Quail Hollow

[Niall Hay]

How good a golf course is it? Looks hard, incredible shape. How good is the layout/design? Looks great on TV. Johnny Harris has done a excellent job making this a solid PGA Tour stop. Any other insights to the course or club?

[Brett Waters]

Never played it, but walked it many times at tournaments over the past ~8 years. I may be the biggest fan of that golf course. Holes that are shaped every way, some good greens, holes you have to lay back on and others you have a green light on. It has the best practice facility I have personally ever seen. Some elevation change (most of which you can not see at all on TV). Every time I have been there the course was, in fact, in incredible shape.

I would also like to hear from someone who has actually played it.

[Ed Oden]

Niall, Quail is a very good course, particularly the back nine.  I'm too lazy tonight to do more than post links to a few prior threads with more detailed thoughts...

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,29180.msg691019.html#msg691019

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,39627.0.html

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,44097.0.html

[Wade Whitehead]

Can someone describe the elevation change on 18?  Downhill, then back uphill?

WW

[Ed Oden]

Downhill, then back uphill?

Yes.

[Wade Whitehead]

The shot from behind the fairway bunker (Byrd's ball) made the hole look much less uphill than I previously believed it to be.  It didn't seem to be severe enough to significantly impact club choice, either, though that's always tough to ascertain when guys hit is as far as they do.

WW

[mike_beene]

on the back nine holes which move around the lake counterclockwise,are the fairways sloping toward the lake and do you get ball above the right handers feet several holes in a row? The back nine at Quail looks a lot like the front nine at Oak Tree which also goes around a lake.

[Niall Hay]

Tee to green it seems to be universally liked by the players.  The greens on the other hand seem to have mixed reviews. Any insight?

[Keith Doleshel]

I remember Phil saying last year that the greens at Quail Hollow were "the worst on tour."  It does look great on TV and has had a great finish on Sunday the past few years now. A potential PGA Championship site?

[Niall Hay]

A potential PGA Championship site?

Quail Hollow Club to host 2017 PGA Championship

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The PGA of America has selected Quail Hollow Club of Charlotte, N.C., as the site of the 99th PGA Championship in August 2017, making it the third venue in the golf-popular state of North Carolina to host the Season's Final Major.

Quail Hollow Club, founded in 1959 and designed by George Cobb in 1961, received renovations by Tom Fazio in 1997 and 2003, which enabled it to continue a heritage of hosting premier events. Beginning in 1969, Quail Hollow has hosted Tour events in four of the past five decades, which includes the Kemper Open (1969-79); the World Seniors Invitational (1980-89); and the Quail Hollow Championship (formerly the Wachovia Championship), which began in 2003.

In August 2017, Quail Hollow Club will join Pinehurst Resort & Country Club (1936) and Tanglewood Golf Club of Winston-Salem (1974) as the only North Carolina venues to host a PGA Championship.

"It is with great pleasure that we bring the PGA Championship back to North Carolina, and to make our first visit to Quail Hollow Club, a venue and a community that has demonstrated its skill in hosting premier golf," said PGA of America President Jim Remy. "In 2017, the PGA Championship will once again attract golf's finest players worldwide to compete at a course well respected among the best players in the game and challenge for the Wanamaker Trophy."

"We have 50 years of rich history here at Quail Hollow Club that has helped prepare us for an opportunity such as this," said John W. Harris, president of the Board of Governors of Quail Hollow Club. "To those who came before us and helped make this possible, we owe our thanks as we look back on a half century of great moments and look toward many more. We're especially proud to host an event that has the history and tradition of the PGA Championship. It is one of America's truly great championships."

Quail Hollow Club's 7,469-yard, par-72 layout has maintained praise from Tour professionals for its unique blend of a demanding and risk-reward layout. The final three holes "the Green Mile," have consistently been ranked the toughest finish on the PGA Tour the past seven years. No other event, including the three U.S. major championships, has had holes 16, 17 and 18 ranked among the top three finishing holes on the Tour during that same period.

The PGA Championship, which enjoys a rich heritage dating back to 1916, will visit the following venues:

2011 - Atlanta Athletic Club (Highlands Course), Johns Creek, Ga.
2012 - Kiawah Island Golf Resort (The Ocean Course), Kiawah Island, S.C.
2013 - Oak Hill Country Club (East), Rochester, N.Y.
2014 - Valhalla Golf Club, Louisville, Ky.
2015 - Whistling Straits (Straits), Kohler, Wis.
2016 - Baltusrol Golf Club (Lower), Springfield, N.J.
2017 - Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte, N.C.

Since its origin in 1916, the PGA Championship has become one of the game's most anticipated major championships, and perennially features the strongest field in golf. The PGA Champions roster featured many of the greatest players from all generations of golf - from Hagen, Sarazen, Snead, Nelson and Hogan, to Nicklaus, Trevino, Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh.

About The PGA of America
Since 1916, The PGA of America's mission has been twofold: to establish and elevate the standards of the profession and to grow interest and participation in the game of golf.
By establishing and elevating the standards of the golf profession through world-class education, career services, marketing and research programs, the Association enables PGA Professionals to maximize their performance in their respective career paths and showcases them as experts in the game and in the multi-billion-dollar golf industry.
By creating and delivering dramatic world-class championships and exciting and enjoyable golf promotions that are viewed as the best of their class in the golf industry, The PGA of America elevates the public's interest in the game, the desire to play more golf, and ensures accessibility to the game for everyone, everywhere. The PGA of America brand represents the very best in golf.

[Terry Lavin]

Charlotte is surely a region that the PGA should pay attention to, and Quail Hollow will be a worthy site, even if its position on the regular tour will potentially take away from its allure.

[Matt MacIver]

Can someone describe the elevation change on 18?  Downhill, then back uphill?

WW

The tee shot is materially downhill but I bet 90% of the pros use driver, it's a long hole and tough second shot. 

The green is elevated from the fairway but I doubt it's more than 1/2 a club worth to the center. 

[Carl Johnson]

on the back nine holes which move around the lake counterclockwise,are the fairways sloping toward the lake and do you get ball above the right handers feet several holes in a row? The back nine at Quail looks a lot like the front nine at Oak Tree which also goes around a lake.

I've never played the course, but have walked it a number of times spectating at the Wachovia/Quail Hollow/Wells Fargo Championship (but not this year), and years ago at the Kemper.  What you say about the ball being above the right handed players feet is going to be generally true on 14  and 15, but not on 16, from what I can recall.

[Sean Leary]

Every year I think it looks really, really good. Surprised it isn't rated higher by the mags, with the Matt Ward tournament rating factor and all.....

[Mike Benham]

Every year I think it looks really, really good. Surprised it isn't rated higher by the mags, with the Matt Ward tournament rating factor and all.....

Whoa there pardner, it's not even close to being Top 10 in the state, little chance for it to be nationally ranked ... until after 2017

[John Shimp]

Mike
If not well in the top 10, it's certainly more than close.  It's a fine course that has been changed a lot but mostly for the better.  Dont want to turn this into a ratings in NC thread but if someone said quail is the 3rd to 10th best course in NC I couldn't make a definitive argument that it's not.  I like the cobb routing, the land, and flow/holes on the back a lot. Its also one of maybe 6 courses in the state setup to host and challenge the worlds best which to me is worth something.

[Ed Oden]

Well said John.  Personally, I think it is easily top 10 in the state.  The back nine is truly exceptional, among the best anywhere.  Opinions on whether the course should be ranked top 100 US will turn almost entirely on what one thinks about the front nine. 

[Andy Troeger]

It moved up to #5 in the state this year and appears to be one of those courses that would be in the top 100 if it had enough ballots (and the same score) for GD. I haven't seen enough of the early part of the course to comment, but the end stretch certainly looks good.

[Matthew Petersen]

Nothing against this course, which seems one of the more interesting venues the tour visits, but I'm not really a fan of playing a major at a course that plays host to an annual tour event (Pebble would be the main exception). With all the courses in the country, it just seems a shame that we'll be watching the PGA there just a few months after the tour event.

[Mark Pritchett]

It will be interesting to see if the PGA event continues at QH after the current deal expires in 2014. 

[Niall Hay]

Doesn't sound like it.