| Club information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Jefferson County, near Louisville, Kentucky, USA |
| Established | 1986 |
| Type | Private |
| Owned by | PGA of America |
| Total holes | 18 |
| Website | Valhalla Golf Club |
| Designed by | Jack Nicklaus |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 7,540 yards (6,890 m) |
| Course rating | 75.9 |
Valhalla Golf Club, located east of Louisville, Kentucky, USA, is a private golf club designed by professional golfer Jack Nicklaus. The course, which sits on a 486-acre (2.0 km2) property on Shelbyville Road in the eastern portion of Louisville just outside the Gene Snyder Freeway, was envisioned by local business leader Dwight Gahm (pronounced "game") and his three sons in 1981, and opened in 1986. Keith Reese is the PGA professional.
In 1992, Valhalla was named as host of the 1996 PGA Championship. The following year, the PGA of America purchased a 25% interest in the club. After the 1996 PGA Championship, the PGA of America raised its stake to 50%, and announced that the event would return to Valhalla in 2000. At the end of the 2000 event, the PGA of America exercised an option to purchase the remaining interest in the club. Later that year, it announced that the 2008 Ryder Cup would be held at Valhalla.
Valhalla also hosted the 2002 PGA Club Professional Championship and the 2004 Senior PGA Championship. The 2004 PGA Championship was originally scheduled to be played at Valhalla but the PGA of America switched it to Whistling Straits.[1]
In 2009, the PGA announced that the Senior PGA Championship and the PGA Championship would return to Valhalla in 2011 and 2014 respectively.
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The 1996 PGA Championship was won in a playoff by Mark Brooks over Kenny Perry with a birdie on the first extra hole, which was Mark Brooks' first and only major title. The 2000 PGA Championship was won also in a playoff by Tiger Woods over Bob May in a three hole format. Tiger Woods had a 3-4-5=12 to Bob May's 4-4-5=13. This was Woods' second PGA Championship for his career, and his fifth major overall. The United States defeated Europe in the 2008 Ryder Cup with a score of 16½ to 11½.
| Year | Tournament | Winner | Runner Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | PGA Championship | Mark Brooks | Kenny Perry |
| 2000 | PGA Championship | Tiger Woods | Bob May |
| 2004 | Senior PGA Championship | Hale Irwin | Jay Haas |
| 2008 | Ryder Cup | United States | Europe |
| 2011 | Senior PGA Championship | Tom Watson | David Eger |
| 2014 | PGA Championship |