If the US Open was in Ireland….

thewobbler

Lots of actually interesting discourse on Twitter this week that the US Open should be a brutal test ie if the winning score is under par, it’s not tough enough.

I kind of agree with them. Just once a year, make it torture.

Let’s leave our links out of this equation, as even the toughest of those can play easy (for them, not us) if the weather is clement.

Which parkland in Ireland could be set up to destroy the mental health of even the best players on the planet?

slingerz

Adare is the easy answer.

I would probably think Carton House otherwise

thewobbler

Is Adare not what one would describe as a high end American resort style course, rather than an ultimate test of golf?

Happy to be corrected by the way. I don’t think I’ll ever find out in person!

I’’m thinking it needs brutal length, brutal rough, brutal pin positions, disgustingly quick greens. Druids Heath is the one that comes to mind quickest from those I’ve played.

Mantis Toboggan

Palmerstown off the tips probably the hardest course I've played in Ireland. Make it a par 70 with tricky pins and around par would win it.

billyhead

K club perhaps?

slave1

Adare, with full knee height deep rough and chunky rough 1m off tightened fairways, the greens and bunkers are already there on the difficulty level with plenty of killer pin position options and greens that can be cut to be lightening fast

Dr Turk Turkelton

Never played it but isn't the Heritage supposed to be very difficult?

Also Killeen Castle is 7700 yards of the black tees and designed by Jack Nicklaus so I'm sure it could be set up hard.

Richmond Ultra

Macreddin surely up there. The walk alone would have you shattered before you even swung a club.

blue note

This does not sound like a fun course to play!

newport2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058301877/if-the-us-open-was-in-ireland

I think the reason some of them are such monsters in the US are because they are virtually guaranteed to be hard and fast due to the weather. If there is unexpected rain and the course gets anyway soft, the players go well under par (McIlroy in 2011, -16). In Ireland, most parkland courses remain somewhat receptive/softish compared to the US all year round and hence are not as difficult for the pros.

Also, level par for the US Open is usually -8, because they just take a par 72 and call it a par 70. It's not 8 shots more difficult, it's just manipulating the score to make it sound tougher.

Mantis Toboggan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120752874#Comment_120752874

It's not meant to be fun!!

Ronney

Dont think you'd particularly need a long course. When Rose won in Merrion it was under 7000 yards and very few people had 18 holes under par. You can trick any course up by growing rough, tightening fairways and tucking away pins.