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Mine - Shinnecock Hills. Love the natural look, with the fescue and native grasses defining each hole. Enjoy seeing the course on TV as much as the play. Not too long or too short. Mix of long and short holes. Fantastic par 3's. USGA can't do anything drastic to make it "Open worthy" - the course speaks for itself and not much is done than what is done day to day for the members. Perfect.

Greenguy, I can't argue very passionately that there is any course I like more than Shinnecock Hills, but I do love the Open when it's played at Pebble Beach. The set-up is different from the yearly AT&T pro-am tournament, and weather can be a real factor. It may be that I'm just more familiar with the charms and challenges of Pebble than with the characteristics of other Open venues that we only see every 10 years or so.

Pebble is definitely a beautiful course. I think the AT&T Pro-Am doesn't really do it justice like the U.S. Open because it's played on so many courses that you don't get to see the beautiful ocean views as often. I can't wait to see the Open at Shinnecock Hills, though. From the poll on favorite major, it seemed like the British Open was 2nd to the Masters. This is the chance for us to see the U.S. Open played on a links style course. Should be really entertaining especially if the conditions make it difficult on the players.

I've looked at some pics that they have for another links course that they are playing the PGA later this year - Whistling Straits. WOW! They had to move a lot of dirt to give it that look, where Shinecock is the way it is because of mother nature. It's probably the first time that 3 of the 4 majors will be played on links, or quasi links style courses. Since Shinecock is not next to a major body of water, it might not be considered links course for the purist.

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The fact that they have to change the conditions from the ATT pro-am, and from the conditions that people play on a daily basis is the thing I am not as wild about Pebble as my favorite US Open site. Not saying the USGA "tricks" up the course, but for the Open they drastically change the set up. #2 is a par 4 instead of a par 5 (something the USGA is famous for doing on several Open courses), the rough is much longer and the greens are firmer. Shinecock is pretty much the same course for the members as it is for the Open - that's why I give it an edge. There's a reason that the winning score for the ATT is usually double digits under par, and for the Open, a couple under is a great score. For the Open, Pebble is a completely different course. The views, while no doubt spectacualar, don't have anything to do with the golf as far as the competition is concerned.