Atlanta Athletic Club

Glory’s last shot rings out over the home club of legendary golfer Bobby Jones as the Atlanta Athletic Club hosts the final major of the year, the US PGA Championship. The 93rd playing of the tournament marks Atlanta becoming only the fifth club to have staged the PGA of America’s flagship tournament at least three times, having previously hosted the 1981 and 2001 events. Atlanta Athletic Club was also the venue for the 1976 US Open. Golf at the club dates back to 1915 when the original downtown location was vacated in favour of a site in East Lake, which was able to provide a golf course and country club. The move to the present location in John’s Creek was made in the late 1960's.

Atlanta Athletic Club has two 18-hole courses, the Riverside that hosted the 1990 US Women's Open, and the more celebrated Highlands layout. Originally designed by Robert Trent Jones and Joe Finger, the Highlands has undergone a major redesign by Rees Jones especially for this PGA Championship. Universally accepted as the strongest field in golf, the 156-player elite field will face a much-improved challenge since the one of a decade ago. Pivotal holes will be the 475m par 4 2nd that call for a pinpoint accurate drive and long approach that must stay below the flag to avoid a fiendishly slippery downhill putt, and the demanding 465m par 4 18th. This exciting finishing hole with water fronting the green played as the hardest on the course in 2001, and was a decisive factor in the final outcome.

However, it is probably the new course design with a unique combination of grasses for which this championship will be most remembered. The layout features Diamond Zoysia fairways, Champion Ultra-dwarf Bermuda greens and Tifton 10 rough which provide outstanding playing conditions as well as great definition and contrast. And the icing on the cake is that as well as playing firm and fast and being better for the environment, this new and dynamic combination of slow-growing grasses is extremely heat-resistant. This will open the door for courses in the Deep South and the Sun Belt to be considered for future majors is the oppressively hot and humid months of June, July and August.

Golfweather Editorial