Winged Foot Golf Club

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The main entrance to Winged Foot Golf Club

Winged Foot Golf Club is a 36-hole golf club located in Mamaroneck, New York. The course architect is A. W. Tillinghast, who also designed Baltusrol (Lower), Bethpage Black, San Fracisco Golf Club, Cedar Crest Park, and nearby Quaker Ridge Golf Club. Winged Foot Golf Club was founded in 1921, by a cosortium comprised mainly of members of The New York Athletic Club. The club gets its name and logo from the NYAC's logo, but the two have never had any direct affiliation. Application for membership to Winged Foot G. C. is by invitation only.

The foot that put the wings on golf

From the blue tees, the West Course is a par 72 and measures 7,229 yards with a course rating of 73.2 and a slope rating of 138. The East Course is a par 72 and measures 6,750 yards with a course rating of 72.2 and a slope rating of 135. GOLF Digest's 2005 ranking of "America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses" selected the West Course 8th in 2005 and the East Course 34th. Winged Foot G.C. is the only venue with two courses ranked in the top 100.

For USGA championships, the course has been typically set up at par 70. In this configuration the 514 yard converted par five ninth hole becomes the longest par four in major championship history. The 640 yard par five twelfth is the longest hole in major championship history.

Claude Harmon was the head professional at Winged Foot G.C. when he won the 1948 Masters Tournament. He was the last club professional to win a major golf tournament. Previously, Winged Foot G.C. head professional Craig Wood won the 1941 Masters Tournament and U.S. Open, the first time any golfer won those two titles in the same year.

Winged Foot G.C. member Tommy Armour won the 1927 U.S. Open, 1930 PGA Championship, and the 1931 British Open.

[edit] Major golf championships held at Winged Foot

1929 U.S. Open, won by Bobby Jones at 6-over-par 294
1940 U.S. Amateur, won by Winged Foot member Dick Chapman over Duff McCullough Jr., 11 and 9.
1957 U.S. Women's Open, won by Betsy Rawls at twelve-over 292 (East Course)
1972 U.S. Women's Open, won by Susan Maxwell Berning at at 19 over 299 (East Course)
1959 U.S. Open, won by Billy Casper at 2-over-par 282
1974 U.S. Open, won by Hale Irwin at 7-over-par 287 in "The Massacre at Winged Foot"
1980 U.S. Senior Open, won by Roberto De Vicenzo at 285 (East Course)
1984 U.S. Open, won by Fuzzy Zoeller at 4-under-par 276
1997 PGA Championship, won by Davis Love III at 11-under-par 269
2004 U.S. Amateur, won by Ryan Moore, 2-up over Luke List.
2006 U.S. Open, won by Geoff Ogilvy at 5-over-par 285

It should be noted that Ogilvy's 2006 score and Irwin's in 1974 represent the highest major championship 72-hole scores since the the modern era of golf was ushered in by the Niklaus-Palmer rivalry.