Looking more like a British Open than a U.S. Open, Chambers Bay Golf Links is set to host the 115th U.S. Open. It is the first golf course in U.S. Open history to have been built specifically to host our nation’s championship.

Just minutes from Tacoma, Wash., and situated off the Puget Sound, Chambers Bay will play anywhere from 7,200–7,700 yards during this year’s championship (the maximum length of Chambers Bay is 7,940 yards). Its length won’t be the only concern for players. Navigating its treacherous terrain, fast and undulated greens, long fescue rough, and prevailing wind will make this championship one of the most difficult we have seen in recent years. Being such a difficult test, there are numerous things that you can learn from this championship that will help you in your own game.

Related: What to do near Chambers Bay

Embrace Difficult Conditions

A sure way to play poorly is by having a bad attitude or by complaining about difficult or “unfair” conditions. On the other hand, a golfer can expect to be mentally ahead of the field by embracing difficult conditions as a challenge. After all, everyone will be playing the same golf course. Interestingly enough though, not all golfers will have this attitude. There have been several articles published and videos posted of players commenting about the difficulty of Chambers Bay. While this makes for great media discussion, it doesn’t make for great golf. I don’t expect these players to hoist the trophy on Sunday afternoon. In fact, I don’t even expect them to play Chambers Bay on the weekend.

Next time you play a difficult golf course, or in the wind, or on fast greens, look at it as a challenge. Use it to your advantage. If you accept and embrace it, you will have a leg up on your opponent, and prepared to face the challenge head on.

Playing in the Wind

Pictured below, the 15th hole, a par-3 where players may play as little as a pitching wedge or as much as a fairway wood depending on the tee location and the direction of the prevailing wind, will be a pivotal hole in this year’s championship. The wind coming off of the Puget Sound will certainly be a factor this week. No. 15 is also home to the only tree on the golf course and will likely be the most televised hole of the championship.

Like the old adage goes, “When it’s breezy, swing easy,” which is a key to playing controlled shots in the wind. Club selection is an important decision to control one’s trajectory and distance. A good way to keep the ball low is to take more than enough club to reach the green and hit a knock-down shot that is flighted lower than its normal trajectory. This shot is similar to a partial wedge shot. For instance, if your sand wedge goes 100 yards for a full shot, but you only have 80 yards left to the hole, you would typically play a partial shot that flies 80 percent of the distance. Well, the same is true with longer clubs, and especially true when playing into the wind. Instead of using a 7 iron, select a 6 or even a 5 iron and swing at 80 percent. You may even experiment with moving the golf ball a fraction back in your stance to take advantage of a lower ball flight. With a little practice, this simple shot will become one of your favorites. It will flight the ball lower than normal, won’t go quite as far, and will give you far more control.

When the wind is coming from the left or right, the biggest piece of advice that I can give is to embrace the wind rather than fight it. If the wind is coming from the right, play your shot to the right of the green and allow the wind to move the ball toward the target. I see far too many golfers trying to curve the ball into the wind in an attempt to keep the ball flight straight. This is too difficult for most golfers, and will end up costing you more shots than it is worth. Remember, nature is a far more dominant force than you are. Rather than going against it, use it to your advantage.

Club Selection

Between the undulated green, the various grass lengths, the dynamic bunkers, and numerous chipping areas, Chambers Bay will provide the players with a variety of options around the greens. As a viewer, pay attention to the shot selection and club choice this week. My guess is that we will see a lot of players electing to use the putter from off the green more often than we are use to. This is primarily because the fairway length has been cut to the same length as the greens. Don’t let the links-style course fool you into believing that it is the only place where golfers should putt from off of the green. This is a great option that is far underused by the majority of club players. Putting from off of the green gets the ball rolling immediately, eliminates the big miss, and offers a lot of consistency.

Putting on Fast Greens

Speaking of putting, the U.S. Open is generally a test to see who can withstand brutal elements: thick rough and lightning fast greens. This year won’t be any different. The grainy greens of Chambers Bay are severely contoured, and will be rolling about a 12 on the Stimpmeter. The Puget Sound provides the possibility of wind playing being a factor for players try to navigate the rolling greens. Even tour players who compete at the highest level will have trouble figuring out these greens. But for us non-touring professionals, what can we do to play our best when the greens are lightning fast?

The key to putting on fast greens is adapting the stroke length so that you can make a confident stroke without the fear of blasting it past the hole. A function of developing proper speed is making a good read. Green reading plays a big role in developing the right touch on the greens. Most golfers don’t play enough break and hit the putt too hard in an attempt to keep the ball on line.

The first step to improving one’s ability to control speed is learning to play the maximum amount of break for a given putt. A drill that I like to use is one where I practice fast, breaking putts and try to trickle the ball into the hole. I usually lay an alignment stick on ground or use tees to block out the low side of the hole. If my ball hits the alignment stick or tees, I know that I missed on the low side. This drill forces me to roll the ball with enough break so that the ball enters the hole on the high side or misses high of the hole. Remember that the high side of the hole is called “The Pro Side” for a reason. As you watch this year’s U.S. Open, pay attention to the delivery speed that Tour players use on fast greens. I’ll bet that you won’t see many balls racing past the hole.

Reminder: The optimal delivery speed of a putt has it roll 6-to-8 inches past the hole when you miss.

My Pick to Win

My pick to win the 115th U.S. Open is Dustin Johnson. Having eight top-10 finishes in major championships, including a T2nd place finish at the 2011 British Open, and a win at this year’s WGC-Cadillac Championship, Johnson is no stranger to being in contention at big events. In fact, Johnson was on the wrong side of a controversial conclusion at the end of the 2010 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits. With a one-shot lead going into the 18th hole on Sunday, Johnson grounded his club in what appeared to him as a waste bunker. Upon completion of the hole Johnson was notified that the bunker was one of 1,200 hazards on the facility and would be assessed a 2-stroke penalty for grounding his club in a hazard.

Whistling Straits will again host the PGA Championship in August. While it would be storybook redemption for Dustin Johnson if he were to win his first major championship at the course where he let one slip away, my money is on him to win this week. Chambers Bay is a links style golf course similar to that of Whistling Straits, and is the perfect golf course for Dustin Johnson to break through and claim his first Major Championship. This is a demanding golf course, so don’t be surprised if the winning score is somewhere around par.