Joe Sommers knows Winged Foot. As the venerable club’s reigning club champion, he, too, knows what the world’s best players will be up against when they tackle the West Course at this week’s U.S. Open.
The 53-year-old Sommers has won the club championship two of the last three years – ironically both before major championships (the 2004 U.S. Amateur and this Open). He’s been a member at Winged Foot since 1998, calling it “a dream come true,” is a plus-one handicap and has a low round of 67 on the West Course.
The following is his hole-byhole look at the West Course and the challenges the players will face through Sommers’ eyes, done exclusively for The Post.
No. 1 Genesis – 450-yard par 4
Probably the most difficult green on the course. That makes it one of the toughest holes on the course. You almost have to be below the hole to have a chance at twoputting; otherwise you can putt the ball off the green.
No. 2 Elm – 453-yard par 4
It’s a pretty straightforward dogleg right. The key here, as it is on the entire course, is keeping the ball in the fairway. If you’re in the rough, you won’t advance it very far. Keeping the ball below the hole here is the best position on the green.
No. 3 Pinnacle – 216-247-yard par 3
This probably will be the most difficult hole in terms of resistance to scoring. They’ll play the back tee (247 yards) one day, and it’ll be under 220 the rest of the tournament. It’s a severe green that’s wellbunkered. You have no chance if you’re pin-high of making a putt. If you’re not going to get on the green, you’re better off short of the green right in front, the way Billy Casper played it in the 1959 Open.
No. 4 Sound View – 469-yard par 4
Great driving hole, a dogleg left. The second shot will play a club shorter, because it’s slightly downhill. You have to avoid the fairway bunker on the left. The rough on this hole is particularly thick on the right-hand side.
No. 5 Long Lane – 515-yard par 5
This is the best opportunity for a birdie on the course. It’s a dogleg left at about 515 yards, and in today’s world that’s a short par 5. They’ll hit a lot of 3woods and long irons. I’d be surprised if this isn’t the hole with the lowest scoring average in relation to par. Anyone who drives it in the fairway should have an eagle putt.
No. 6 El – 321-yard par 4
This is a short par 4 to a narrow fairway to a great green that’s well-bunkered. If they drive it in the fairway, they’ll have a wedge in their hands. Some guys might even try to drive this green, maybe later in the tournament. That’s a great option, but if you miss, there’s heavy rough around the green and it goes from a birdie hole to one on which you have to work really hard to save par.
No. 7 Babe-InThe-Woods – 162-yard par 3
This is a medium-length par 3. It’s not a huge green, but one of the flattest greens on the course. They’ll be hitting 7-, 8-, 9-irons in. This is a scoring opportunity, though the bunkers are very difficult. The green is elevated, so they’ll need an extra half-club. If you miss the green, you’ve got your work cut out for you. If you’re on the green, you have a birdie opportunity from everywhere. Nos. 5, 6 and 7 present an opportunity for guys to get it under par during that stretch.
No. 8 Arena – 475-yard par 4
Very sharp dogleg-right par 4 with tall trees guarding the right side. Some guys might hit 3wood over them. The green is severe. The ball moves hard left to right on that green. It played as one of the most difficult par 4s in the U.S. Amateur in 2004.
No. 9 Meadow – 514-yard par 4
It’s a straightaway par 5 for members, par 4 for the pros. It’s a little downhill and if the fairway is firm, the ball runs well. It’s a severe green with some interesting pin placements. If they don’t drive it well in the fairway, they’re not getting onto the green. There’s a huge bunker 15 to 20 yards short of the green, which discourages balls being rolled up to the green.
No. 10 Pulpit – 188-yard par 3
It’ll play about 189 yards for these guys. The green is a little bigger than it used to be. It’s probably an easier target to hit now than it was in ’97 for the PGA, but there are some new pin placements – back left behind the bunker and back right – that are very difficult. The bunkers are extremely deep. If they miss this green, it’s a very difficult up and down.
No. 11 Billows – 396-yard par 4
This is a good opportunity to score. A long iron or hybrid is all they need off the tee and they’ll have a wedge to a green that has some slope on it, but is not as difficult as some others.
No. 12 Cape – 640-yard par 5
Three of the four days, it’ll probably play 570 to 580 yards. The length of the hole puts more premium on driving the ball in the fairway. Before the tee was moved back, a lot of people could hit the green in two. Now, if they don’t drive it in the fairway, they’re going to have a hard time. This is a green with a lot of good pin placements on two levels. When it’s 640 yards, it’s driver, 4- or 5-iron lay-up and wedge or 9-iron in.
No. 13 White Mule – 214-yard par 3
Great par 3 that has a slope in front of the green and two bunkers on the right that are very deep. It requires an accurate shot in there. There is a subtle rise to the green with a little knob in there.
No. 14 Shamrock – 458-yard par 4
Great driving hole. Some guys might hit 3-wood. It’s 275 yards to carry the bunker on the left. It has an elevated green with great undulation and a tree guarding the right side. The center of that green is always good.
No. 15 Pyramids – 416-yard par 4
This is a shorter par 4, but it has one of the most narrow fairways out there. It also slopes very hard right to left. Anyone who goes over the hill and is not on the right side is going to roll into the rough. If they’re in rough, they’re not going to have much of a chance.
No. 16 Hells-Bells – 478-yard par 4
One of the toughest holes out there. It’s a par 5 for members and a par 4 for pros. It’s a sharp dogleg left. My guess is the pros will hit 3wood so they can turn it right to left rather than hitting driver and worrying about going through the fairway. On the next shot, a tree guards the left side of the green, which has bunkers in front and on both sides. It’s a two-tiered green that has a lot of slope.
No. 17 Well-Well – 449-yard par 4
One of the great holes at Winged Foot. It’s a left-toright with the fairway sloping left. The unique feature is the green is so narrow with bunkers on both sides. It’s rare to get a level lie in the fairway, so it’s one of the most difficult greens to hit.
No. 18 Revelations – 450-yard par 4
There could be some interesting pin choices on this green. It’s a slight dogleg left uphill with a large fairway bunker on the right side. If they’re not in the fairway, the bunker is a much better position to be in than the rough. They’ll have 160 to 180 yards from the bunker. The front, left pin is most difficult because of the false front to the green and the difficulty staying below the hole, which they have to do here or they can put it off the green.