Coming Back to the Capital
grass, and bentgrass was installed on the greens. The course also added some 800 yards to reach more than 7,100 yards from the tips. “If you have a Top 100 golf course,
then you want to restore the strategy of the course as much as the site and the modern game will allow,” Phillips said. “If the course has had strong architecture, then I like to restore that architectural style. Del Paso now has a very consistent and classical style. “The course is longer, but it is not a course that is simply about power. There is a great variety of strategy, and terrific mix of lengths.” Tom Lehman, who played the
course during a media day held in the spring of 2014, agreed. “I think it’s going to be a tremen-
dous test,” Lehman said. “They did some work on the fairways so they have more angles. It’s going to be a good test of people’s driving ability.” “It’s no easy task to prepare a
golf course to test the top 156 players over 50 years of age,” said Jeff Hall, managing director for Rules and Competitions for the USGA. “You can’t have this kind of championship without dedicated partners from Del Paso and from the Sacramento community.” Hall added, “Mark McKinney,
Del Paso’s superintendent, did a remarkable job of taking what we put on paper and bringing it to life on the golf course. It’s a very different course than it was two years ago. While we have to get the rough a little taller, the golf course looks great. It’s ready, and we’re excited about getting to Del Paso in June.” According to Mike Green, the
club’s head professional, the course will play as a par 70 for the cham- pionship. With six par 4s playing between 450 and 490 yards, and a challenging group of par 3s that includes three at more than 200 yards, length off the tee and balls in the fairway will be a distinct advantage. “The length of our golf course, and
36 /
NCGA.ORG / SPRING 2015 Past USGA
Championships at Del Paso CC
1957 U.S. Women’s Amateur 1964 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur 1976 U.S. Women’s Amateur 1982 U.S. Women’s Open
the way the USGA sets up the rough and the firmness of the greens will all provide defense against low scores,” Green explained. “Our greens are so perfect, however, that I hope for a bit of wind that will make some of the hole locations more demanding.” Del Paso hosted sectional U.S. Open qualifying in 2010, before the Open at Pebble Beach. The 36-hole event represented the renovated course’s first test of elite players, although it had not been prepared to the exacting standards the Senior Open demands. Native Sacramen- tan Erick Justesen captured medalist
honors, carding a 9-under 133 on the par-71 course. Nearly half the field finished at par or better. But don’t expect those kind of fireworks the week before the 4th of July. The U.S. Senior Open will
probably be won or lost on the final six holes. No. 13 will be played as a par 4, and Nos. 16-18 is a formidable closing stretch. Tom Watson, Fred Couples, Davis
Love III, Miguel Angel Jimenez, and Sacramento native Kevin Suther- land will be among the 156 players expected to tee it up. The low 60 and ties will advance to the final two days.
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