The course is about 15 minutes away from the hotel.
Player registration began at Noon with Connor and me arriving about 12:30. This is the walkway to the main clubhouse entrance.
There were quite a few stops in the registration area: tell them who you are, receive your player's badge/medallion (what I wish I still had from the Jr. Am and US Am) receive family passes and ground passes for guests, receive tax forms (I am subject to Nebraska Tax) where they had reading glasses laid out - only at the US Senior Open, signed the player's list and two prints of the ninth hole, provide shipping address for a very nice box with the same print on the lid, receive info about the spouse events and others happening during the week, and a bunch of coupons for local restaurants. Also got practice round times: tomorrow at 7:52 with Vic Wilk, Tuesday afternoon with Duffy Waldorf and Wednesday afternoon in the group behind by college teammates Jeff Wilson and Jeff Brehaut.
Took Connor up to Caddie registration, purchased a yardage book $25. This yardage book has actual yardage from the to spots plus notations for how the slope affects the distance. Without guessing, where is the challenge to the game? Caddies get breakfast each day.
Headed down to the locker room. My locker is next to John Cook and two down from Fred Couples. It is nice a cool down there, right at the bottom of the stairs the air changes from hot a humid to cool in an instant. Family can go down there as well to get breakfast and lunch.
The we headed to the range. Started hitting pitch shots. Working on adding loft to the SW off fairway lies.
Then I practiced hitting the 2 hybrid off the approach with a lot of fringe and not much green and it seems this could be a option in the right situation. While I was doing this, David Frost, in light blue, came to practice.
After the short grass, I hit some shots from the rough. Key is to determine if you can made solid contact with the ball and commit to that decision.
After that headed to the putting green. Speed at this time is fine, not scary fast. Talk I heard was that the greens can't be that fast because of the undulations.
Then to hit some balls, focused on the hybrid, normal 3-wood and the 3-D. Hitting the 3-D on the range just confirms this is the right club at the right time. I just feel I can swing it freely and be successful. Fred Funk was on the range for just a bit while I was hitting. Passed him later and he wished me a good week.
We turned the clubs into club storage, relaxed in the locker room for a bit and then went to walk the grounds and get a sample view of the course. The fairways seem wide, not the OMG this are tight, three rough heights, but the elevation changes are dramatic. This is #10 from the most forward members' tee.
This is the one hole with a different par than what the members play. A four for us, a five for them. at 494 yards. The bunker on the left is 280 off the tee. The course is rated 74.6 from the members' back tees, so breaking 75 for me will be good.
As we left I arranged a tour of the media areas for Connor tomorrow.
A mediocre dinner, saw Jeff Wilson driving by, walked around the Old Market Area and found where to really have dinner tomorrow.
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