The United States Golf Association has been widely criticized often over the last several years for the absurdity of its setups for the U.S. Open. And we in Houston certainly know that golf course designer Rees Jones has endured more than a little criticism over his work. So, a few eyebrows were raised when GolfWeek‘s Rex Hoggard passed along the following tidbit about the Rees Jones-renovated Torrey Pines South Course — which is the site of next year’s U.S. Open — from the practice tee of this week’s PGA Tour event in Port St. Lucie, Florida:

Big talk on the practice range here at the Tesoro Club, site of this weekís PGA Tour stop, is on the wild fires that were raging in southern California.
One update late in the afternoon suggested Torrey Pines, site of the annual Buick Invitational and next yearís U.S. Open, is in danger of being scorched.
ìGood,î snorted one player, among the many who donít like the changes to the venerable South Course. ìThey need to start over anyway.î
Ouch.