"Countdown is on:" Crews hard at work prepping Erin Hills Golf Course for 2017 U.S. Open



HARTFORD -- For many of us, 80 days may seem far off, but for those prepping Erin Hills for golf's biggest stage, it's crunch time.

"So far so good," said Eric Reinhardt, operations manager for the U.S. Open at Erin Hills on Tuesday, March 21st. "We've probably got 30 on site right now working on tents and floors."



As the grounds take shape and the greens 'green up,' Erin Hills will turn into its own city.

"Right now we are pretty comfortable. Certainly I would say by April 15th, things really ramp up. We start the construction with grand stands and there is just a lot more of infrastructure on site at that time," said Reinhardt.



The course will feature a 39,000 square-foot merchandise pavilion.



"The countdown is on. Certainly a big milestone just last week when we started construction to really build out this seven-day city as we like to call it,' said Eric Steimer, championship manager. "Roughly 80 days out from the start of our first practice round and all things considered we're very excited."



Just a reminder, you can watch the U.S. Open at Erin Hills only on FOX6! CLICK HERE for tickets.

If you want to watch all the action in person, Grand Geneva Resort and Spa has a special "Fairways and Airways" package. For just under $7,000, you can take a private helicopter from the hotel in Lake Geneva to Erin Hills.



The package also includes a two-night stay in a private villa.

CLICK HERE to learn more.