THE US OPEN GOES TO LA-LA LAND

Pondering the big questions ahead of the 123rd US Open, hosted for the first time by The Los Angeles Country Club a venue with a glitzy address and an unusual set of short holes

- MATT COOPER

The US Open needs little introduction. It's going to be long, it's going to be tough, and the rough is going to be thicker than Cameron Smith's mullet. But what makes this year's course so different is that few players have actually played it in competition before. The USGA have been begging The LA Country Club to let them bring the US Open there for years and now they've got their wish, they've got big plans to make it one to remember by setting it up in a way which will test each player's touch and accuracy like never before...

OK, SO WHAT MAKES THIS YEAR'S VENUE SO UNIQUE?

Let's put it like this: the city might be full of superstars but, regardless of reputation and bank balance, they still struggle to get a tee time at The LA Country Club, never mind gain membership. The property itself, located on the world-famous Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills, is rumoured to be among the most expensive real estate in the world (although it might be more accurate to assess it as the most valuable plot of golfing land on the planet).

Playing it might demand sensational connections, but overlooking it has proved less of an inconvenience for big names waving big bucks. Hugh Hefner's Playboy mansion looks over the back nine, while Lionel Ritchie is another neighbour.

It is the North Course - originally designed by George C. Thomas before a recent restoration by Gil Hanse - which will stage the USGA's showpiece event, having previously played host to the Los Angeles Open. However, that event's last visit was in 1940 and ever since, the club have rebuffed overtures for the return of significant championships.

The 2017 Walker Cup changed that, however, and the arrival of the US Open promises to showcase a test that, for all its privilege, is an exciting addition to Major championship action.

WHO WILL THRIVE IN DOWNTOWN LA?

MAX HOMA