In another first for the U.S. Women’s Open, the USGA has announced that Shinnecock Hills Golf Club will host the championship in 2036. But the good news doesn’t stop there. Shinnecock will become only the second venue to host back-to-back U.S. Open championships as the men and women will compete in consecutive weeks at the illustrious Southampton, New York, club.
Ten years ago, Pinehurst No. 2 became the first venue to host the men and women in back-to-back weeks, and it was a wildly successful campaign for the women, with champion Michelle Wie West drawing in massive television numbers, up 92 percent from the year prior.
Pinehurst will once again host back-to-back championships in 2029.
The U.S. Open trophy as seen at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in the Southampton, N.Y. on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017. (Copyright USGA/John Mummert)
One of five founding members clubs of the USGA, Shinnecock’s roots date to 1891. Its nine USGA championships include the second U.S. Amateur and second U.S. Open, both in 1896. Five U.S. Open championships have been held at Shinnecock, with Brooks Koepka winning the latest in 2018.
While the 91st U.S. Women’s Open will be the first contested at Shinnecock, the club does boast the distinction of becoming the first golf club in America to have women members at its founding.
When LPGA Hall of Famer Inbee Park won the 2013 U.S. Women’s Open down the road at Sebonack Golf Club, which opened in 2006, it naturally raised questions about whether the women would ever get their chance to become part of golf history, a mere 2 ½ miles away.
At long last, the answer is yes.
“Few places can match the historic importance of Shinnecock Hills to golf in the United States,” said USGA chief championships officer John Bodenhamer in a release. “As an organization, we felt that this iconic venue would be an ideal stage for both our men’s and women’s premier championships. It will offer the perfect opportunity to bring the game’s best to one course and provide fans the chance to watch them compete for a national championship in back-to-back weeks.”
Last year, the U.S. Women’s Open was hosted at Pebble Beach Golf Links for the first time. The lineup of courses for the women’s championship leading up to 2036 is dreamlike: The Los Angeles Country Club (2032), Chicago Golf Club (2033), Merion Golf Club (2034) and Pebble Beach Golf Links (2035).
But before the women get their chance, Shinnecock will once again host the men in 2026.
“Shinnecock is deeply proud of our founding association with the USGA and our role in setting the course of history for golf in America,” said Brett Pickett, Shinnecock Hills club president. “And we are extremely excited to build on that legacy through this historic, back-to-back presentation of men’s and women’s major championship golf in Southampton in 2036.
“The seventh U.S. Open at Shinnecock will be played 140 years after the first, as we continue to be the only club to have hosted the U.S. Open in three different centuries.”
Here’s a look at the five players who have hoisted the U.S. Open trophy at Shinnecock Hills:
Golfweek’s experts have ranked the Top 200 courses built before 1960, such as Augusta National, Pebble Beach and more.
Are you a big fan of Golden Age golf architecture? You’re in the right spot. Welcome to the Golfweek’s Best 2023 list of the Top 200 Classic Courses opened before 1960 in the United States.
The hundreds of members of our course-ratings panel continually evaluate courses and rate them based on 10 criteria on a points basis of 1 through 10. They also file a single, overall rating on each course. Those overall ratings are averaged to produce these rankings. The top handful of courses in the world have an average rating of above 9, while many excellent layouts fall into the high-6 to the 8 range.
To ensure these lists are up-to-date, Golfweek’s Best in recent years has altered how the individual ratings are compiled into the rankings. Only ratings from rounds played in the past 10 years are included in the compilations. This helps ensure that any course in the rankings still measures up.
Courses also must have a minimum of 25 votes to qualify for the Top 200 Modern or the Top 200 Classic. Other Golfweek’s Best lists, such as Best Courses You Can Play or Best Private, do not require as many votes. This makes it possible that a course can show up on other lists but not on the premium Top 200 lists.
Each course is listed with its average rating next to the name, the location, the year it opened and the designers. The list notes in parenthesis next to the name of each course where that course ranked in 2022.
After the designers are several designations that note what type of facility it is:
Golfweek’s Best 2023: The top private golf courses in each state.
Want to find the best private golf courses in each state? You’re in the right spot, and welcome to Golfweek’s Best 2023 list of top private layouts as judged by our international panel of raters.
The hundreds of members of that ratings panel continually evaluate courses and rate them based on 10 criteria on a points basis of 1 through 10. They also file a single, overall rating on each course. Those overall ratings are averaged to produce these rankings.
KEY: (m) modern, built in 1960 or after; (c) classic, built before 1960. For courses with a number preceding the (m) or (c), that is where the course ranks on Golfweek’s Best lists for top 200 modern and classic courses in the U.S.
* indicates new or returning to the rankings
Editor’s note: The Golfweek’s Best 2023 rankings of top 200 Modern and top 200 Classic Courses will be released June 19.
New York features the deepest lineup of elite private clubs in the United States.
Bethpage State Park’s Black Course, site of two U.S. Opens (2002, ’09) and one PGA Championship (2019) as well as the next Ryder Cup (2025) in the U.S., is the top-rated public-access golf course in New York.
Built by famed course designer A.W. Tillinghast in 1935, the Black is almost as famous for its sign on the first tee that warns players that the test they are about to face is “extremely difficult.” And besides ranking No. 1 among New York’s public courses, the Black is No. 27 on the 2002 Golfweek’s Best list for all classic courses built in the U.S. before 1960.
It’s hardly alone as a top-tier course in New York, particularly when private courses are considered. New York offers the deepest lineup of exceptional private courses in the country, and each of the top 20 private clubs in the state ranks in the top 100 on either Golfweek’s Best modern or classic lists.
Golfweek’s Best offers many lists of course rankings, with that of top public-access courses in each state among the most popular. All the courses on this list allow public access in some fashion, be it standard daily green fees, through a resort or by staying at an affiliated hotel. If there’s a will, there’s a tee time.
(m): Modern course, built in or after 1960 (c): Classic course, built before 1960
Note: If there is a number in the parenthesis with the m or c, that indicates where that course ranks among Golfweek’s Best top 200 modern or classic courses.
The best of the best. State-by-state rankings of the best U.S. private golf courses in 2022.
Welcome to Golfweek’s Best 2022 list of top private golf courses in the U.S., as judged by our international panel of raters.
The hundreds of members of that ratings panel continually evaluate courses and rate them based on 10 criteria on a points basis of 1 through 10. They also file a single, overall rating on each course. Those overall ratings are averaged to produce these rankings.
All the courses on this list are private and don’t accept daily-fee or resort play.
KEY: (m) modern, built in 1960 or after; (c) classic, built before 1960. For courses with a number preceding the (m) or (c), that is where the course ranks on Golfweek’s Best lists for top 200 modern and classic courses in the U.S. Also included with many courses are links to recent stories about that layout.
Golfweek’s raters have ranked the top 200 courses built in the United States before 1960, such as Augusta National, Pebble Beach and more
Welcome to the Golfweek’s Best 2022 list of the Top 200 Classic Courses before 1960 in the United States.
Each year we publish many lists, with this Top 200 Classic Courses list among the premium offerings. Also extremely popular and significant are the lists for Top 200 Modern Courses, the Best Courses You Can Play State by State and Best Private Courses State by State.
The hundreds of members of our course-ratings panel continually evaluate courses and rate them based on 10 criteria on a points basis of 1 through 10. They also file a single, overall rating on each course. Those overall ratings are averaged to produce these rankings. The top handful of courses in the world have an average rating of above 9, while many excellent layouts fall into the high-6 to the 8 range.
To ensure these lists are up-to-date, Golfweek’s Best in recent years has altered how the individual ratings are compiled into the rankings. Only ratings from rounds played in the past 10 years are included in the compilations. This helps ensure that any course in the rankings still measures up.
Courses also must have a minimum of 25 votes to qualify for the Top 200 Modern or the Top 200 Classic. Other Golfweek’s Best lists, such as Best Courses You Can Play or Best Private, do not require as many votes. This makes it possible that a course can show up on other lists but not on the premium Top 200 lists.
Each course is listed with its average rating next to the name, the location, the year it opened and the designers. The list also notes in parenthesis next to the name of each course where that course ranked in 2021. Also included with many courses are links to recent stories about that layout.
After the designers are several designations that note what type of facility it is:
• p: private
• d: daily fee
• r: resort course
• t: tour course
• u: university
• m: municipal
• re: real estate
• c: casino
* Indicates new to or returning to this list.
Editor’s note:The 2022 Golfweek’s Best Modern Courses list for the top 200 layouts built after 1960 in the U.S. was published Monday, May 23. The Best Courses You Can Play lists and the Best Private Courses lists will follow over the next two weeks.
The top 200 classic golf courses built before 1960. The list includes Augusta National, Shinnecock Hills, Pebble Beach and Pine Valley.
Welcome to the Golfweek’s Best 2021 list of the top 200 Classic Courses, built before 1960 in the United States.
Each year we publish many lists, with this Top 200 Classic Courses and the accompanying Top 200 Modern Courses lists being the premium offerings. Also extremely popular and significant are the Best Courses You Can Play State by State and Best Private Courses State by State.
The members of our course-ratings panel continually evaluate courses and rate them based on our 10 criteria. They also file a single, overall rating on each course. Those overall ratings on each course are averaged together to produce a final rating for each course. Each course is then ranked against other courses to produce the final rankings.
To ensure these lists are up-to-date, Golfweek’s Best in recent years has altered how the individual ratings are compiled into the rankings. Only ratings from rounds played in the past 10 years are included in the compilations. This helps ensure that any course in the rankings still measures up.
Courses also must have a minimum of 25 votes to qualify for the top 200 Modern or the top 200 Classic. Other Golfweek’s Best lists, such as Best Courses You Can Play or Best Private, do not require as many votes. This makes it possible that a course can show up on other lists but not on the premium top-200 lists.
Each course is listed with its average rating next to the name, the location, the year it opened and the designers. The top 100 courses also note in parenthesis next to the name of each course where that course ranked in 2020. After the designers are several designations that note what type of facility it is:
Golfweek’s Best looks at the elite clubs in each state to determine which states have the greatest public access or private courses in U.S.
So, where’s the best golf in the United States? Turns out, it’s almost everywhere, as evidenced by this year’s Golfweek’s Best rankings of great courses. From Hawaii to New York, South Florida to northern Michigan, fantastic layouts – new and old – are sprinkled across a diverse landscape.
But an analysis of the new Golfweek’s Best rankings does of course show that some states are sprinkled a little more densely with top tracks. And to answer that question about the location of best golf, we must follow with another question: What type of golf do you prefer?
The Golfweek’s Best rankings are categorized in many ways, from public-access layouts on the Best Courses You Can Play lists for each state, to the top 100 private clubs. Want to play a great modern course? The states that show up most on that list are very different than the states with the most top classic courses, with 1960 serving as the demarcation between those categories.
(Fair warning, this story has enough ranking talk to make a golfer’s head spin like a balata ball struck by square grooves. Don’t worry, each of the lists discussed is displayed on these pages.)
Various states score highly on some of the lists, not so much in others. And for some golfers who haven’t closely followed the evolving golf scene over the past 20 years, there certainly might be some surprises.
For a fun comparison, we averaged the ratings of the top five public-access courses in each state to compile a list of states where a traveling golfer has the best chance to play a great track. We also compared states’ representation on a separate but similar list, the top 100 Best Courses You Can Play in the U.S.
While sunny stalwarts such as California and Florida rank highly on the list that compares each state’s top five public-access courses, it’s Oregon that steals the show with an average rating of 8.00 for the top five tracks. And largely on the strength of Bandon Dunes Golf Resort (pictured atop this story is Bandon Dunes’ Old Macdonald) and the newer Silvies Valley Ranch, the Beaver State places eight layouts among the top 100 Best Courses You Can Play in the U.S.
Erin Hills in Wisconsin (Courtesy of Erin Hills/Paul Hundley)
Then what might be another surprise for some: Wisconsin is second on the list that compares the top five public-access courses in each state. The Badger State has become a must-see golf destination over the past 20 years despite a shorter-than-normal golf season. Whistling Straits, Sand Valley, Erin Hills and a handful of others have powered the climb in the rankings, and Wisconsin has eight courses among Golfweek’s Best top 100 courses you can play.
California ranks third in our data that compares each state’s top five public-access courses, no surprise there, thank you very much Pebble Beach and other coastal stars. And California tops the list of 100 Best Courses You Can Play in the U.S., showing incredible depth with 10 courses.
What’s not a surprise is New York’s domination of the list of Golfweek’s Best Private Courses, with Long Island the jewel in the crown. Again averaging the top five courses as ranked on the state-by-state list for top private tracks, New York beats out California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Georgia for the top spot for elite private clubs.
Shinnecock Hills in New York (David Cannon/Getty Images)
The disparity in New York’s private and public-access golf is certainly interesting. When comparing the ratings of the top five courses in each state, public versus private, the Empire State’s private courses are leaps and bounds ahead of its public-access courses – certainly no surprise to most golfers in the state. The top five private courses in the state average an astonishingly high 8.82 rating on Golfweek’s 10-point scale, while the top five public-access courses average 6.76.
The gulf between private and public is greater only in neighboring New Jersey. The top five private courses in the Garden State average an 8.11 rating, while its top five public-access tracks average a 6.03 rating.
Another interesting comparison is a state’s placing on the Golfweek’s Best classic and modern lists. Not surprising is that New York leads the country with 32 of the top 200 classic courses in the U.S., followed by Pennsylvania and California. But New York doesn’t fare so well on the modern list, with only four courses ranked among the top 200. Clearly the best available sites in the bustling state were taken before 1960, which is in line with the fact that early golf in the U.S. was developed mostly in the Northeast.
Florida tops the list of top 200 modern courses with 19 while placing only five tracks on the top 200 classic list. California is second on the modern list, followed by South Carolina, Arizona and Texas. Golf apparently expanded into warm states at a similar rate as did the availability of air conditioning in and after the 1960s.
Which still leaves the initial question: Where to go for great golf?
One state pops up in the top five of each of the lists discussed here: California. The Golden State is No. 1 on the list of top 100 Best Courses You Can Play in the U.S with 11 courses on that list. It also ranks No. 2 when comparing the top five private courses in each state (8.43 average rating), No. 2 on the top-200 modern list (16 courses), No. 3 when comparing the top five public-access courses in each state (7.55 average rating) and No. 3 on the top-200 classic list (18 courses).
So, for sure, California has it all: public, private, classic and modern. But there’s one more combination of rankings worth checking out: each state’s combined representation on the top 200 modern and classic lists. Based on the strength of its private clubs, New York has a combined 36 courses on those lists. California ranks second (34), followed by Florida (24), Pennsylvania (22), New Jersey (21), Massachusetts (20) and North Carolina (20). In all, 44 states have at least one course on either the top 200 classic or modern lists.
One other thing is also for sure: There’s great golf to be found at all points on the compass, as evidenced on the many lists in this issue. All you have to do is look, and to know what type of golf you are looking for.
The original Bandon Dunes course at the Oregon resort (Courtesy of Bandon Dunes Golf Resort)
States ranked by elite public-access courses
This list was compiled by averaging the ratings, on a scale of one to 10, of the top five public-access layouts in each state on the Golfweek’s Best Courses You Can Play list:
1. Oregon, 8.00
2. Wisconsin, 7.56
3. California, 7.55
4. Florida, 7.34
5. North Carolina, 7.17
6. South Carolina, 7.11
7. Michigan, 6.94
8. Hawaii, 6.92
9. Washington, 6.92
10. Virginia, 6.77
11. New York, 6.76
12. Nevada, 6.70
13. Mississippi, 6.65
14. Nebraska, 6.65
15. Arizona, 6.55
16. Minnesota, 6.47
17. Texas, 6.46
18. Utah, 6.43
19. Georgia, 6.40
20. Colorado, 6.39
21. Missouri, 6.38
22. Arkansas, 6.30
23. Indiana, 6.29
24. Alabama, 6.29
25. North Dakota, 6.28
26. Massachusetts, 6.27
27. Tennessee, 6.22
28. Illinois, 6.21
29. New Mexico, 6.20
30. Pennsylvania, 6.16
31. West Virginia, 6.12
32. Maine, 6.09
33. New Jersey, 6.03
34. Idaho, 6.03
35. Ohio, 6.02
36. Connecticut, 6.01
37. Vermont, 5.97
38. Oklahoma, 5.94
39. Montana, 5.92
40. Maryland 5.91
41. Louisiana, 5.90
42. Iowa, 5.85
43. Kansas, 5.77
44. South Dakota, 5.75
45. New Hampshire, 5.69
46. Wyoming, 5.69
47. Rhode Island, 5.49
48. Kentucky, 5.47
49. Delaware, 5.15
50. Alaska, 5.06
Pebble Beach in California (Courtesy of Pebble Beach)
Each state’s share of the Top 100
Best Courses You Can Play
This list shows how many courses each state has on the Top 100 list for public-access courses in the United States. Only 32 states are represented on the list, with 18 states having no courses on the list.
1. California, 10
2(t). Florida, 8
2(t). Oregon, 8
2(t). Wisconsin, 8
5. North Carolina, 7
6. South Carolina, 6
7(t). Hawaii, 4
7(t). Michigan, 4
7(t). Virginia, 4
7(t). Washington, 4
11(t). Arizona, 3
11(t). Mississippi, 3
11(t). New York, 3
11(t). Nevada, 3
15(t). Colorado, 2
15(t). Georgia, 2
15(t). Minnesota, 2
15(t). Missouri, 2
15(t). North Dakota, 2
15(t). Nebraska, 2
15(t). Texas, 2
22(t). Alabama, 1
22(t). Illinois, 1
22(t). Indiana, 1
22(t). Massachusetts, 1
22(t). Maryland, 1
22(t). New Jersey, 1
22(t). New Mexico, 1
22(t). Oklahoma, 1
22(t). Tennessee, 1
22(t). Utah, 1
22(t). West Virginia, 1
Bethpage Black in New York (Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports)
States ranked by the Classic list
These 31 states have courses among Golfweek’s Best list for top 200 Classic courses built before 1960, and they are ranked below by number of courses on that list:
1. New York, 32
2. Pennsylvania, 19
3. California, 18
4. Massachusetts, 17
5. New Jersey, 13
6(t). Illinois, 11
6(t). North Carolina, 11
8. Ohio, 10
9. Michigan, 9
10. Connecticut, 8
11. Georgia, 6
12. Florida, 5
13(t). Maryland, 4
13(t). Minnesota, 4
13(t). Rhode Island, 4
13(t). South Carolina, 4
13(t). Texas, 4
18. Wisconsin, 3
19(t). Colorado, 2
19(t). Iowa, 2
19(t). Kansas, 2
19(t). Missouri, 2
19(t). Tennessee, 2
24 (t). Alabama, 1
24(t). Kentucky, 1
24(t). Nebraska, 1
24(t). Oklahoma, 1
24(t). Oregon, 1
24(t). Virginia, 1
24(t). Vermont, 1
24(t). West Virginia, 1
The Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass in Florida (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
States ranked by the Modern list
These 42 states have courses among Golfweek’s Best list for top 200 modern courses built in or after 1960, and they are ranked below by number of courses on that list:
1. Florida, 19
2. California, 16
3. South Carolina, 15
4(t). Arizona, 10
4(t). Texas, 10
6(t). Georgia, 9
6(t). North Carolina, 9
6(t). Oregon, 9
9. New Jersey, 8
10. Michigan, 7
11(t). Hawaii, 6
11(t). Virginia, 6
11(t). Wisconsin, 6
14(t). Minnesota, 5
14(t). Washington, 5
16(t). Colorado, 4
16(t). New York, 4
16(t). Nebraska, 4
16(t). Ohio, 4
20(t). Idaho, 3
20(t). Illinois, 3
20(t). Indiana, 3
20(t). Massachusetts, 3
20(t). Mississippi, 3
20(t). Nevada, 3
20(t). Oklahoma, 3
20(t). Pennsylvania, 3
20(t). Tennessee, 3
29(t). Alabama, 2
29(t). Utah, 2
29(t). West Virginia, 2
32(t). Arkansas, 1
32(t). Connecticut, 1
32(t). Kansas, 1
32(t). Kentucky, 1
32(t). Maryland, 1
32(t). Missouri, 1
32(t). Montana, 1
32(t). New Mexico, 1
32(t). Rhode Island, 1
32(t). South Dakota, 1
32(t). Wyoming, 1
Winged Foot’s West course during the 2006 U.S. Open in New York (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
States ranked by elite private clubs
This list was compiled by averaging the ratings, on a scale of one to 10, of the top five private layouts in each state as ranked by Golfweek’s Best (Alaska has no courses on that list):
Stewardship is what inspires iconic clubs to host prestigious national competitions, like the upcoming U.S. Open at Winged Foot Golf Club.
MAMARONECK, N.Y. — Stewardship is what inspires iconic clubs to host prestigious national competitions. There’s a legacy of protecting and promoting the game. Ego is what motivates these golf landmarks to open the gates to the public. There’s a longstanding desire to show off a little, as well.
Winged Foot is beginning to get camera ready for another U.S. Open.
There was some animosity here after Geoff Ogilvy claimed the championship in 2006 because it took longer than anticipated to restore the East Course, which supported most of the USGA infrastructure. Members declined an invitation to host again in 2015.
It was hard to blame them.
Why in the world would any golfer who pays dues religiously volunteer to give up access to a historic club at the height of the summer?
See above.
“It’s right there in our charter,” said Bryan Marsal, who is the club’s chairman for this year’s U.S. Open, which will is scheduled to be held at Winged Foot Sept. 17-20. “The club was formed by a group of guys who decided they wanted to have 600 members and two golf courses and they wanted Winged Foot to be a place where championships would be played. … I’ve been a member here for 40 years and I view myself as a steward in a long line of stewards that have carried on that tradition.
“Now, the other side of that is the fact that I’m proud of Winged Foot and I like to showcase the place, especially to people who love golf.”
Geoff Ogilvy, of Australia, hoists the U.S. Open trophy after winning the U.S. Open golf tournament at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y. Sunday, June 18, 2006. Ogilvy finished at 5 over par.
It’s a common theme.
“There are privileges of being a member, but there are also responsibilities of being a member,” Baltusrol Golf Club president Rick Shea said. “We host tournaments on all levels and I think there is a broad acceptance of the responsibility to be part of the game, to maintain a championship venue and make the course available from time to time for the greats of the game to come and be tested.”
Of course, the clubs are compensated for hosting a major. Renovation projects and capital improvements are not cheap, so the revenue usually overshadows the inconvenience.
Hosting adds prestige, too.
While there is financial risk hosting some of the amateur championships, there is competition among clubs to land those events.
“The interest level, I’ve seen it ebb and flow a bit, but never to a point where we’ve struggled to find willing hosts,” USGA managing director of championships Mark Hill said.
A quick compliment from a weary competitor is often thanks enough.
Members are generally eager to see the best players in the world playing their course from the tips and typically swell with pride when the headliners get tangled in the rough or humbled on the greens.
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“We’re following in the footsteps of members who in the past believed it was important to host these tournaments,” said former Oak Hill Country Club president Tim Thaney, who oversaw the recent restoration of the East Course. “It adds prestige to the club. It generates a lot of interest from the community, helps the economy. Oak Hill is a fun place to be when these things are in town.
“Now, it was a little disappointing when Jason Dufner shot a 63 on a soggy course during the PGA Championship in 2013. He made it look a little too easy.”
The value of status
With a high concentration of Top 100 courses in New York and New Jersey, competition for members can be fierce. There is no better marketing campaign than one punctuated with a slice of golf history.
“Jack Nicklaus won two U.S. Opens here,” Shea noted of Baltusrol.
Look what Tiger Woods did for the renowned Black Course at Bethpage State Park. A once tired public course quickly became a destination when he won the U.S. Open there in 2002.
And the plan is to remain in the conversation.
“We’re proud to be associated with championship golf,” said Mary Ann Sullivan, who along with Peter Knobloch will be chairing the U.S. Women’s Amateur. “Hosting a tournament every few years is something we’d like to do in order to remain relevant in the public golfing world. We have a strong class of members who have joined in the last five years. A lot of them grew up in the area, have an interest in golf and know about us from watching The Barclays on TV.”
The replica trophies from past championships are eye-catching when prospective members tour the grounds. Highlighting a demanding course on television during a championship telecast also pays dividends.
Over the years, Winged Foot has played host to the U.S. Open (1929, 1959, 1974, 1984, 2006), PGA Championship (1997), U.S. Amateur (1940, 2004), U.S. Senior Open (1980), U.S. Women’s Open (1972, 1957), Walker Cup (1949) and U.S. Amateur Four-Ball (2016).
Baltusrol has been the site for the U.S. Open (1903, 1915, 1936, 1954, 1967, 1980, 1993), PGA Championship (2005, 2018), U.S. Women’s Open (1961, 1985), U.S. Amateur (1904, 1926, 1946, 2000), U.S. Women’s Amateur (1901, 1911) and U.S. Junior Amateur (2018).
Oak Hill has stayed on the radar with the U.S. Open (1956, 1958, 1989), PGA Championship (1980, 2003, 2013), Ryder Cup (1995), U.S. Amateur (1949, 1998), U.S. Senior Open (1984) and Senior PGA Championship (2008, 2019).
“I’m a golf nut and I think we have a disproportionate number of members who love the history of the game,” Shea added. “I’ve watched the 1967 telecast of the U.S. Open and there’s an epic moment on the seventh hole on Sunday when Palmer hits driver, 1-iron to 10 feet and Nicklaus hits driver, 2-iron to about 30 feet on the fringe. Nicklaus makes the putt for birdie and Palmer misses. You could argue the kingship of American golf was passed from one man to another right there. There was going to be a moment between those two guys and the fact that it happened in that round is something that is really cool. From where I sit, I think we want more of that in our history.
“I’m not sure I can quantify it in terms of new members, but there is no doubt it helps. I grew up in Massachusetts and remember watching the 1980 U.S. Open so this certainly became an aspirational spot for that young golfer.”
History is a handy trump card when a member grumbles.
“We have no problems with the membership,” Marsal added. “We have a waiting list. We have a waiting list because we have the finest golf course in the New York area. We’re a healthy club financially and we’re in demand. Part of that is because we’re a place where championships are played.”
SOUTHAMPTON, NY – JUNE 17: Brooks Koepka of the United States celebrates with the U.S. Open Championship trophy during the trophy presentation after winning the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on June 17, 2018 in Southampton, New York. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
The nuts and bolts
Getting the attention of the USGA or the PGA of America usually requires a fair amount of pedigree. Whether the course was designed by a Golden Age icon or a modern contemporary, it must have a reputation for providing a quality test.
“It usually begins with a club reaching out to us and expressing an interest,” Hill explained. “The golf course is certainly a big part of it, a key and integral part of it. That’s where it starts.”
Knobloch got the ball rolling for Westchester in 2016.
“He was over at Winged Foot watching the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball and mentioned to the USGA, ‘This would be great at Westchester,’ ” Sullivan said. “They suggested writing a letter and we were quickly in talks for 2021.”
To land a marquee event, clubs often have to have a dress rehearsal.
“We saw a lot of enthusiasm at Ridgewood (N.J.) Country Club when they hosted the U.S. Girls Junior in 2016,” Hill said. “We stayed connected with the people there and it’s probably obvious now since they are hosting the U.S. Amateur in 2022.”
The financial details are well-guarded even from the general membership, but a club stands to bring in millions from a major championship. According to New York State estimates, the regional economic impact of the 2019 PGA Championship at Bethpage Black was $120 million.
Winged Foot is going to be in a unique situation with limits on attendance likely in place.
The majors come with infrastructure that requires months to build and remove. The amateur championships take up far less square footage and only interrupt member play for 7-10 days.
“When we hosted the PGA Championship in 2013, our practice range was shut down virtually the whole season because that’s where the entrance and merchandise tent were,” Thaney said. “The build-out takes almost the entire summer. We had a smaller build-out for the Senior PGA last year in May, but we still took the driving range out of play until the Fourth of July. That’s a big inconvenience for the members, but we do get a financial reward. We actually did quite well financially. I can’t get into the details, but we have a different contract for the 2023 PGA Championship that kind of guarantees the club a certain amount of money for the honor and inconvenience of hosting a major.”
The USGA provides a stipend for hosting its amateur championships, but the clubs are responsible for raising funds to cover most of the operating expenses. It’s not a small investment. The budget for next year’s U.S. Women’s Amateur was north of $500,000.
“When a club makes a commitment to host a championship, they agree to take on certain responsibilities,” Hill said. “Volunteer recruitment and management is one of them. There are social functions, too, at the club. There are expenses that come with the championships.”
In the past, corporate sponsorship and outings helped cover the cost.
“Considering the environment we’re dealing with right now, it’s not going to be an easy haul,” Sullivan explained. “We took a look at the number a few weeks ago and we’d like to bring the cost down. So yes, it’s been over $500,000 and we’ve made the membership aware, but we have to work to pare that number down. We’re confident we’ll still be able to present a wonderful championship, but hopefully, without overdoing it. We’ve had a lot of support from the members so far, but going forward, it’s understandable we probably won’t get the same level of support.”
In most cases, the grind is quickly forgotten.
There are moments from each championship at Winged Foot that have remained vivid as time passes. Some include trash cans. Some include rainbows.
“Every member here has wonderful stories of the championships they’ve been to,” club president Brendan Boyle said. “We have a long history of supporting and volunteering. It’s part of the DNA of Winged Foot and our members.”
Mike Dougherty covers golf for The Journal News/lohud.com, part of the USA Today Network. He can be reached at mdougher@lohud.com or on Twitter: @lohudgolf.
Auctioned rounds of golf at famous courses like Shinnecock, Medalist and more raised $100,000 for coronavirus workers.
You know something’s not right when you feel guilty on a golf course.
That was precisely Eric Sedransk’s predicament. You see, he left his apartment in New York City on March 16 to stay with his parents during the pandemic. While he was working on his short game in beautiful Hilton Head, South Carolina, his friends back in the city were all weathering the coronavirus storm.
The 35-year-old has a passion for not just golf, but giving back. So he asked himself an important question: What can I do?
“There’s two things I have: One is I have a relatively decent following on Instagram and through playing golf I have a pretty good network of both members and club professionals at pretty high-end golf courses,” explained Sedransk. “So I thought ‘You know what? I’m just going to reach out.’”
And that’s what he did. He explained how he wanted to auction off rounds of golf with all the proceeds going to charity, and clubs started saying yes. Over eight days from May 13-21, the @Member4aDay Auction raised more than $100,000 to provide over 10,000 meals for frontline hospital workers in New York City.
As if that isn’t impressive enough, Sedransk did it mainly by himself in just three weeks. He didn’t take a penny. In fact, he lost money.
What’s my $25,000?
Once the ball got rolling, it came time to choose the charity. Sedransk said it didn’t feel right working with one of the big organizations, and he had a reason.
“I had no idea how much money I was going to raise, so if I’m donating to a charity that raises $50 million a year, what’s my $25,000?” said Sedransk. A friend connected him to Project Frontline, whose goal is simple: Help feed healthcare workers across the country.
For two and a half weeks Sedransk hustled to get as many courses on board as possible, and he wasn’t going for the easy ones. Sedransk wanted the best-of-the-best. Courses like Shinnecock Hills, Medalist, Preswick (Scotland), Interlachen, Valhalla, etc. Ever heard of them?
When the site launched, he had 20 signed on. The only public course was Sweetens Cove, Golfweek’s top-ranked track you can play in the state of Tennessee.
Within the first 24 hours, @Member4aDay Auction raised $12,000, which was considerably above Sedransk’s target goal of $50,000, realistically thinking they’d get $25,000-$30,000.
“The most interesting part to me was the response I got from people I don’t know. All of a sudden I started getting messages from both members and club professionals wanting to pitch in and help,” said Sedransk, who was adding courses up until 24 hours before the end of the auction.
Eric Sedransk at Sea Pines. (Photo: Patrick Koenig)
When time ran out, 48 auction items were donated, more than double what he started with. More than 220 individual people submitted bids. Groups of friends were even on conference calls working together as teams to try and earn a winning bid.
“More than 50 percent of rounds donated came from people that I’ve never met out of the goodness of their heart,” said Sedransk.
One final push
With three hours to go, the total was $65,000. Sedransk put the auction site up on his parents TV and watched the total rise as time expired. With less than 10 minutes on the clock, a bid for $11,000 for a round at Shinnecock, host of the 2018 U.S. Open, came in.
“When I first set out to do this I thought the only reason people would bid would be 90 percent to play the incredible golf course and 10 percent because it’s charitable,” said Sedransk. “At the end, I think it might be more charity, less golf.”
The auction total finished right around $96,000. When time ran out, Sedransk got emails from people asking if any other rounds were available. He can’t explain why, but he reached out to one of the courses to ask for one more round. The head pro said if the bid is enough to get the total over $100,000 he’d host another foursome, and the deal was done.
“We all have this desire during times of need to give back. The first question is always ‘how?’ What I want people to know is I don’t have a magic bullet, there’s no reason it was successful. I just went out and did it,” said Sedransk. “If you really want to give back and you’re willing to put the effort in, you can do something just as well as I did and make a real difference.”
