The start of play at the 2017 United States Open Championship possessed a historical significance that rivaled the golfing competition itself as, most notably, it was one of the handful of occasions in which the 117 year old event was played on an original design in which the architects themselves were present. The gestation of Erin Hills, co-designed by Dr. Michael J. Hurdzan, Dana Fry and Ron Whitten, is as unique as the 652 acres upon which it rests. Its whirlwind ascent to eminence and instant love affair with the USGA is unprecedented. It represents a demonstrable effort by golf’s governing body to change the perception of what a golf course should be by publically showcasing “firm and fast” playing conditions to a “brown is the new green” refrain. It marks a return of our countries National Championship to the Midwest on a “heartland” stage; a course that is neither linksland nor parkland but rather a practical combination of finest qualities of each. And by all measures, despite Mother Nature’s withholding her wind and drought so characteristic of that time of year, this carefully calculated experiment proved a resounding success among players, media and fans alike leading most open-minded observers to believe that while this is the first Major to be held at Erin Hills, it will surely not be the last…