The U.S. Open is looming on the Californian horizon marking golf’s high season. For me, that means it’s time to settle into an Adirondack chair at the Inn at Bay Harbor with a good book after a round of my own. It's an annual tradition that I highly recommend.

If you're looking for a good read, here's something to tie the two events together:
Open by John Feinstein gives a behind-the-scenes look at the 2002 U.S. Open held at Bethpage State Park in New York. Feinstein does a fine job of delivering many hidden stories from planning stages to tour players’ perspectives.

This was the first time that tour players found themselves on a course where most of the people in the gallery had probably played it more. Because of this, it has been heralded by many as the truest U.S. Open. It marked the beginning of a trend to hold our national championship at great public venues.

With the Open at Torrey Pines this year, we have another U.S. Open at a “muni”.  A number of other public-access courses are now on the Open rota. Look for more to follow.

It’s always staggering to see the numbers pros can put up on tracks that you have intimate first-hand playing knowledge.  That’s why I always get a kick out of the Tournament of Champions on Boyne Mountain’s Alpine and Monument courses every year.

It's hard to not be impressed when you see somebody go low on a course you've never been able to crack.

-JJ