2017 PGA US Open to be held at Erin Hills

The US Open will be making its Wisconsin debut after 122 years. Erin Hills, which opened in 2006, will be hosting its first major golfing event. The event is scheduled for June 15th through the 18th.  

Last year, the US Open was held at the Oakmont golf course in Pennsylvania on June 16th through the 19th. There, pro golfer Dustin Johnson won the title by three strokes against runner-ups Shane Lowry, Jim Furyk, and Scott Piercy.

Johnson talked to golf.com’s Cameron Morfit following the victory. To Morfit, he said “I’ve been so close so many times. It’s just an unbelievable feeling. It’s hard to describe.”

The first US Open was played in 1895 on a nine-hole course at the Newport Country Club in Newport, Rhode Island. Since 1911, the title has been won mostly by players from the United States.

Since 1950, players from six countries other than the United States have won the championship, most notably athletes from South Africa, who have won five times since 1965.

Even though the US Open hasn’t come to the dairy state, Wisconsin isn’t new to major golf events. The first major event held in the state was the PGA Championship in 1933, at Blue Mound Golf Course in Wauwatosa.

Whistling Straits, located in Sheboygan, has been a popular destination for the PGA Championship over the years as it hosted the 2004, 2010, and 2015 PGA Championships.

The 2017 US Open will be the fifth major championship held in Wisconsin and will be the first time it isn’t the PGA Championship.

Arrowhead freshman and JV golfer Jack Kaczmarek says he is glad to see the US Open coming to Erin Hills.

“Having another event in this state is awesome,” Kaczmarek says. “The golfing community is huge around here and by having these events, like the PGA Championship and US Open in Wisconsin, only grow golf’s popularity. I was even thinking of going to see it.”

A problem for the city of Erin however is that the city doesn’t have enough hotels in place to be able to accommodate the amount of people coming to the US Open. As a result, people across the area have begun to put their houses up for rent for visitors to stay in their houses during the event. Sites like 2017golfhomes.com, lakecountrykeys.com and airbnb.com are allowing home owners in the area to sell their houses for a limited time for people to see the event. Home owners are posting their houses from $3,000 a week to $100,000 for just one week according to Lakecountrykeys.com.

Some houses are available for rent in Bristlecone Pines and on Pewaukee Lake right in Hartland, nearly an hour away from the event.

The event will begin on Thursday,June 15th. The event will continue through the weekend until Sunday, June 18th. All rounds will be aired on ESPN.