Golf course author and blogger Geoff Shackelford is blogging the U.S. Open this week at Torrey Pines in San Diego in the same manner as he blogged The Masters earlier this year, and he kicks off the U.S. Open week with this email interview of the best golf writer of the past generation, Dan Jenkins. As usual, Jenkins is in mid-season form:

GS: Are you excited about visiting California, where we treat smokers like lepers?

DJ: I would be more excited about going to California if I was 20 years younger and sitting in the Polo Lounge.

Read the entire interview here. Also, check out this interesting map of Torrey Pines and the slick USGA course overview while perusing Jay Flemma’s and Daniel Wexler’s reviews of the course.