The U.S. Open gets underway this week at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton. Superintendent Jon Jennings and his maintenance staff have spent months readying the course after a snowy winter.
Jennings, who has led the crew for nearly 15 years, starts each day with five minutes of meditative breathing and calisthenics. The routine helps the team handle the demands of maintaining the William Flynn-designed layout on nearly 300 acres.
Practice rounds began Monday. Jennings and his staff began their work long before that, pulling protective tarps from the greens amid strong winter winds. Unusual snowfall in 2025–26 delayed some tasks but protected the turf.
The crew grows from 13 members in the off-season to 40 during the regular season and around 200 during U.S. Open week. Jennings plans to retire after 45 years in the industry.
“It happens so fast,” he said. “I have to make myself slow down and enjoy what’s happening.”
