Live at the US Open - Erin Hills (aka LRCC) - June 17, 2017



Beautiful morning at Lake Ripley

Saturday.   It was a great day for golf.  No doubt about it.  Warm, sunny day with no wind.   The course is wide open and greens are in excellent condition.   Talking about Lake Ripley Country Club where we played this morning.  On our second non-working day, we choose to eschew the Open and play ourselves.  Fun choice.

We met Kjell at the local hangout – Lake Ripley Inn.  Talked golf while partaking adult beverages.  I know – shocker!  Kjell belongs to LRCC and invited us to play.  Our hosts, Jackie and Julie, rounded up some clubs and off we went.  LRCC was founded in 1915 when there used to be train service from Chicago to Cambridge, WI.  This little town was quite the place in the summer with a resort and nightclub.  The town, Cambridge, is 25 miles south of Madison which is the state capitol and the home of the Wisconsin Badgers.  There are many year-round residents as well as tons of weekenders.

We did not find Lake Ripley but accident.  Our daughters own a cabin here that they purchased when living in northern Illinois.  Though they live in California now they cannot bear to part with their little piece of heaven.  We spent five nights there and then moved to Jackie and Julie’s for the remainder of the trip.  We are very lucky.

I play a reasonable amount of golf and I’m a decent golfer.  Playing with other clubs is usually a challenge.  Playing with ones that are a little past their prime is a bit of a challenge.  When I uncovered the driver I had to go to the pro shop and ask for a demo.  Score!  A brand new Ping to try.  That was a stellar decision.  Not asking for a demo wedge was not a stellar decision.  I found out how much I love my 56 degree.  Borrowed a 54 degree at the turn and finally figured out how to hit it on 18.  Baby those wedges in your bag my friends.

Anyway, a super fun day.  Thanks Kjell (pronounced Shell).  You have a game next time we’re in town.  Unless it is between October and April when there’s all this white stuff on the ground.

Kjell and his daughter Christine and yes he does resemble Ian Poulter

 

So, how about the golf up in Erin Hills this afternoon?  These guys put on a show.  Congratulations to Justin Thomas on a spectacular 63.  Bet he wishes he had sunk the eagle putt on 15 so a) he would be tied for the lead and b) Johnny Miller would not have been less that congratulatory about tying his Open record.  I like Miller because he usually tells it like it is.  And if you did not hear or read his comments he said Thomas’ 63 paled in comparison to his at Oakmont.  I do not think a 63 at any Open is anything to sneeze at but I do believe Miller has a bit of a point.  I’ve been to Oakmont which has hosted multiple Opens including last year’s.  As sensational as Erin Hills is I agree it isn’t Oakmont especially since it has rained to soften the greens and there has been no wind to give the players fits.  I wonder if the USGA will return here or ever go to another course with fairways that are 50 to 75 yards wide.   Anyway, big kudos to Thomas for his accomplishment.

And how about Brian Harmon’s 67?  Fowler, Koepka, Fleetwood (love this guy!) and Kim with 68.  Reed with an early 65.  These guys tore it up on Saturday to create what should be an Open Sunday for the ages.  Let’s hope anyway.  Sometimes it is nice for one player to go very low and leave the rest in the dust.  Then there are no ‘if onlys.’  But I vote for a bunch of rounds in the sixties and a back and forth all day long.  Likely it will be won or lost on 18 which still hasn’t played up to expectations in my opinion.  It can be 690 yards long though the USGA hasn’t gone there this week.  It is supposed to play into the wind and that hasn’t happened either.  One thing that will change Sunday is the high will be 71 in the late afternoon.  Maybe a breeze will accompany the lower temperature.

No matter what it will be fun to watch.  We will be at our station on the 18^th Grandstand.  Lucky us!  Enjoy the day!

Night