In case you haven't heard, the 2012 U.S. Open is set to begin on Thursday. Most likely, you've heard about how Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson are part of a dream team pairing in Thursday's opening round.
What you might not have heard a lot about is the course at The Olympic Club, which is located in San Francisco, California. What you will probably hear about throughout the weekend is the monstrous 16th hole. The Par 5, 16th hole at The Olympic Club is a staggering 670 yards, something that will likely leave fans and golfers alike in awe.
It is, after all, the longest hole in U.S. Open history. Antonio Gonzalez of the AP has a bit more information on the hole.
If length weren't enough, the sharp dogleg left feels like a constant U-turn and the fairway narrows right at 300 yards.
The flag is often blind until the third shot, and ones that miss long or left will bounce even farther away because of the grass mowed razor-thin beyond the tiny green.
"The reason we did that is we really felt that would make it a true three-shotter," said USGA executive director Mike Davis, who oversees the course layout. "The wonderful thing about that hole is that from the back, if you miss any one of your shots, it's awful hard to catch up."
If you're only going to really sit back and enjoy one hole of golf this weekend, make sure that it's the 16th -- it'll certainly be something to behold.
For more golf news and analysis, be sure to check out SB Nation's golf hub. For more coverage of the U.S. Open, check out its official website at usopen.com.