Unlike any other major golf venue, Baltusrol offers the possibility of delayed redemption: the only par 5s are Nos. Tillinghast designed “Dual Courses,” two courses intended to be of equal strength and character, and opened them on the same day, June 17, 1922. Louis Bayard, who had served Baltusrol for 21 years as Club President, passed away on August 18, 1920. Water in front of the tee won’t affect the low handicapper, just folks like you and me. The Lower Course should produce a challenging but fair test of golf for the 98th PGA Championship. Baltusrol Golf Club has retained its classic design throughout its history, but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been some modifications over the years. Yet the Lower Course at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J., is poised to deliver what the PGA has consistently delivered over the past decade: the most exciting and entertaining competition, year in and year out, of any of the four majors. Hosting adds prestige, too. By October of 1921, some $108,000 had been expended on the project, and Green Chairman Watson reported to the Board that an additional $6,000 would complete the Dual Courses while “the elaborate bunkers, as laid out by Mr. Tillinghast, had cost the Club more than the cost of building the greens.” On Saturday, June 17, 1922, the Upper and Lower were opened officially. Baltusrol Golf Club – Lower Course (Springfield) [1] Jack Nicklaus has called Baltusrol one of his favorite courses, and it’s easy to see why — he won two U.S. In fact, in many advertisements Tillinghast billed himself as the “Creator of Baltusrol.” After Baltusrol, Tillinghast would go on to design several other very notable courses including Winged Foot’s East and West courses, the Five Farms course at Baltimore Country Club, 27 holes at Ridgewood Country Club, and 54 holes at Bethpage State Park. Season 6 Contests. Rookie Design Challenge. Under Construction. Once known as the charming little sister of the Lower, the Upper has been lengthened in recent years to 7,348 yards (the Lower runs 7,400), and actually boasts the higher Slope from the tips, 151, to the Lower’s 147. Box 9 | 201 Shunpike Road | Springfield, NJ 07081 | (973) 376-1900, © var d=new Date();document.write(d.getFullYear()); Copyright - Baltusrol. Amateur. Tillinghast to design the new courses. It’s essentially a mountain course, or at least what passes for mountains in New Jersey. Amateur at the Upper, the 100th playing of the event. Box 9 | 201 Shunpike Road | Springfield, NJ 07081 | (973) 376-1900 At the Annual Meeting of the membership in November of 1918, Louis Keller, reporting for the Green Committee, stated, “Your committee have entered into an arrangement with golf architect A.W. Other practicing golf architects of his generation, and generations to follow, would emulate his principles of golf course architecture. In addition, the Green Committee needed to keep 18 holes open for play throughout the project. Opens there. Together, the courses have hosted 16 national champ… 10. Sadly, however, Louis Keller would not make the opening, as he died from an intestinal illness on February 16, 1922, just four months before the opening and a week before his 65th birthday. Ever since the New course appeared at St. Andrews in 1895 to challenge the Old, debate has roiled within many golf course families as to which of their tracks is better. According to the Times, two new nine-hole courses were planned on the adjacent land, and each of the new nines would be linked to nine holes from the Old Course, thus forming an East Course and a South Course. Keller, who had founded Baltusrol in 1895 and served as the Club’s Secretary since that time, owned the land on which the Clubhouse and Old Course stood. Tillinghast/(R) Robert Trent Jones, Sr., ASGCA, the Lower golf course opened in … 61 on Golf Digest's America's 100 Greatest Courses of 2019-20 Rather than designing and connecting two nine-hole courses to the Old Course, Tillinghast recommended the Old Course be plowed up and two new “Dual Courses” constructed. Given that he lived in nearby Harrington Park, which made it relatively convenient for travel to and from Baltusrol, and the long duration of the construction work, Tillinghast may have spent more time working on Baltusrol than any of his other designs. The word on Baltusrol’s plans spread throughout the golf world. The Dual Courses at Baltusrol are considered by experts to be his most important designs. Here’s why. Uniquely, the US Open has been played seven times on three different Baltusrol courses, the Old, Upper and Lower courses. With the opening of the Lower and Upper, and with Keller and Bayard gone, a changing of the guard was underway. The Upper is far more nuanced, built into the side of Baltusrol Mountain (more like a bunny slope) with wild greens. With its classic demands, Baltusrol will be a course enjoyed and appreciated by the best players in the world. Challenge Circuit Championship. Discussions and planning would go on for three years around various options for building a new golf course and retaining the Old Course. As the costs of both courses mounted, the Green Committee reported continued progress. Graciously, the Board waived the dues for members serving in the military. t’s a different Baltusrol for this year’s PGA Championship, with different dates and a different finish. The first six holes play along the edge of what’s long been known as Baltusrol Mountain, providing a difficult run of sidehill lies on right-to-left canted fairways for the first third of the round. Less well-known, yet equally respected is its Upper course. At the time there were just a few other clubs with more than one 18-hole course, but these courses were built at different times and were not contiguous layouts. Welcome to Baltusrol Golf Club . The Old Course had become one of the most famous in the country, having hosted five USGA National Championships and many regional tournaments and exhibitions as well. Tillinghast. Still, in 1915 there were compelling criticisms of many of the holes on the Old Course. For reasons unknown, Raynor was now out and Tillinghast was in at Baltusrol. Page Hardin was established to negotiate with Keller and report back to the Board on its progress. The Upper has a harder closing hole to par than the Lower. Rees Jones added length to 12 holes and restored several greens ahead of the 2000 U.S. Today's Upper course is still an exacting test with its contoured, hilly terrain. Baltusrol Golf Club | P.O. Baltusrol Golf Club’s Lower and Upper courses are fraternal twins, born from course architect A.W. Uniquely, the US Open has been played seven times on three different Baltusrol courses, the Old, Upper and Lower courses. It’s unlikely that this amazing record will ever be beaten. I missed my drive to the right, but just into the first cut. Baltusrol’s Head Golf Professional and Green Keeper, George Low, had been responsible for keeping and improving the Old Course over the past twelve years since his hiring in 1903. Note: At the time, Merion and Essex County had two separate and distinct 18-hole courses built at different times and separated by several miles. The article went on to say that the membership was “jubilant over the project,” but due to a large sum already spent “some members deem it unwise to make any changes until after the war.” As the Great War raged in Europe, Baltusrol began a lengthy process that consumed most of 1918—assembling and taking title to the various parcels of land adjacent to the Old Course. It’s unlikely that this amazing record will ever be beaten. Obviously, the Club is much better known in more modern times for it’s fine golf courses and the championships that have been settled there. Tillinghast was in the early stages of his career with just a few designs under his belt, and these were scattered across the country. The Lower Course at Baltusrol has seen its fair share of championship golf. 4. The Lower course has had famous matchups that include George Von Elm defeating Bobby Jones in the 1926 U.S. The Finance Committee came up with a plan to fund the new courses by changing the Club By-Laws and creating two classes of membership—Golf and Associate (House & Non-Resident). Two other Green Committee members would follow: Samuel Davidge died a year before the opening, in 1921; and only a month after the official opening, Louis Bayard’s son, Louis Jr., died at the young age of 46. Baltusrol does not have just one major championship caliber course, it has two. Here are 12 things you need to know about Balty’s sizzling sister. During the final round, Ed Furgol took the title when he made par at the final hole after snap-hooking his drive into the trees. Every serious golf fan is familiar with Baltusrol’s Lower course, site of this year’s PGA Championship. From the years of 1901 through 2005 sixteen majors have been contested over this golf course including nine U.S. Paired with Gene Sarazen in the final round, Manero blitzed the Upper with a five-under 67, for a score of 282, breaking the all-time four-round mark by four shots and edging perennial hard-luck bridesmaid “Lighthorse” Harry Cooper by two. Baltusrol Golf Club - Lower Baltusrol GC - Lower Putting surfaces are smaller and more heavily contoured on the Upper than on the Lower. But Baltusrol continued on, and its Board pressed forward planning for a second golf course. 9. As a par 70 course, it boasts many brawny par 4s. - Jack Nicklaus, U.S. Open Champion at Baltusrol, 1967 & 1980. On the advice of Raynor, the Committee determined that some 140 acres adjacent to the Old Course would be better suited for the new golf course. Amateur, Jack Nicklaus' 1967 and 1980 U.S. Open victories, and Phil Mickelson's win at Baltusrol first effort to host the PGA Championship. 1. He would “stay the course” with Tillinghast and allow the Dual Courses to be tweaked over the next ten plus years. The Lower would be his first design to host a National Championship—the 1926 U.S. Baltusrol also would retain A.W. Golf Digest billed The Lower course ahead of the 1993 US Open, which was won by Lee Janzen, as “the longest yawn”, but Baltusrol’s Lower course is the epitome of what is required of US Open venue. In October of 1922, Green Chairman Watson stepped down from the Board and was succeeded by another long-time Board member, William McNight, who would also succeed Sinclair as Club President in 1926. The 1985 U.S. Women’s Open on the Upper boasted a superb field, from Amy Alcott and Betsy King, to three-time winner Hollis Stacy, the defending champion, and fan favorite Nancy Lopez, still looking for her first U.S. Open title. Completed Courses. The Board met regularly in New York City at the offices of the Club’s founder and Secretary, Louis Keller, which were located at 29 Broadway. Golf Course Review by: Bill Satterfield. Originally, it was anticipated that the courses would open in 1921, but the work was plagued by 14 months of wet weather and labor shortages due to the war. 11. 17 and 18. Many of the design features he debuted at Baltusrol would appear again and again in his other designs. The Lower Course at Baltusrol is up there with the best in the world not only in design caliber but in championship history caliber as well. War times were tough, and due to coal shortages the Clubhouse was closed for the winter months. 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