Dug up an article from 2022 outlining the process that the USGA went through to consider Ponkapoag as a U.S. Open venue. A real sliding doors moment that could have led to a Ryder Cup. Just like Bethpage Black.

There's an alternate universe where Ponca Pog is hosting this week's Ryder Cup. Follow along. So Joel Beal reached out to David Fay in 2022 to ask about what happened with Ponca Pog in the U.S. Open. It was in the running as another option after Bethpage Black was such a success in 2002. They wanted to look at other public venues that could possibly host a U.S. Open. Ponca Pog was one of them. So the USGA did their due diligence. They went and visited Ponca Pog, 36-hole golf course. The problem was they could only really find 16 U.S. Open-worthy golf holes. They did toss out the idea of possibly building two extra holes so they could have an 18-hole U.S. Open course. That would have cost $10 million, double what Bethpage Black cost to get that ready for the tournament. So the issues with drainage and just not having a really solid full 18 holes between the courses one and two of Ponca Pog, the USGA couldn't pull it off. Which is a shame because it's close to the city. It's right off the highway. The space they have out there with the 36 holes and a driving range would allow for build-out. There is some potential there. It's just not quite good enough, which stinks. Is it overstating it a little bit that Ponca Pog would be hosting the Ryder Cup this week? Of course. That doesn't take into consideration that Bethpage Black is now a PGA of America golf course hosting PGA Championships and Ponca Pog would have had to go through the same little path of USGA to PGA of America. But it also demonstrates that we have something really good in Ponca Pog. And if it was taken a little bit better care of, it could be a gem in Boston. It could be a golf course where maybe bigger tournaments or tournaments would want to come to and play and use Ponca Pog as a venue. So I'll leave you with this quote from David Fay, but I still think with the right amount of momentum, you could have a Bethpage in Boston.