The 118th U.S. Open will be contested at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, in Southampton, N.Y. (for the 5th time) June 14-17.
Two Michigan courses – Muskegon Country Club and Knollwood Country Club – will host Local Qualifiers, May 7 and May 15, respectively.
In addition, the Battle Creek Country Club will host on June 8 a Sectional for the U.S. Senior Open.
Several U.S. Open champions have advanced to the championship through both local and sectional qualifying at some point in their careers, including Lucas Glover, David Graham, Lou Graham, Hale Irwin, Tony Jacklin, Lee Janzen, Tom Kite, Johnny Miller, Corey Pavin, Curtis Strange, Lee Trevino and Fuzzy Zoeller. 
Ken Venturi (1964) and Orville Moody (1969) are the only players to win the U.S. Open after qualifying through both local and sectional play.
To be eligible, a player must have a Handicap Index® not exceeding 1.4, or be a professional.
In 2017, the USGA accepted 9,485 entries for the championship; the record of 10,127 was established for the 2014 championship.
“The USGA keeps asking us to host,” said Muskegon Country Club head pro Stephany Pawlowski (Fleet), a DeWitt native and former player at Eastern Michigan University. “The golf course holds up well to scoring and is a really good test for the level of players hoping for a shot at making the U.S. Open.”
According to MCC history, the course sits on the original site of virgin dune and was designed by Tom Bendelow in 1908 with a redesign by Donald Ross in 1920. It’s had the honor of hosting numerous Regional Qualifying Rounds for U.S. Open – plus the 2005 and 2013 Michigan Amateur Championships. Last year the classic club hosted a U.S. Open Local, a Women’s U.S. Open Sectional and the GAM Senior Championship. In July 2018, it’s hosting the Women’s GAM Championship.
MCC archives have a 1920 quote identified with Donald Ross that says, in part: “The fact is, you have the most wonderful piece of property for a golf course I have ever seen…. the topography of your property is unexcelled anywhere. I would say you shouldn’t try to even hold a state championship or district tournament at your course. It would spoil its reputation… it would be one of the very best courses in the country for a national championship meet.”
Muskegon maxes out at 6,750 yards but with several Ross-designed elevated greens it’s definitely a challenge.
Knollwood Country Club: 
Knollwood, like other Michigan qualifying sites, is nearing 100 years old and measures 6,801 yards from the championship tees with a slope of 139. It was inspired by Ross and designed in 1925. The West Bloomfield location is what used to be rural farm land outside Detroit – now surrounded by commerce – but is blessed with topography like Muskegon’s. Many hills and valleys add to the experience while accumulating difficulty among the wide variety of trees and natural ponds.
Battle Creek CC:
According to the club, since its current site founding in 1919, some of the greatest golfers in the game have played competitively at Battle Creek Country Club including Cary Middlecoff, Gene Littler, Roberto DeVicenzo, Tommy Bolt, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Chi Chi Rodriguez, Gary Player, Fuzzy Zoeller, Larry Nelson, Dustin Johnson, and Jhonathon Vegas.
The future players of the game also take on the challenge at BCCC per Junior tournaments, and as host site of the annual LPGA Symetra Tour FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship, in August.
