The Eighth At Erin Hills Offers A Glimpse At 2017 US Open

Here’s one of the reasons why — in spite of its seas of fescue and a lack of trees and water — the 2017 US Open at Erin Hills will not play like a “links course.” You can’t play a bump and run into the eighth green, or indeed, more than half of the par fours and fives.

The eighth is a 490 (411) yard par 4 that plays uphill to a corner, then doglegs left around a large hill to the green. From the bend, it tips downward, then rises up again to the green. Players will need to approach this with the usual US Open style: bomb it long, keep it in the fairway, and then hit a high soft shot into the green.