While the West Course was back in play a week after the 2006 U.S. Open, the East Course remained in a state of limbo four months after Geoff Ogilvy claimed the championship. It was a source of concern two years later when overtures were made to return to a venue that had hosted 11 previous USGA championships. “We had a little bit of a falling out following 2006, such that we actually withdrew in 2015,” said Bryan Marsal, who is the U.S. Open chairman at Winged Foot. When the USGA presented a proposal to Winged Foot in 2008, some of the members were reportedly unimpressed with the financial terms of the deal. However, most of the dissent came from those who simply were not ready to deal with the hassle of another U.S. Open in 2015. “We reconciled our differences by 2012 and signed a contract,” Marsal said. “From a Winged Foot perspective, there’s just no way… that we would not want to be a designated site for the national championship.” The USGA agreed to be gentle. “We understand our relationships with the host clubs have to be strong,” said Charlie Howe, who is the organization’s championship manager of the 120th U.S. Open. “…we have to make sure we collaboratively address the construction timeline as well as the restoration period to get a golf course back to where it was,” said Howe. Recent fan surveys conducted by the USGA indicated overcrowding was becoming an issue, so U.S. Open ticket sales have been capped at lower numbers. That means there will be fewer literal footprints at Winged Foot this time around. “We’re spending a lot more time and effort on damage prevention in order to make sure the sacrifice the members are making is less than they were making in 2006 or 1984,” said Bryan Marsal, the U.S. Open chairman at Winged Foot. “I think we and the USGA have come to a pretty good understanding. We are working together more as partners than we did in the past,” added Marsal. “We will get the East Course back in shape a lot faster and we will have a lot less destruction than we had in 2006 and hopefully that level will be satisfactory to the membership.”
Why the members at Winged Foot passed on hosting the U.S. Open in 2015
While the West Course was back in play a week after the 2006 U.S. Open, the East Course remained in a state of limbo four months after Geoff Ogilvy claimed the championship. It was a source of concern two years later when overtures were made to return to a venue that had hosted 11 previous USGA championships. “We had a little bit of a falling out following 2006, such that we actually withdrew in 2015,” said Bryan Marsal, who is the U.S. Open chairman at Winged Foot. When the USGA presented a proposal to Winged Foot in 2008, some of the members were reportedly unimpressed with the financial terms of the deal. However, most of the dissent came from those who simply were not ready to deal with the hassle of another U.S. Open in 2015. “We reconciled our differences by 2012 and signed a contract,” Marsal said. “From a Winged Foot perspective, there’s just no way… that we would not want to be a designated site for the national championship.” The USGA agreed to be gentle. “We understand our relationships with the host clubs have to be strong,” said Charlie Howe, who is the organization’s championship manager of the 120th U.S. Open. “…we have to make sure we collaboratively address the construction timeline as well as the restoration period to get a golf course back to where it was,” said Howe. Recent fan surveys conducted by the USGA indicated overcrowding was becoming an issue, so U.S. Open ticket sales have been capped at lower numbers. That means there will be fewer literal footprints at Winged Foot this time around. “We’re spending a lot more time and effort on damage prevention in order to make sure the sacrifice the members are making is less than they were making in 2006 or 1984,” said Bryan Marsal, the U.S. Open chairman at Winged Foot. “I think we and the USGA have come to a pretty good understanding. We are working together more as partners than we did in the past,” added Marsal. “We will get the East Course back in shape a lot faster and we will have a lot less destruction than we had in 2006 and hopefully that level will be satisfactory to the membership.”