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OK, so I'm going to US Open at Winged Foot this year. Only tickets I can get was for Wednesday. The normal PGA events has Pro-Am day on Wednesdays but I don't think US Open has Pro-Am day and it says that the Open is from Mon-Sun. What can I expect on Wednesday? Is this one of the practice rounds? If it is a practice round, do they still have pairing sheet with tee-times on it?
It's my first attendance with US open and I'll be with my wife who wants to see Tiger, so I'd appreciate any advice or recommendations on Player Watching, Food & Drinks, Souveniers(spell?) and What to bring ( Sun Block, Water, Binoculars - what else ? )

Thanks.. It'll be even better if Michelle qualifies on Monday..

I went to the US Open at Bethpage on Wednesday and have been to the PGA on a wednesday and here is what you can expect.

I believe there is a practice time list, but it is not generally available from what I remember. It is more for the media than the fans. As a side note, Tiger likes to get out there in the early AM timeframe, so there are fewer distractions. He may tee it up at sunrise.

The practice rounds are usually a bit more jovial than a regular round and there will be some humor around the greens and tee boxes. Many players hit many balls around the greens and move at a slower rate than normal around the course. I have seen many players opt to play 9 holes on 1 day of practice and 9 holes on another day.

Souveniers are sold at the course and is usually a "madhouse" in a tight area. You should set meeting places if you get separated from your wife or you split up. Food is sold in many places.

Always bring sun block. Wear comfortable shoes, there is a lot of walking at a course for a fan. If it has rained the day of or the day before, expect to get a little dirty and not wear white. Shoes can get really dirty at a wet golf course and sitting down is not an option.

If you have a way of raising yourself to see over people that can be easily carried, you should bring it. The USGA has regulations on what you can and cannot bring to the course. I would recommend finding out this list before leaving your car at the parking lot. They have clamped down on cell phones and cameras, but the practice round may be kinder.

Be comfortable with your clothing, be courteous, be patient, get to the souveniers as early in the day as you can, try to plan your route around the course as well as you can, plan for the weather.

I like to sit near a green to watch approach shots and green area putts. If you want a close picture or an autograph, standing in the walkway between the green and the next tee is the best place to be, but these areas can get crowded. The stands are a good area to sit and relax when you need to.

Thanks Andy, that's very helpful.
Do you ( or anyone out there ) have any recommendation on a good place to park and watch ( i.e. Behind 8th green stand )? I can't imagine walking around whole day. We'd probably follow some early practice then sit down somewhere and watch every one passing by ( either on a teebox or behind a green ).

Thanks.

I guees there are no Winged Foot members here..

[quote=scratch]OK, so I'm going to US Open at Winged Foot this year. Only tickets I can get was for Wednesday. The normal PGA events has Pro-Am day on Wednesdays but I don't think US Open has Pro-Am day and it says that the Open is from Mon-Sun. What can I expect on Wednesday? Is this one of the practice rounds? If it is a practice round, do they still have pairing sheet with tee-times on it?
It's my first attendance with US open and I'll be with my wife who wants to see Tiger, so I'd appreciate any advice or recommendations on Player Watching, Food & Drinks, Souveniers(spell?) and What to bring ( Sun Block, Water, Binoculars - what else ? )

Thanks.. It'll be even better if Michelle qualifies on Monday..[/QUOTE]

I was able to score a couple of tickets for Thursday's round at the 2006 US Open and plan on giving them to my father for his birthday. I've also been looking on the web for tips on stuff like the best place to park and best spots to view the action. Andy, thank you for your helpful comments. So far the only other advice I could find is this:

U.S. Open

Golf nuts love drama, so the prospect of a Tiger Woods comeback (he's been caring for his ailing father) at New York's Winged Foot (one of the toughest courses in the U.S.) makes for a don't-miss event.

Getting in: Some 30,000 passes for each day were sold long ago via lottery. Your only option is to head to a ticket broker. A rep from golftickets.net says tickets are selling for $120--$270, but as the event nears, prices will rise. One tip: Buy from an agency licensed by the National Association of Ticket Brokers. Should play be rained out, you'll be entitled to a refund, which may not be the case if you buy from some regular Joe on eBay.

Local flavor: Free shuttles are being offered from the Metro North train station in Mamaroneck, N.Y. For the perfect viewing spot, Winged Foot's 2004 club champion Jim Graham recommends setting up behind the 12th green on the West course. From there you can simultaneously watch the 12th, 13th, and 16th holes.
from money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/05/15/8376847/index.htm

I'll post more to this discussion thread if I come up with anything else.

Thanks.. I'll do the same..

If you can get between a tee box and a green that would be ideal. Also, try watching some lesser known guys. They may not have that killer instinct of Tiger or some of the other big names but they will be super talented and fun to watch.

I've been looking, but so far haven't found anything more regarding specifically where's the best spot to see the action.

Following are some pages that discuss the 2006 US Open, Winged Foot, and viewing a major:

www.usga.org/championships/championship_info/2006USOpenBrochure.pdf
www.pga.com/tournaments/usopen/2006/scorecard.cfm
www.usopen.com/players/groupings.html
www.usopen.com/news/2006_fact_sheet.html
www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060509/USOPEN/605090302/1251/USOPEN05
www.golfdigest.com/search/index.ssf?/newsandtour/2006usopen/gw20060609usopenrosaforte.html
www.golfdigest.com/majors/usopen/index.ssf?/majors/usopen/gd200606whitten.html
www.golfdigest.com/newsandtour/insider/index.ssf?/newsandtour/insider/20060524insider.html
An American college student's week as a British Open marshal: www.golfdigest.co.za/features/details/index.php?feat=34
sportsillustrated.netscape.cnn.com/story.jsp?floc=sp-golf-5-l3&flok=FF-APS-2070&idq=/ff/story/0030%2F20060607%2F1215634806.htm&sc=2070
sportsillustrated.netscape.cnn.com/story.jsp?floc=sp-golf-5-l5&flok=FF-APS-2070&idq=/ff/story/0030%2F20060607%2F1147632969.htm&sc=2070

Don't forget to take some pics for us.

Today's New York Times (Monday, June 12, 2006) has an entire section devoted to the 2006 US Open.

http://www.nytimes.com/sports/golf/

The USGA quest to save par will be in force again this year. Wing Foot will be 7,264 yards, par 70 courses. 7,264 is a long course by any stretch and to make it a par 70? I just do not see the mystic quality of a number called par.

The fairways--average width of 26 to 28 yards--will be surrounded not just by the usual two-yard-wide band of "interim" rough an inch and a quarter deep, but also by a second band of rough. That band will be six yards wide or so, and its depth will be a game-time decision. Now that is not a bad idea if you want to control distance but to do it to save a number called par is silly. There is going to be a 540 yard par 4! How about a 320 yard par 3 next year! It is going to be a test for all the golfers however I still do not see the why par is so important to the USGA.

Should be the toughest test for the Pros, in a long time. Mickelson commented that there were so many lost balls by members that he and 'Bones' had trouble finding Phil's ball if it strayed to the rough.

Maybe at par 70...Par will win it.

My bad 514 yard par 4. Just remember the train reck called the 7th hole at the 2004 US Open.

That was more of an environmental condition (the parched earth made holding the green impossible) rather than a hole setup condition...although it was the USGA's fault for not watering it. Better examples of where the USGA made a mistake in setting up the hole are the 10th and 12th at Bethpage in 2002, when some of the guys couldn't reach the fairways. Even at 514 yards, guys will be able to reach it with a middle iron if they can find the fairway. If they miss, they'll have to lay up. Should the toughest test in golf demand anything but great golf to score well?