Linda Hartough’s 25th U.S. Open Landscape!

The 2014 U.S. Open returns to the No. 2 Course at the Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina for the third time. Designed by Donald Ross, the two previous U.S. Opens there have been won by Payne Stewart (1999) and Michael Campbell (2005). In addition to hosting a PGA Championship (1936, Denny Shute) and the 1951 Ryder Cup (USA) it will host its first U.S. Women's Open the week after the men's tournament. Pinehurst, founded in 1895 by James Tufts was the historic host of the North and South Open (1902 to 1951) and holds a legendary place in the history of American golf. So too does Golf's Landscape Artist Linda Hartough who has completed her 25th consecutive and final United States Open painting for the U.S.G.A. This series of articles will present her 25 iconic U.S. Open landscapes five-at-a-time leading up to the June 19th tee-off for this year's competition. CLICK here for the Video Interview with Linda Hartough and her 25 U.S. Open Landscapes. Even more fascinating are the video interviews with Linda sharing her insight into how each hole was selected, what her vision was and how she created each masterpiece. The series starts in 1990 at Medinah CC. Her humorous reaction when questioned about what she thinks about when she sees the 13th is that is was "my first one." Questions like what is so significant about the 18th at Pebble Beach? or What determines if a Clubhouse is included? are all part of the conversation. Native wildlife too. One of my best assignments ever, please join me and Linda as she looks back over the last 25 years as the 'Queen of the U.S. Opens." CLICK here for the Video Interview with Linda Hartough reminiscing about her first five paintings (1990 Medinah No. 13, 1991 Hazeltine No. 16, 1992 Pebble Beach No. 18, 1993 Baltusrol No. 4 and 1994 Oakmont No. 18). Linda and I played a little game. we reviewed her 25 U.S. Open landscapes five at a time. For each group I asked her to name her personal favorite. At the end she would choose her overall all-time favorite U.S. Open painting. Stay tuned as we progress through the five sets of five paintings each. All 25 paintings are present for viewing in the gallery at the end of the article. It all started with the 13th at Medinah in 1990. Where were you in 1990? Linda stayed in the clubhouse but did not paint it into the artwork as it is far from the 13th, the signature hole at the time. When asked to comment she responds "my first," an indication that is wasn't going to be her favorite of the 25! Hazeltime, the 16th in 1991. Beautiful place for a landscape- soft, very pretty, good lighting and a little flag on the point. Pebble Beach, the 18th in 1992. Iconic, never to be repeated, the tree there today is "not the same," too straight, could not have grown up there in the wind. The sky was there. Sometimes the sky there doesn't fit the scene and she puts one in that matches. Oh, the secrets we learn from artists! Baltusrol, the 4th in 1993. Beautiful painting, the first in the series with a clubhouse. Oakmont, the 18th in 1994. Back when they had trees. Like how it takes your eye to the clubhouse. Significance of the bird on the tee? "It was there!" Linda's chosen painting from the first set of 5? See painting above! The 18th at Pebble Beach of course... CLICK here for the Video Interview with Linda Hartough reminiscing about her second five paintings (1995 Shinnecock Hills No. 16, 1996 Oakland Hills No. 16, 1997 Congressional No. 17, 1998 Olympic Club No. 18 and 1999 Pinehurst No. 5). On to the second set of 5 paintings... the 16th at Shinnecock Hills in 1996. Very beautiful, almost links like Scotland, instant love with the sweep of the 16th and the windmill. Manipulated a few things to get what I wanted. The 16th at Oakland Hills in 1996. Love the sky, just love it although it is from the low country! The beautiful willows are gone now. The 17th at Congressional in 1997. At that time the 17th, now the 18th with the old par-3 18th now reversed to be the 10th! Threatening skies? Linda starts her paintings at the farthest point out. The 18th at Olympic Club in 1998. The 18th hasn't changed that much. Great trees, so fun to paint! Never a golfer in her work. Medinah had two but edited them out. If you put a person in it becomes a story. With no person, you put yourself in there and it becomes a feeling. Maybe a person on a beach for scale. The 5th at Pinehurst No. 2 in 1999. First one at Pinehurst, all green, all trees. No specific signature hole, no water. Chose the 5th because of the light. Linda's chosen painting from the second set of 5? See painting above! The 16th at Shinnecock Hills. CLICK here for the Video Interview with Linda Hartough reminiscing about her third five paintings (2000 Pebble Beach No. 8, 2001 Southern Hills No. 12, 2002 Bethpage Black No. 4, 2003 Olympia Fields No. 12 and 2004 Shinnecock Hills No. 9). Here's the third set of 5. The 8th at Pebble Beach in 2000. Stunning, fabulous with Stillwater Cove, the Pacific Ocean, and a huge chasm. Pink sky, morning after dawn. The 12th at Southern Hills in 2002. Linda really likes the lighting- dramatic, dramatic, makes the painting for her. She is an avid watcher of golf but knows the game, visually oriented and feels the stress to get the shot over the bunker. Definitely a little Pete Dye in Linda Hartough! The 4th at Bethpage Black in 2003. Gorgeous course, elevated tees are stunning, fall colors are fabulous. Pigeons eating seeds on the tee. The 12th at Olympia Fields in 2003. Lighting, scenic, trees and little creek. Shows how hard it is to it this green. High cliff behind you. The 9th at Shinnecock Hills. Stunning view, trees removed, what left are very dramatic. Pheasant in the high grass, tree is the centerpiece with the clubhouse behind it. The sky fits beautifully. Linda's chosen painting from the third set of 5? See painting above! The 4th at Bethpage Black. Tough choice, Pebble Beach and Shinnecock Hills already selected previously. CLICK here for the Video Interview with Linda Hartough reminiscing about her fourth five paintings (2005 Pinehurst Nos. 16 & 17, 2006 Winged Foot No. 9, 2007 Oakmont No. 14, 2008 Torrey Pines No. 3 and 2009 Bethpage No. 17). On to the fourth set of 5, isn't this fun and exciting? Almost like a game show! The 16th & 17th at Pinehurst in 2005. The lighting is the thing that makes this painting. When arriving at a golf course, she has someone knowledgeable with the course show it to her and she likes to hear what they have to say and see any renovations. Probably was a bit shocked though in a good way when she arrived at Pinehurst for the 2014 painting! The 9th at Winged Foot in 2006. Great clubhouse. Great job clearing the view by removing some trees. So dramatic. Same squirrels as the painting she did for Jack Nicklaus. The 14th at Oakmont in 2007. So different than it was made it a no brainer to do the 9th. USGA objected, they wanted the 14th for strategic, historical reasons. Head Golf Professional Bob Ford was the tie breaker, the 14th "absolutely!" The 3rd at Torrey Pines in 2008. The 3rd hole, with La Jolla and the Pacific Ocean in the background, summed up the place the best. Dramatic, sweeping cirrus sky at evening. The 17th at Bethpage Black in 2009. "Compelled to do it," such a strategic hole. Lighting a little subtle, jet in the sky. Middle tees. Linda loves that sky! Linda's chosen painting from the fourth set of 5? See painting above! The 3rd at Torrey Pines in 2008. CLICK here for the Video Interview with Linda Hartough reminiscing about her final five paintings (2010 Pebble Beach No. 9, 2011 Congressional No. 10, 2012 Olympic Club No. 8, 2013 Merion No. 16, 2014 Pinehurst  No. 9). On to the fifth and final set of five Linda Hartough U.S. Open masterpieces! The  9th at Pebble Beach in 2010. Pebble Beach is always dramatic especially with Carmel Beach in the background. Folks on the beach there to give the painting scale. The 10th at Congressional CC in 2011. New par-3 10th, old 18th reversed. Linda loves the shape and composition. The 8th at Olympic Club in 2012. Brand new hole, trees removed, clubhouse sets it off like they did it on purpose. Linda works with a mirror behind her to give her a fresh view of the composition of the painting. If anything is wrong it pops right out. This painting looks familiar, like the 18th, to Linda backwards in the mirror. Kind of strange, an artist thing, like playing Beatles records backwards? The 16th at Merion in 2013. Felt like you are in England. Has that type of character to it. So many famous holes. Fascinated by the quarry and the Scotch burn (?) yellow gorse-like plants. Last, but not least, the 9th at Pinehurst No. 2 in 2014. So dramatic now, morning light, reminds Linda of Pine Valley. Linda's chosen painting from the fifth set of 5? See painting above! The 9th at Pinehurst in 2014. There you have it, all 25 of Linda Hartough's U.S. Open landscape paintings! She has selected five favorites and the overall grand favorite is... drum roll please... Pebble Beach 18, Shinnecock 16, Bethpage 4, Torrey Pines 3, Pinehurst 9... c'mon Linda make a decision, which one is your favorite? Commercial break, come back after a cup of coffee. Even though Medinah 13th was "my first" and Pinehurst her last she loves all 25 of them and certainly can't pick one of the five chosen to be an overall Best of Linda Hartough's 25 U.S. Open Masterpieces. I hope you had as much fun as I did learning a little bit about Linda and her paintings! Excited to see what her next projects will be! Here are all 25 of Linda Hartough's U.S. Open Landscapes. Images provided by and used with permission of Linda Hartough.