Plans and preparations ramping up for U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills
The countdown to the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club is on.
And the United States Golf Association's preparations for the 126th Open, which tees off on June 18 at the Southampton course, are well underway.
Eric Steimer, the U.S. Open’s senior director, manages everything outside the ropes, including building up around the course, the fan experience, transportation, public safety and more. Jeff Hall, the managing director of rules and Open championships at the USGA, works day-to-day inside the ropes, which includes course setup for arguably golf’s toughest test and directly working with Shinnecock Hills course superintendent Jon Jennings and his staff.
Newsday recently interviewed both Steimer and Hall ahead of the U.S. Open, which will be played for the sixth time at Shinnecock Hills and the first time since 2018.
“Our job at the USGA is to prepare and present these fabulous venues and get out of the way and let the best players in the world do what they do best,” Hall said. “We hope that the discussion is all about Shinnecock Hills and its importance in the world of golf and the best players in the world playing great golf.”
Transportation and public safety
Steimer’s advice for fans on getting to the U.S. Open?
“If you can take the train, take the train,” he said. “That is going to be your best, quickest, most efficient way to get to and from the championship.”
Just like 2018, the Long Island Rail Road is opening a temporary train station across the street from Shinnecock Hills and adjacent to Stony Brook’s Southampton campus. A bridge will be built over County Road 39 for fans to walk to and from the course without interrupting traffic.
Parking will be different than it was in 2018, when the USGA used Gabreski Airport as its general parking lot. Because of the recent commercial development in that area, the USGA will have to pivot to a to-be-determined parking location. The USGA will share its comprehensive transportation plan with information on parking, trains and ride-share options in the spring.
Similar to 2018, the USGA is partnering with the Southampton Town Police Department, which Steimer said will be the tournament’s lead law enforcement agency. It will be supported by the Suffolk County Police Department, the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, the New York State Police, the MTA Police, SUNY police and Stony Brook police. Also in support will be federal departments like the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Department of Homeland Security and the FBI.
Fan behavior at September’s Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black was an issue, with Rory McIlroy notably being the subject of vitriol. The USGA does not run the Ryder Cup (the PGA of America does), but June’s Open will be the first major golf tournament in the area since then.
“We have great confidence in our fan culture around the U.S. Open,” Steimer said. “We’re very forthcoming with our code of conduct, with the etiquette that we expect, not just at the U.S. Open, but at all our USGA championships. I would say we've got a pretty outstanding track record of respectful and energetic crowds. I think 2018 probably showcased that as well.
“We're in New York, we know it can get a little noisier here and everything else. But again, I think we've got 156 players competing for our national championship. Ultimately, if we do see some rowdy, out-of-order fans, we’ll take the necessary measures to remedy that.”
Shinnecock logistics
Shinnecock Hills is a cathedral of golf, and the USGA is emphasizing its natural beauty this year.
Steimer recognized that in 2018 a lot of the infrastructure, like hospitality tents, provided a white canvas that took away from the course’s esthetics. There will be less of that in June.
The construction of the “stadium” environment with facilities around the course is about a three-month process that will begin toward the end of February.
The overall attendance also will be reduced. Steimer did not reveal exact numbers, but he said there is going to be about a 15-20% reduction in total attendance compared to 2018. He also said that the U.S. Open historically generates $200 million in economic impact for the host community, region and state, and he expects that to remain true in 2026.
For fans interested in volunteering, unfortunately it is too late to register. There are 3,600 volunteers (plus another 1,800 on the waitlist), about 73% from New York.
Tickets for all seven days — the three practice days and four competition days — are available on USOpen.com, and gallery tickets for Sunday’s final round are listed at $267 apiece. New this year are reserved grandstand tickets behind the 7th, 13th and 15th greens; those are going for $832 each on Sunday and include food and non-alcoholic beverages.
The course
Shinnecock Hills was in “fabulous” shape going into the winter, Hall said.
“Every time we went out there the golf course was really well conditioned,” he said. “Playability was great . . . It was put to bed in a good way. Jon Jennings felt very good about the fall aeration and other programs that he has going on in preparation for the U.S. Open.”
Hall lauded Jennings and his staff, who have covered the putting greens and installed screens to protect the course from wind during the winter. It will take some time to see just how well Shinnecock Hills, a unique course because of its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and the Long Island Sound, comes through the winter.
“Mother Nature gets a seat at the table, whether it's during the championship or leading into the championship,” Hall said.
The USGA setup team’s last trip to Shinnecock Hills was in September, and Hall suspects another trip in April before returning on May 5 for media day. He will return on June 6 to get ready for “advance week,” which will include refining hole locations (which are already mapped out) and making detailed decisions about cutting grass heights, watering and mowing schedules and more.
The 7,434-yard, par-70 course designed by William Flynn is virtually the same as it was in 2018. Wind is a significant factor at Shinnecock Hills, and the weather pattern is still in flux in mid-June. The course features closely-mown turf around the putting greens, which could send recovery shots further from the greens than players prefer, and brutal angles to the hole from certain fairway spots.
Brooks Koepka won the U.S. Open in 2018 with a score of 1-over par. Hall said the USGA is “not in the prediction business” when asked about a potential winning score this year, but he noted how they try to elevate the meaning of par relative to other events.
“The five previous winners [at Shinnecock Hills] have won a total of 13 major championships, so I think that helps show that the cream rises to the top,” Hall said. “. . . We're excited to get back to Shinnecock and have the 126th Open be a huge success.”
Ben Dickson is Newsday Sports' general assignment reporter. He joined Newsday’s high school sports staff in 2023 after graduating from Maryland, where he covered several of the Terrapins' teams.
More golf news
