Fields Of Dreams These six U.S. Open qualifying sites are open to the public Erin, Wisconsin Rating: ½,10th on 100 Greatest Public, No. 2 in state Green fee:$200 More information Comment:Site of the 2017 U.S. Open, this links-style layout, which tips out at 7,823 yards, will be one of the most difficult qualifying courses. The landscape feels and plays like a remote destination in Ireland, but you're half an hour outside Milwaukee. With greens running at 13 on the Stimpmeter for the 2011 U.S. Amateur, players had a hard time keeping downhill putts from running way past the hole. Other local worthies:Broadlands G.C. ½; Rock River Hills G.C. ½; Washington County G. Cse. ½ Panama City Beach, Florida Rating:, 74th on 100 Greatest Public, No. 18 in state Green fee:$145 More information Comment: One of the Florida Panhandle's best, this Tom Fazio design was built among the dunes on 750 acres and will be among the toughest of the 16 qualifiers in Florida. The course features 86 bunkers, and water comes into play on 10 holes. It's much easier to get to the once-private Camp Creek since the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport opened in 2010. Other local worthies: Kelly Plantation G.C. ½; Sandestin G. & Beach Resort (72 holes) ½; Bay Point Resort G.C. (36 holes) ; Windswept Dunes G.C. Anaconda, Montana Rating: ½, No. 5 in state Green fee: $75 More information Comment:On the site of a former copper-mining operation, Old Works, designed by Jack Nicklaus, has the feel and conditioning of a high-end course but is priced more affordably. An old smelter smoke stack, touted as the largest free-standing masonic structure in the United States—at 585 feet—towers in the distance. (Hint: Most putts break toward it.) As a nod to its mining history, Nicklaus used black slag—a byproduct of smeltering ore—instead of sand in the course's bunkers. Other local worthies:Canyon River G.C. ; Fairmont Hot Springs Resort St. Francisville, Louisiana Rating:not yet rated, No. 3 in state Green fee:$72 More information Comment:When you think of golf in Louisiana, elevation changes, island greens and azaleas don't likely come to mind. That's what makes this resort so interesting. Thirty miles north of Baton Rouge and an hour and a half from New Orleans, The Bluffs has a new managing partner that has been emphasizing customer service. A re-routing this year switched nines to the way it played 20 years ago. Water now comes into play on the last three holes. Other local worthies: Carter Plantation ½; Beaver Creek G.C. ; The Island C.C. Lakeside, California Rating: ½ Green fee: $160 More information Comment:This casino-resort course was good enough to host the then-Nationwide Tour Championship in 2007, but it's just as enjoyable for high-handicappers, with four sets of tees and hardly any forced carries. Wildfires got close to the course years ago, but damage to the resort's property was minimal. The fairways are generous, so spraying your tee shots won't hurt you too much. The elevated 15th, overlooking the Barona Indian Reservation, is a great place to take a photograph. Other local worthies:Carmel Mountain Ranch C.C. ½ Maderas G.C. ½; Carlton Oaks C.C. Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico Rating:½, No. 6 in state Green fee: $145 More information Comment:Be sure to follow the starter's advice and don't disturb any of the 22 historic cultural sites on this American Indian reservation. An ancient cave dwelling is visible—but not in play—on the 15th hole, and an old horse corral on the 17th adds to the course's charm. Twin Warriors is an 11-time U.S. Open-qualifying site. The hardest hole might be the par-4 18th, which can play as long as 500 yards into the wind. Other local worthies: Paa-Ko Ridge, ; Sandia G.C. ½; Santa Ana G.C. (27 holes) ½
