. And when greens are missed, there are some really brutal spots.

It’s easier off the tee than other U.S. Open layouts but poses a ton of questions from that point forward. And the wind seems to always play a factor which is a massive bonus.

For those reasons, Shinnecock takes my top spot.

What is your favorite U.S. Open venue? Let me know below in the comments.