Baltusrol Golf Club
 Clubhouse during the 2005 PGA Championship | |
| Club information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Springfield, New Jersey |
| Established | 1895 |
| Type | Private |
| Total holes | 36 |
| Website | Baltusrol.org |
| Lower Course | |
| Designed by | A. W. Tillinghast |
| Par | 72 (70 for majors) |
| Length | 7,400 yards (6,767 m) |
| Course rating | 76.2 |
| Slope rating | 146 [1] |
| Upper Course | |
| Designed by | A. W. Tillinghast |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 7,348 yards (6,719 m) |
| Course rating | 75.9 |
| Slope rating | 151 [2] |
|
Baltusrol Golf Club | |
| Location | 201 Shunpike rd., Springfield, New Jersey |
| Area | 474 acres (192 ha) |
| Built | 1909 |
| Architectural style | Tudor Revival |
| Governing body | Private |
| NRHP Reference # | 05000374[3] |
| Added to NRHP | May 6, 2005 |
The Baltusrol Golf Club is a private 36-hole golf club in Springfield, New Jersey, founded by Louis Keller. Among the many prestigious tournaments it has hosted, Baltusrol was most recently the site of the PGA Championship in 2005. Both courses were designed by A. W. Tillinghast. The club's original 9-hole course was designed by George Hunter in 1895 and expanded to 18 holes in 1898. This course which is called the Old Course was further modified by George Low and no longer exists. Louis Keller in 1918 hired A.W. Tillinghast to build a second golf course to complement the Old Course. However, Tillinghast recommended that the Old Course be plowed over and he would design and build two new courses. Baltusrol approved his design recommendation and commenced construction of the Upper and Lower courses in 1918. In August 1919, Golf Illustrated declared that "they are planning at Baltusrol on a vaster scale than has ever been attempted in American Golf for the opening of the Dual Courses." The Dual Courses, or Upper and Lower, would be the first contiguous 36-hole design built in America. Both courses officially opened for play in June 1922. In the years following their opening, refinements were made to prepare these courses for National Championship play. The first national championship held on the Lower was the 1926 United States Amateur. The first national championship on the Upper was the U.S. Open in 1936.
In 1985, Baltusrol became the first club to have hosted both the U.S. Open and Women's U.S. Open on two different courses.
The Lower Course is a par 72, but for major championships, it can be set up to play as a par 70. The Upper is also a par 72 and can be set up to play as a par 71 or par 70 for championship play.
History
The land that Baltusrol is on was purchased in the 1890s by Louis Keller, who was the publisher of the New York Social Register. He owned 500 acres (2.0 km2) of land in Springfield Township. On October 19, 1895, Keller announced that the Baltusrol Golf Club would open. The land is named for Baltus Roll, who was murdered at his home on February 22, 1831, at age 61.[4] In 1909, the original clubhouse burned down. Its replacement became the first clubhouse to host a President of the United States, William Howard Taft. Tillinghast oversaw the construction of the Upper and Lower Courses and served as the club's architect until his death in 1942.
In 1948, Robert Trent Jones was retained to update and lengthen the Lower course for tournament play. The Lower course was lengthened again by Rees Jones in 1992 in preparation for the 1993 U.S. Open, and the 2005 PGA Championship. Rees Jones also updated and lengthened the Upper course in advance of the 2000 U.S. Amateur. On both the Lower and Upper courses Rees Jones and his Senior Designer Steve Weisser reinstated and restored various Tillinghast design features which had been lost over the years. Some famous golfers to win tournaments at Baltusrol include Ed Furgol, Mickey Wright, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Janzen, and Phil Mickelson. In 1995, Golf Magazine recognized Baltusrol as one of "The First 100 Clubs in America".
Tournaments hosted
In its history, Baltusrol has hosted 15 USGA-sponsored tournament and one PGA tournament. It has hosted the U.S. Open seven times, in 1903, 1915, 1936, 1954, 1967, 1980, and 1993. It has hosted the U.S. Amateur Championship four times, in 1904, 1926, 1946, and 2000. It has hosted the U.S. Women's Open twice, in 1961 and 1985, and the U.S. Women's Amateur twice, in 1901 and 1911. The 2005 PGA Championship was Baltusrol's first time hosting a PGA Championship. On August 6, 2008, the 2016 PGA Championship was awarded to Baltusrol.
On the second day of the 2005 PGA Championship, a branch off of a red oak tree on the par three fourth hole fell down, injuring a spectator and two employees of CBS Sports. This happened while the grouping of Michael Campbell, Kevin Sutherland, and Tiger Woods was on the hole. Thunderstorms suspended the fourth round twice. Play was resumed on Monday August 15, and Phil Mickelson was the victor.
National championships hosted
| Year | Tournament | Course | Winner | Winner's share ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 | U.S. Women's Amateur | Old Course | Genevieve Hecker | 0 |
| 1903 | U.S. Open | Old Course | Willie Anderson | 200 |
| 1904 | U.S. Amateur | Old Course | Chandler Egan | 0 |
| 1911 | U.S. Women's Amateur | Old Course | Margaret Curtis | 0 |
| 1915 | U.S. Open | Old Course | Jerome Travers (a) | (300) |
| 1926 | U.S. Amateur | Lower Course | George Von Elm | 0 |
| 1936 | U.S. Open | Upper Course | Tony Manero | 1,000 |
| 1946 | U.S. Amateur | Lower Course | Ted Bishop | 0 |
| 1954 | U.S. Open | Lower Course | Ed Furgol | 6,000 |
| 1961 | U.S. Women's Open | Lower Course | Mickey Wright | 1,800 |
| 1967 | U.S. Open | Lower Course | Jack Nicklaus | 30,000 |
| 1980 | U.S. Open | Lower Course | Jack Nicklaus | 55,000 |
| 1985 | U.S. Women's Open | Upper Course | Kathy Baker | 41,975 |
| 1993 | U.S. Open | Lower Course | Lee Janzen | 290,000 |
| 2000 | U.S. Amateur | Medal play - Upper & Lower Match play - Upper | Jeff Quinney | 0 |
| 2005 | PGA Championship | Lower Course | Phil Mickelson | 1,170,000 |
| 2016 | PGA Championship | Lower Course | TBD |
Source[5]
Bolded years are major championships on the PGA Tour
History
Baltusrol Golf Club was named after an apple farmer who went by the name of Baltus Roll. He farmed the land on which the club resides today and on February 22, 1831 he was murdered by two thieves who believed that he had hidden a small treasure in his farmhouse on Baltusrol mountain. Two men, Peter B. Davis and Lycidias Baldwin were suspected of the murder. Baldwin fled to a tavern in Morristown where he killed himself with an apparent overdose of narcotic. Davis was apprehended in stood trial in Newark. Despite overwhelming but circumstantial evidence, much of which the trial judge ruled as inadmissible, Davis was acquitted of murder. He was however convicted of forgery and sentenced to 24 years in prison and would later die in Trenton State Prison.
Course information
The Upper and Lower courses are very different. Tillinghast designed them as "Dual Courses" which were to be "equally sought after as a matter of preference." The Lower is spread out over rolling parkland while the Upper runs along a ridge line known as Baltusrol Mountain. Both courses have ponds and other man-made and natural hazards that come into play. On the Lower Course, the 4th hole and the 18th hole have ponds, and on the Upper Course, the 9th and the 13th holes have ponds. The 10th, 13th, and 15th holes have creeks in play. As of 2010, Baltusrol Golf Club holds the distinction of being the only two-course club to ever host both the U.S. Men's and Women's Open Championships on both of its courses.[6]
Lower Course
The Lower course from the black tees measures 7,400 yards (6,767 m) and is a par 72, but for the 2005 PGA Championship, the course measured 7,392 yards (6,759 m) and was par 70. From the blue tees the course measures 7,015 yards (6,415 m) and is par 72. From the green tees the course measures 6,652 yards and is par 72. From the white tees the course measures 6,325 yards (5,784 m) and is par 72. From the red tees the course measures 5,539 yards (5,065 m) and is par 73. In its listing of the "Top 100 Courses in the U.S.", GOLF Magazine selected the Lower Course as 22nd in 1995, 1997, and 1999.
Three signature holes include the fourth, a par three of 194 yards (177 m) where the player must hit his or her ball over the pond to a two-tiered green, the seventeenth, a par five of 650 yards (590 m) where John Daly is the only player to ever reach the green in two (Tiger Woods actually hit it over the green in two shots at the '05 PGA Championship), and the eighteenth, a par five of 533 yards (487 m) famous for spectacular performances by Furgol, Nicklaus, and Mickelson.
Upper Course
From the black tees the Upper course is a par 72, 7,348 yards (6,719 m), blue tees par 72, 7,002 yards (6,403 m), green tees par 72, 6,558 yards (5,997 m), white tees par 72, 6,232 yards (5,699 m), red tees par 73, 5,819 yards (5,321 m), gold tees par 73, 5,540 yards (5,070 m). The Upper Course has hosted three of the club's national championship including the 1936 U.S. Open.[7] GOLF Magazine's "Top 100 Courses in the U.S." selected the Upper Course 89th in 1997 and 74th in 1999.
General information
The pro shop is open from 7:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. The course is not open to the public. Guests are permitted to play with a member. The dress code states that denim is not allowed and that a collared shirt is required. Metal spiked shoes and fivesomes are not allowed. Moreover, cellphone use is not permitted on the course or on club grounds except in one's car. The course is open year round. The green fees for guests of members are $150. Players are required to use a caddy between the hours of 7am and 2pm. The fairways and greens are bent grass. The greens are aerated in April, late August and November, after the season ends, and there is overseeding of Penn A4 Bentgrass.
Audubon certification
Audubon International has designated the Baltusrol Golf Club a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary. First bestowed to Baltusrol in 1999, Audubon International recognizes that Baltusrol manages its lands with concern to the environment. Audubon International uses criteria of environmental planning, wildlife and habitat management, chemical usage reduction and safety, water conservation, and water quality management. Only 526 golf courses in the world have been designated as Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuaries.[citation needed]
References
- ↑ "Course Rating and Slope Database: Baltusrol Golf Club - Lower Course". USGA. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
- ↑ "Course Rating and Slope Database: Baltusrol Golf Club - Upper Course". USGA. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
- ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2010-07-09.
- ↑ "The Murder - The Name". Baltusrol official site.
- ↑ "Championship Tradition at Baltusrol Golf Club". Archived from the original on 23 May 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-06.
- ↑ "World-class field ready to test Baltusrol". Retrieved 2010-07-13.
- ↑ "Championship Tradition at Baltusrol Golf Club". Archived from the original on 23 May 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-06.
- Baltusrol newest 2012 scorecards.
External links
- Baltusrol Golf Club
- Official 2005 PGA Championship website
- The Upper Course at GOLFCOURSE.com
- The Lower Course at GOLFCOURSE.com
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Coordinates: 40°41′53″N 74°19′59″W / 40.698°N 74.333°W