The USGA (United States Golf Association) is under heat after one of the smallest crowds of the season gathered at the 2023 U.S. Open. The Los Angeles Country Club hosted the U.S. Open last weekend for the first time in course history but the exclusive club has since been criticized for how tickets were mishandled.
Unlike the traditional major championship atmosphere, the LACC hosted one of the smallest crowds in history.
The limited U.S. Open crowds left fans and players disappointed. While the gallery was full through parts of the U.S. Open, many areas throughout the course looked and felt quiet and empty.
Los Angeles Country Club Limits Crowds at U.S Open 2023
There were a few cons of hosting the U.S. Open at the Los Angeles Country Club. Despite being one of the country’s most exclusive courses, the LACC has a small physical footprint and terrain, including hills, canyons, and barranca. The setting wasn’t great for large gatherings like the U.S. Open. The total space only allowed for 23,000 people which is 30% smaller than last year’s venue which allowed 30,000 fans.
Of the 24,000 tickets available about 14,000 were reserved for luxury suites and hospitality tents, leaving 9,000 tickets for general admission. However, the LACC bought out 4,000 to 4,500 tickets, allowing only around 4,500 fans to attend the event. While the USGA will not comment on the matter, LACC actually attempted to buy up all the available tickets.
In addition to the limited crowds, the LACC is a logistical nightmare. While the traffic is known to be awful in LA, it affected the attendance of sports games for the Lakers and Dodgers. Fans have shown up late to games due to the location in LA. However, fans also faced trouble upon arrival at the property. The LACC isn’t an easy walk for fans, even with the beautiful aesthetic, there are a lot of canyons.
For safety reasons, fans were restricted to a few areas which were a far distance from the action. Due to the small footprint of the course, there wasn’t a lot of room for fans around many of the holes, placing viewing points 150 yards away from the action.
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It didn’t feel like a major championship to some of the PGA Tour players. The atmosphere was nowhere close to last year in Boston.
Max Homa, seventh on the Official World Golf Rankings but missed the Cut as LACC commented on the noise level.
“The crowds are great or hefty in certain areas, but we’re also coming last year from Boston where they’re just louder there,” Max Homa said after Round 1. “Their decibel is just higher than ours is out here.”
For others like the 2022 U.S. Open Champion, he wasn’t impressed with the turnout.
“Very poor … It’s disappointing on the USGA side,” Fitzpatrick told Barstool Sports on Saturday. “They want a great tournament. From what I’ve heard, a lot of members bought tickets and that’s why there’s so many less people. Hopefully it’s not the same for other U.S. Opens going forward.”
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