LA North: The First And Second Holes

Kicking off a deep dive into the 2023 U.S. Open course by looking at the openers.

Before the Millennial Major breaks out this week in Scottsdale, it felt like a nice time to kick off The Quad’s deeper examination of 2023’s U.S. Open venue. These various looks will be scattered about in the run-up to Los Angeles Country Club’s major debut. The dives into certain holes will get an individual write-up while others will be paired when appropriate. Also expect a few deviations along the way to explore design elements to look out for once the U.S. Open arrives.

The North Course opens with the trademark George Thomas getaway: a three-shotter to spread out groups for pace of play purposes and then followed by a tough second hole. Thomas and Billy Bell opened nearly all of their key collaborations this way and yet it was about as formulaic as they got.