[Kevin_D]

I'm going to keep it simple and assume the timing and format remain as they are today, although I think many of the ideas raised thus far would be really interesting.  

8 courses that would make an ideal rota for the PGA:

1 - Riviera
2 - Bethpage Black
3 - Kiawah Ocean
4 - Whistling Straits
5 - Aronimink
6 - Oakland Hills
7 - Southern Hills
8 - Chambers Bay

I would go to Riviera and Bethpage Black every 5 years and the other 6 courses once every 10 years.  From a regional perspective, this rotation would visit the Northeast, Midwest, and West 3 times each and the Southeast once every 10 years.  I would consider replacing one of the 3 Midwest courses with Quail Hollow to balance the regions a bit more.  Two other courses that just missed my cut were Baltusrol and Hazeltine, both of which seem to work fairly well for this championship.

This rota seems terrific to me.  Only change I would potentially make would be adding in another "modern classic" like Streamsong to the mix, though not sure which I would sub out.

As to those talking about going international and/or the PGA being displaced, this is as silly as it gets.  The Open Championship is still the only tournament at which all the top US players show up.  Ultimately, the ROI for an event comes from US TV ratings/ad sales, which just won't be there for another event in Europe, let alone the Middle East or Australia.  I don't think Rupert Murdoch or any other billionaire is interested in doing the equivalent of putting millions of dollars into a barrel and lighting it on fire.

Just because you want another international major doesn't mean it's going to happen.

[Garland Bayley]

rupert murdoch is an old man.
fox is going nowhere.
get over it mike.

[Jud_T]

Kevin,

It's hardly the height of silliness to suggest that the PGA could eventually be displaced by an international event.  It's already an afterthought and ripe for the picking.  Remember the Western and Canadian Opens?

[Howard Riefs]

1.  Riviera
2.  Colorado Golf Club
3.  Kiawah Ocean Course
4.  Bethpage Black
5.  Aronimink
6.  Whistling Straits
7.  Southern Hills
8.  Hazeltine

[Jason Thurman]

I went for modern courses with good visual appeal on TV. Sadly, this meant cutting some current hosts that I really like, such as Southern Hills.

Whistling Straits - The flagship. Surely it's already the most famous course that hosts the tournament. Play it every five years.

Kiawah - Gorgeous, and a great test

Ballyhack - Never been there, but it sure looks good in pictures

Victoria National - Probably would be tough for spectators, but then again, we could put bleachers on barges in some of the water hazards or something. We'll make it work. And if we can't, we'll use the Dye Course at French Lick instead.

Valhalla - Admittedly it's a little close to Victoria/French Lick. But we'd just have to space those courses out in the rotation. Valhalla isn't the visual stunner some of these other courses are, though it has some cool looking TV holes like 13 and consistently gives a great tournament. It was also designed by the guy who's won this tournament the most times. Plus, it's less than a mile from my childhood home. I'm not cutting it under any circumstances.

Streamsong C&C - The tougher of the two courses from what I hear. Plus, how about the war of attrition that a PGA Championship outside of Tampa in August would be.

PGA West Stadium - I know guys. It's tough. Just remember the eternal wisdom of Noel Gallagher, even from an album I'm 98% sure he wrote in his sleep: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QyVil0dwhk
FYI, I haven't seen this video in about ten years since I prefer to pretend the album Heathen Chemistry and its "Oasis by numbers" songs like the above never happened. I'm a little freaked out by how much the protagonist resembles my wife. It makes me feel like maybe my hero worship of Noel Gallagher subconsciously informed every important decision I ever made.

Monterey Peninsula (Shore) - Yeah buddy. You could do this one every five too.

[Mike Sweeney]

Ultimately, the ROI for an event comes from US TV ratings/ad sales, which just won't be there for another event in Europe, let alone the Middle East or Australia.  I don't think Rupert Murdoch or any other billionaire is interested in doing the equivalent of putting millions of dollars into a barrel and lighting it on fire.

From the first quarter of 2013 from Nielson:

http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/newswire/2013/global-ad-spend--latin-america-and-asian-nations-lead-the-charge.html

[Tom ORourke]

Jason, I was thinking along your lines of "PGA West Stadium - I know guys. It's tough. "  But it is 111 degrees there today. 108 tomorrow. The desert in August is not a good idea. Maybe if they move the event to March a few times but only then.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

@Mike S

Murdoch just might be able to pull something off with some sort of Invitational of top players at an Asian venue by dangling big bucks. As you know, the saying about Philadelphia politics can apply to golf as well:

"Money talks and BS walks."  

[Ronald Montesano]

Things I find troubling among suggestions:

southeastern summer heat -- war of attrition ... We need another Ken Venturi episode?

courses that can't handle infrastructure ... people on GCA are quick to push other courses ... I wonder when "they" spectated last? I wonder if "they" are aware what it takes to house a major? There is no way that Bandon could do it. The entire resort would have to shut down to the public for the 10 days of the event. Ditto Fox Chapel and Pittsburgh Field Club, et al.

isolation ... the one complaint from media at Oak Hill about the '12 PGA was the long bus rides to Kiawah. How did the fans handle it?

[Garland Bayley]

Ronald,

Do the Florida Gators go north for preseason practice and their first games of the year?

I thinks golfers should be able to endure at least a fraction of a SEC football team's misery in the preseason.

[Carl Rogers]

...Other courses I would love to see the PGA play at but are not in the right location: Ballyneal, Dismal River, La Purisima, Rustic Canyon, Ballyhack and Royal New Kent ...

My only conviction on the subject is similar, courses that are way out there, that demonstrate the wild unpredictable and open ended nature of the game.  Could Tobacco Road be extended to 7500 yards?  Having one or more of the late Mike Strantz's courses in the rota would be great for the vision of this web site.

[Jason Thurman]

Ronald,

Do the Florida Gators go north for preseason practice and their first games of the year?

I thinks golfers should be able to endure at least a fraction of a SEC football team's misery in the preseason.

This might be the first time we've ever agreed. But yeah, with everything we know about hydration and conditioning now, I have no real concerns about sending players out in heat. If it gets too hot, you can always delay play.

[Sam Morrow]

We haven't looked at the single biggest issue. You can do whatever you want to make the PGA appear as the worlds premier event but it's still going to be the red headed step child of the majors.

[Jim Nugent]

We haven't looked at the single biggest issue. You can do whatever you want to make the PGA appear as the worlds premier event but it's still going to be the red headed step child of the majors.

I go the other way.  You can do whatever you want to dislodge the PGA from the majors, but it's held that status for many decades, and won't change anytime soon.  

I doubt anyone claims it's the world's premier event, but it is one of the top four.  

[Sam Morrow]

We haven't looked at the single biggest issue. You can do whatever you want to make the PGA appear as the worlds premier event but it's still going to be the red headed step child of the majors.

I go the other way.  You can do whatever you want to dislodge the PGA from the majors, but it's held that status for many decades, and won't change anytime soon.  

I doubt anyone claims it's the world's premier event, but it is one of the top four.  

I agree, it's one of the four majors, it's just the lesser of the 4. Nothing wrong with that, it's still elite company.

[Sean_A]

isolation ... the one complaint from media at Oak Hill about the '12 PGA was the long bus rides to Kiawah. How did the fans handle it?

Its a good thing the media doesn't decide where to play majors then - isn't it?  If we want wind to play a part in championship golf most of the time that involves going to the edge or otherwise remote part of the country.

How did the fans who couldn't get a ticket due to a smaller venue handle it at Merion?

Nothing is perfect.

Ciao

[Ronald Montesano]

isolation ... the one complaint from media at Oak Hill about the '12 PGA was the long bus rides to Kiawah. How did the fans handle it?
How did the fans who couldn't get a ticket due to a smaller venue handle it at Merion?

Nothing is perfect.

Ciao

Excellent point, at first blush. Perish the pundits!

I wasn't at Kiawah, so I can't speak to it from personal experience. If bus rides are at all close to what Gary Van Sickle mentions here: "Some of our one-way travel times for the 18-mile drive reached two and a half hours."  (http://www.golf.com/tour-and-news/pga-championship-logistics-kiawah-island-were-ugly#ixzz2cEHpm1bs) then you can imagine a fan who pays for a ticket and spends 4 hours on a bus.

I understand that's an extreme and could happen at any number of isolated courses. So Sean, my point wasn't to say that the media should have a hand in determining sites of majors and I find it funny that you latched onto that to make your point.

Arrivederci

[Ronald Montesano]

It's time for the thread author to put up. These are the most forgettable PGA sites of my 47-year era:

Sahalee, Kemper Lakes, Columbine, Tanglewood, NCR...nice course, I'm sure, even some terrific champions, but not where the PGA needs to be.

The primary question I would have is, can you drop your PGA in a large metropolitan center that is not yet exploited by major championship golf and represents ? These would be areas like Indianapolis, Dallas/Fort Worth, Cleveland, Denver, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Tampa-St. Pete, Memphis and yes, even Buffalo-Niagara Falls (more on this later.)

Rochester is #60 on the wikipedia list, but is golf-mad and hosts a great tournament. San Juan, PR, is #21 but I wonder if it would draw galleries to the event. I know that Buffalo-Niagara could not sustain a second-tour event (Nike Tour) back in the 1990s, so it's doubtful that it could muster the troops to host a PGA. Therefore, I cannot base any proposal completely on population density. If the intent of the PGA (assuming that funding is in place) is a grow-the-game initiative, then cities like Albuquerque, Little Rock, Des Moines, Winston-Salem, Boise and Spokane come into contention.

To avoid turning this into a wistful daydream of an exercise, I need to combine my critical factors and come up with sites that:
A) have the on-site infrastructure (potential or realized) to hold this event;
B) possess enough of a local or regional enthusiasm for golf/sport to draw paying fans;
C) claim corporate presence to support the tournament in that manner;
D) have the off-site infrastructure (roads, lodging, parking) to prop up the event.

Here is my list of courses:

Shadow Creek  --  Las Vegas, Nevada
Canterbury  --  Cleveland, Ohio
Minimichi  --  Memphis, Tennessee
Brickyard Crossing  --  Indianapolis, Indiana
Dallas National  --  Dallas, Texas
Chambers Bay  --  Tacoma, Washington
Oak Hill  --  Rochester, New York
Whistling Straits  --  Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Riviera  --  Los Angeles, California
Shoal Creek  --  Birmingham, Alabama

The list is a blend of six new and four traditional sights. It's a list that will not please many, but does address my principal concern of metropolitan/regional potential or proven fan and infrastructure/extrastructure support. It also makes an effort to introduce as many unique regions as possible to the mix.

[Jud_T]

Let's face it.  The PGA is the Heartland Poker Tour of golf.  Unless 1. Someone needs the 4th leg of the Grand Slam.  2. There's a couple big names battling it out on Sunday.  3.  They have the balls to take some chances with the format and venues....nobody cares....anyway here's my rota for when they return to Match Play:

1.  Bandon (x4)
2   Chicago Golf Club
3.  Pine Valley
4.  Riviera
5.  Seminole (suck it up, it's on the water. let 'em wear shorts.  good chance to preview a different date!)
6.  Crystal Downs/Kingsley (crank the fairways and greens all the way up and provide plenty of product placement for new anchor sponsor...Kaopectate)
7.  Colorado Golf Club
8.  Sebonack

[Mark Johnson]

Match Play just simply isnt going to happen.    Doesnt mean that I think it shouldn't but it is not realistic.

Let's remember this tournament is a huge revenue builder for the PGA, which then uses the proceeds to invest in the game, especially for lower income.

With match play, the risk of not having a big name like Tiger, Phil or Rory in contention on the final day is just too great.   Advertisers need to get an ROI as well    The only way this could be practical would be reduce the field to 60 with only 16 going to match play to try to ensure the best players are there on the Sunday.   And also, the final needs to be on Sunday from a rating perspective.

Personally, I think the best opp to bring back match play would be for the final event of the Fedex Cup.   Imagine the final match being for $10 million.   That could be good TV.  Plus you know there would be big names playing.

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