The Olympic Club golf course in San Francisco will once again offer an extreme golf test for the world's best golfers in next week's U.S. Open.The USGA enjoy pushing the limits of fairness in their course setup for the U.S. Open and the layout at Olympic helps make a tough test a reality. This year, the first two rounds will utilize the first and ninth tees to run the large field through the course. Normally, players start on the first and tenth tees but at Olympic the ninth tee is near the clubhouse putting the unique starting situation in play.
The U.S. Open champion will need to be sharp on Olympic's hilly layout, but making what appears to be the right golf shot may not even be enough as Tiger Woods found out in a recent practice round leading up to next week's tournament.
Woods recently played a practice round and was amazed to see a 9-iron hit the green and bounce as high as the top of the flagstick. Olympic is nearly 200 yards longer than when Lee Janzen won at even-par 280 in 1998. Some of the fairways have been shifted. The greens have been resurfaced. The 520-yard opening hole is now a par 4, while the 522-yard 17th hole is now a par 5. An additional tee was built on the par-5 16th hole, making it 670 yards, the longest hole in U.S. Open history.
"It's going to be a hell of a test," Woods said.
Sound like Olympic is ready to make the tournament organizers at the USGA smile.
For all your news and updates in the run up to the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic, visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub.