SOUTHAMPTON, NY – On Tuesday afternoon, Halla Arnadottir and Sveinn Ogmundsson were following their son Arni Sveinsson during one US Open practice round in Shinnecock Hills Golf Clubwhich they had never visited before, when the person they were walking with told them something about the course that might seem a little peculiar to a new visitor.
The pavement they were walking on between holes 13 and 14 was actually a road.
“Really?” said Arnadottir.
Really. Occasionally, the person said, the cars even stop and take a photo — when the club isn’t hosting a major championship.
“Oh, wow!” Ogmundsson said.
Indeed. In Shinnecock, there are bumps and bumps, and left and right, and wind and sand and fescue. And a road. Tuckahoe Road is its name and runs through the famous course. On the west side of Tuckahoe are holes 1 through 9 and 14 through 18, and holes 10 through 13 are on the east side of the fairway.
And it’s in play on holes 12 and 13 — on the 472-yard, par-4 12th, it’s just short of the green, and on the 367-yard, par-4 13th, it’s right in front of the tee box. Below, you can see videos of the overpass, which were shot by the USGA.
Here is one overpass of 12.
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Here is one overpass of 13.
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This year, the 12th also played a part in a … 427-yard drive. During Thursday’s first round, Bryson DeChambeau’s tee shot bounced in front of Tuckahoe, then bounced over it, before finishing just short of the green. DeChambeau continued to open the hole.
Notably, in 2016, the club tried to have Tuckahoe redirected around the course. This year’s US Open will also be the second straight Open where a road runs through the course – last year, Interstate 76 shared Oakmont.
On Sunday, you can get one last look on the road in tournament play. A few weeks later, you can drive on it.
