It Will Be Easy to Crash and Burn Here

By THOMAS BONK

June 15, 2006 12 AM PT

MAMARONECK, N.Y. —

Last week at Canoe Brook Country Club in Summit, N.J., soon after Mark Brooks had made it through qualifying to earn the right to play in the U.S. Open, he wore a strange grin.

“I just got my ticket to hell,” he said.

Asbestos, anyone? Throw open the gates and welcome to hell, or something close to it, which is what Winged Foot Golf Club might turn out to be this week at the 106th U.S. Open.

This is one place that has clearly defined infernal qualities, especially pertaining to golf.

Billy Mayfair finished his practice round Wednesday and nearly sprinted out of the locker room, probably because he was so relieved that he was able to leave without any noticeable sulfur burns.

Winged Foot isn’t ridiculously long -- it’s 7,264 yards -- but there are parts of it where it’s pretty simple to measure the pain.

How about a 243-yard par three?

Or a 514-yard par four?

Can you imagine rough that’s 5 1/2 inches high?

Looking forward to the 640-yard 12th hole?

And nobody has even talked about the greens yet. The USGA, the organization responsible for setting up the course for the Open, intends to maintain the speed of the putting surfaces at a consistent level of 12 on the Stimpmeter that’s used to measure quickness.

To put that number into perspective, it’s also the speed limit on the nearby Hutchinson River Parkway.

It’s obvious that there are problems wherever you look at Winged Foot.

The ninth hole that meanders back toward the old stone clubhouse is 514 yards, and it’s a par four. There’s a huge bunker at the right front of the green, but it’s deceiving because the green is actually about 30 yards beyond. The putting surface has so many contours, dips, swales and rises, they may have a problem finding a flat place to put the flagstick.

The sixth hole is only 321 yards and Tiger Woods said he might try to drive it, depending on the pin position and whether it’s playing downwind. He said he would either hit a driver, a three-iron or a four-iron. It’s supposed to be one of the rare birdie holes, so there’s added pressure if you miss your chance.

One place that is virtually certain to make everyone queasy is the par-three third hole. It’s usually going to be played at 216 yards, but for at least one round, it’s going to be stretched to 243 yards. This is the hole that was 216 yards when Billy Casper laid up all four rounds in the 1959 U.S. Open, made par every time and wound up beating Bob Rosburg by one shot.

If you miss the green at the third, you’re either in bunkers or that blasted rough, the grass that has everybody’s attention.

The USGA made an announcement Wednesday that the rough is going to be kept at 3 1/2 inches and 5 1/2 inches, so the players will have the same conditions every round. Another reason is so no one will get lost in the tall grass.

However, there’s a chance that some players will lose their balls in the rough, and a very good chance that some players will hit the wrong ball out of the rough. Jay Haas said he’s going to mark his ball differently, maybe drawing a circle around the ball. Haas figures that’s the best way to identify the ball when it’s stuck way down in the gnarly green stuff.

Every player is at least a little concerned, including Phil Mickelson, and he has won the last two majors.

Mickelson said that Winged Foot is meant to be played under pristine conditions: zero wind and warm temperatures. If that doesn’t happen, he said the course will be close to unplayable ... the greens too fast, the rough too thick, the fairways too tight.

If the wind blows, better seek shelter immediately, Mickelson said.

No one “will sniff par,” he said.

That would make the USGA very happy, of course. The handsome buffet spread in the clubhouse, for the dining pleasure of Winged Foot’s members and guests, will go on regardless of what happens to par. But in the old-fashioned locker room, the slamming of doors coming from the rows of ancient metal lockers will rattle off the dark wooden beams and heavy glass windows.

Chances are it’s not going to be much of a fun week for the players, but at least no one has to face it alone. At Winged Foot, misery loves company.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

A long shot

The third hole at Winged Foot Golf Club will play at 243 yards for at least one round this week at the U.S. Open. Even at its customary 216 yards, the hole presents myriad hardships. When Billy Casper won the 1959 Open here, he chose to lay up in all four rounds rather than risk shooting for the pin.

Paths to disaster

An errant tee shot will find ankle-deep rough or a deep bunker on either side of the green. An up-sloped, undulating green punishes anything but uphill putts.

Top golfers on par-three holes in 2006

Rank: 1

Player: Brian Gay

Rounds: 59

Strokes under par: 11

Par-3 average: 2.95

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Rank: 2

Player: Scott Verplank

Rounds: 42

Strokes under par: 9

Par-3 average: 2.94