Russ Myers, who succeeded Williams as superintendent in 2010, was on hand for the bulk of the restoration work and served at LACC until 2015. He said that the success of the restoration changed the whole perspective at the club. It also focused attention in the region on what was possible in terms of restoration and paved the way for similar projects elsewhere.
Under the guidance of director of golf course and grounds Chris Wilson, who has been in charge of course maintenance at LACC since 2015, the club has further upgraded the infrastructure on the North Course. Putting surfaces were reseeded to ‘Pure Distinction’ bentgrass to enhance resistance to Poa annua invasion and the bunkers were all outfitted with 4-inch perforated drain pipes and porous aggregate liners.
In the run-up to the 2023 U.S. Open, further tweaks have been made. Half a dozen back tees have been added, bringing the total yardage for the par-70 course to 7,421. Fairway widths have been adjusted, and certainly not in all cases narrowed. In an approach to setup that USGA chief championship officer John Bodenhamer describes as “go with the architecture,” the North Course will provide opportunities for utilizing the terrain and creating alternatives in setup from day to day. On the first hole, a 578-yard par 5 that falls 45 feet from tee to green, the fairway has been narrowed to 26 yards at the main landing area where a bunker intrudes into the line of play. By contrast, on the 480-yard, par-5 fifth hole, which climbs 50 feet from tee to green, the fairway has been widened out to 56 yards because of the humpback fairway that tilts dramatically from left to right.
Bodenhamer stresses the importance of utilizing the course’s flexible design in the U.S. Open setup. A great example can be found at the sixth and seventh holes, a drivable par 4 followed by a very long par 3. The effective yardage of the dogleg right, 330-yard sixth hole allows it to potentially play shorter in the air from tee to green than the 284-yard, par-3 seventh hole, which can also play considerably shorter than that heroic distance.
When it comes to shifts in rhythm, the back nine on the North Course is noticeably different than the front and will take some adjustment for competitors to get comfortable.
The reverse-Redan, par-3 11th hole, with its dramatic view of downtown L.A. in the distance, can play as long as 290 yards and calls for that rarity in championship golf – an approach shot landed short that runs up onto the putting surface. By contrast, the par-3 15th hole, only 124 yards on the scorecard, will likely be set up on at least one day of the championship to play only 90 yards to the devilish, well-protected front hole location. In the 2017 Walker Cup it played only 72 yards for one session! Of course, for the next round it could easily be set up to play 155 yards. These are great examples of the ever-changing test that Thomas envisioned for the North Course.