115 Major Championship sites

[Nigel Islam]

There have only been 115 sites that have hosted the modern 4 major championships. I thought the number would be closer to 200, but with Augusta dominating one spot (obviously), and only 14 British Open sites, the US OPEN has visited 50 sites, and the PGA has visited 50 in addition to the ones that have also hosted Opens. I find this fascinating maybe someone else will as well. Hope my math was accurate

[Matthew Petersen]

There have only been 115 sites that have hosted the modern 4 major championships. I thought the number would be closer to 200, but with Augusta dominating one spot (obviously), and only 14 British Open sites, the US OPEN has visited 50 sites, and the PGA has visited 50 in addition to the ones that have also hosted Opens. I find this fascinating maybe someone else will as well. Hope my math was accurate

That is interesting. How many of those NLE? How many saw only one? Or were decades ago and not even remotely a possibility these days?

[Jud_T]

How many are ranked in Golf Digest's Top 100?

[Carl Nichols]

How many saw only one? Or were decades ago and not even remotely a possibility these days?

Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase, MD, hosted one U.S. Open, in 1921.  It's not even remotely a possibility to host a major now -- it's more likely to have the purple (metro) line get routed through it than to host a major.

Still a really fun place to play and a strong club.

[Brian Finn]

By my count, only 50 have hosted multiple (i.e. 65 were one and done):

77:  Augusta National
28:  St. Andrews
24:  Prestwick
15:  Muirfield
12:  Royal St. George's
11:  Oakmont, Royal Liverpool, Royal Lythan & St. Annes
9:    Oakland Hills, Royal Birkdale
8:    Baltusrol (5 on Lower, 1 Upper, 1 'Original' and 1'Revised'), Royal Troon
7:    Carnoustie, Southern Hills
6:    Inverness, Musselburgh, Pebble Beach, Winged Foot West
5:    Cherry Hills, Medinah #3, Merion, Oak Hill East, Olympic Lake
4:    AAC Highlands, Congressional Blue, Hazeltine, Myopia Hunt, Olympia Fields North, Royal Troon, Shinnecock Hills, Turnberry
3:    Canterbury, Chicago GC, Firestone South, Pinehurst #2, Riviera
2:    14 different sites...

[Brian Finn]

Some interesting names with only 1...

Aronimink
Blue Mound
Colonial
Engineers
Flossmoor
Garden City GC
Interlachen
Philadelphia CC
Prince's
Royal Portrush

[Matthew Petersen]

Former major venues that seem unlikely to see another:

Prestwick (Open 1860-1872, 1875, 1878, 1881, 1884, 1887, 1890, 1893, 1898, 1903, 1908, 1914, 1925) [24]

Inverness (US Open 1979, 1957, 1931, 1920; PGA 1993, 1986) [6]
Musselburgh (Open 1874, 1877, 1880, 1883, 1886, 1889) [6]

Cherry Hills (US Open 1978, 1960, 1938; PGA 1985, 1941) [5]

Canterbury (US Open 1946, 1940; PGA 1973) [3]
Chicago (US Open 1911, 1900, 1987) [3]
Firestone (PGA 1975, 1966, 1960) [3]

Fresh Meadow (US Open 1932, PGA 1930) [2]
Inwood (US Open 1923, PGA 1921) [2]
Myopia Hunt (US Open 1908, 1898) [2]
PGA National (PGA 1987, 1971) [2]
Philadelphia Cricket Club (US Open 1910, 1907) [2]
Royal Cinque Ports (1909, 1920) [2]
Scioto (US Open 1926; PGA 1950) [2]

Baltimore East (PGA 1928) [1]
Baltimore Roland Park (US Open 1899) [1]
Big Spring (PGA 1952) [1]
Birmingham (PGA 1953) [1]
Blue Hill (PGA 1956) [1]
Blue Mound (PGA 1933) [1]
Brae Burn (US Open 1919) [1]
CC Buffalo (US Open 1912) [1]
Cedar Crest (PGA 1927) [1]
Champions (US Open 1969) [1]
Columbia (US Open 1921) [1]
Columbine (PGA 1967) [1]
Columbus (PGA 1964) [1]
Crooked Stick (PGA 1991) [1]
Dallas AC Blue (PGA 1963) [1]
Engineers (PGA 1919) [1]
Englewood (US Open 1909) [1]
Flossmoor (PGA 1920) [1]
French Lick Hill (PGA 1924) [1]
Hermitage (PGA 1949) [1]
Hershey (PGA 1940) [1]
Hillcrest (PGA 1929) [1]
Interlachen (US Open 1930) [1]
Keller (PGA 1954) [1]
Kemper Lakes (PGA 1989) ][1]
Laurel Valley (PGA 1965) [1]
Llanerch (PGA 1958) [1]
Manito (PGA 1944) [1]
Meadowbrook (PGA 1955) [1]
Miami Valley (PGA 1957) [1]
Midlothian (US Open 1914) [1]
Minikahda (US Open 1916) [1]
Minneapolis (PGA 1959) [1]
Moraine (PGA 1945) [1]
NCR (PGA 1969) [1]
Newport (US Open 1895) [1]
Northshore (US Open 1933) [1]
Northwood (US Open 1952) [1]
Norwood (PGA 1948) [1]
Oak Tree (PGA 1988) [1]
Pecan Valley (PGA 1968) [1]
Pelham (PGA 1923) [1]
Philadelphia Spring Mill (US Open 1939) [1]
Pittsburgh Field Club (PGA 1937) [1]
Plum Hollow (PGA 1947) [1]
Pomonok (PGA 1939) [1]
Portland (PGA 1946) [1]
Prince's (Open 1932) [1]
Royal Portrush (Open 1951) [1]
Sahalee (PGA 1998) [1]
Salisbury Red (PGA 1926) [1]
Sea View (PGA 1942) [1]
Shawnee Inn (PGA 1938) [1]
Shoal Creek (PGA 1990) [1]
Siwanoy (PGA 1916) [1]
Skokie (US Open 1922) [1]
St Louis (US Open 1947) [1]
Tanglewood (PGA 1974) [1]
The Park (PGA 1934) [1]
Twin Hills (PGA 1935) [1]
Wannamoissett (PGA 1931) [1]
Worcester (US Open 1925) [1]

[Wade Whitehead]

How many of the 115 no longer exist?

WW

[Tim_Cronin]

The PGA Nationals are different courses (1971 is now JDM CC, I think).

Fascinating that there are so many one-offs. Add the British and U.S. amateurs in and would there be fewer or more? Maybe on a long winter's night I'll tackle that.

[Wade Whitehead]

And Pine Valley never appears on the list.

WW

[Chris DeToro]

I do take some exception to the list of courses that may or may not host majors in the future.  Many of those courses have hosted or currently host some pretty big events either on the regular tour or senior/women's majors:

Firestone has the Bridgestone
PGA National has the Honda
Inverness recently hosted a senior major
Cherry Hills just hosted the US Am which has proven to be a precursor to other majors in recent history
Canterbury just hosted a senior major
Shoal Creek has recently become the regular host of the Tradition, another senior major
Scioto is getting a senior major
Crooked Stick hosted a Solheim Cup, senior major and is now part of the PGA Tour playoff rota
There's been talk of bringing the PGA to the Dye course at French Lick at least
Interlachen recently had a women's major
NCR has had a senior major and other USGA championships
There's been recent talk of bringing the Open back to Portrush
Sahalee has had a senior major

There is so much at play when it comes to choosing the sites for these tournaments, so let's not view it as an indictment on the quality of the course or it's ability to test the best players in the world.  It's not as though these places have gone to seed and their time has past--they're still very relevant in the world of golf.  Granted that is the case for some on that list, but certainly not the vast majority

[Brian Finn]

There is so much at play when it comes to choosing the sites for these tournaments, so let's not view it as an indictment on the quality of the course or it's ability to test the best players in the world.  It's not as though these places have gone to seed and their time has past--they're still very relevant in the world of golf.

Could not agree more.  I certainly don't think anyone was suggesting the one-timers have suffered in quality.  After all, several of these courses simply choose not to host events of this magnitude any longer.  Others do not have the space for infrastructure typically required for majors.  Many factors...different for each and every one...

[Nigel Islam]

Brian, I got 50 multiples too. I counted 39 total courses ranked either on GD or Golf lists. There were 28 courses that have hosted majors including Augusta that showed up on both lists.

Golf had 34 courses that have hosted majors on its 2011 Top 100 (Torrey, Bellerive, Colonial, Myopia, Baltimore, and Newport were not on GD's list)
Golf Digest had 33 courses that have hosted majors on its 2013 Top 100 (Valhalla, Sahalee, Shoal Creek, Laurel Valley, and Aronimink were not on Golf's list)

[Brian Finn]

In reading this post and responses, a few questions came to mind...

Of the one-timers... which course would best challenge today's pros? 
                             at which would you most like to see a major contested? 

On which course that has neither hosted a major nor been awarded a future major would you most like to see a major?

[Matthew Petersen]

Yeah, I was definitely not trying to indict any course of the list of those unlikely to see another major--many different reasons in play. Some are comfortable in their current roles (Firestone, PGA Natl), some are better suited to senior or ladies events (Cherry Hills, Shoal Creek, Inverness), etc.

But Inverness was scored on by the seniors in the last senior Open there and was frankly scored on pretty well 20 years ago during the last big boy major it hosted. Hard to see it getting another major. Crooked Stick was similarly beat up by the pros last year during the BMW. The consensus then was that even the BMW might not be likely to return. They've had senior events there in the past, too. Ditto Cherry Hills which is a great venure for women's or senior opens--I suppose if it really steps up and holds its own in next year's BMW it might get considered, but it is just likely too short given the altitude.

[Nigel Islam]

In reading this post and responses, a few questions came to mind...

Of the one-timers... which course would best challenge today's pros? 
                             at which would you most like to see a major contested? 

On which course that has neither hosted a major nor been awarded a future major would you most like to see a major?

Most challenge: Crooked Stick or Sahalee
2nd Visit for a major: Newport because as the first it deserves another
Most Like to See: Cypress Point, NGLA, Pine Valley although realistically I would have to answer Pine Valley just because the other two would not be challenging enough to the pros.

[Nigel Islam]

Yeah, I was definitely not trying to indict any course of the list of those unlikely to see another major--many different reasons in play. Some are comfortable in their current roles (Firestone, PGA Natl), some are better suited to senior or ladies events (Cherry Hills, Shoal Creek, Inverness), etc.

But Inverness was scored on by the seniors in the last senior Open there and was frankly scored on pretty well 20 years ago during the last big boy major it hosted. Hard to see it getting another major. Crooked Stick was similarly beat up by the pros last year during the BMW. The consensus then was that even the BMW might not be likely to return. They've had senior events there in the past, too. Ditto Cherry Hills which is a great venure for women's or senior opens--I suppose if it really steps up and holds its own in next year's BMW it might get considered, but it is just likely too short given the altitude.

Yeah I might want to retract Crooked Stick from my most challenge answer, but I think if it were faster and frimer it might hold the scores down a little better.

[Matthew Petersen]

The PGA Nationals are different courses (1971 is now JDM CC, I think).

Fascinating that there are so many one-offs. Add the British and U.S. amateurs in and would there be fewer or more? Maybe on a long winter's night I'll tackle that.

Tim,

It appears that 12 courses that have only hosted one professional major have hosted either the US or British Am at some point. Those would be:

Champions 1993
Engineers 1920
Englewood 1906
Flossmoor 1923
Minikahda 1927
Minneaplois 1950
Newport 1895, 1995
North Shore 1939, 1983
Oak Tree 1984
Royal Portrush - multiple Ams
Shoal Creek 1986
St Louis 1921, 1960

However, if you started looking at courses that have only held one Am, the list would get quite a bit longer. Quite a few interesting venues.

[Andy Treen]

Pretty sure the CC of Buffalo course that hosted the US Open NLE, a "newer" Donald Ross is in play now.

[BHoover]

When does Aronomink get another chance to host a major? It seems that, with Merion being the course in Philly to host an Open, the PGA would be the more likely major for Aronomink.

Is this a possibility?

[JNC Lyon]

Pretty sure the CC of Buffalo course that hosted the US Open NLE, a "newer" Donald Ross is in play now.

You can still play a (very) modified version of that course at Grover Cleveland Park today.  Kevin Lynch and I played it with hickories last summer.  It was a blast!

Also, I didn't realize Wannamoissett had hosted a PGA.  Maybe it should be resurrected for that tournament the way Merion was for the Open this year?

[Chris DeToro]

I just get really annoyed by all the commentators that said Merion's time had passed and that it was way too short to host a major championship like this.  I disagreed before the tournament and certainly after (though I did think the winning score was going to be low single digits).  Yeah, maybe if they played in the Saturday morning game with the members with accessible pins, it would be a little different, but when the course is set up to test...

The course I would love to see host a men's major is probably Prairie Dunes.  I know the seniors/women scored well during their opens, but I think they could get it tougher for the men. 
 

[Wayne Wiggins, Jr.]

The PGA Nationals are different courses (1971 is now JDM CC, I think).

Fascinating that there are so many one-offs. Add the British and U.S. amateurs in and would there be fewer or more? Maybe on a long winter's night I'll tackle that.

Tim,

It appears that 12 courses that have only hosted one professional major have hosted either the US or British Am at some point. Those would be:

Champions 1993
Engineers 1920
Englewood 1906
Flossmoor 1923
Minikahda 1927
Minneaplois 1950
Newport 1895, 1995
North Shore 1939, 1983
Oak Tree 1984
Royal Portrush - multiple Ams
Shoal Creek 1986
St Louis 1921, 1960

However, if you started looking at courses that have only held one Am, the list would get quite a bit longer. Quite a few interesting venues.

Aronimink should be on this list, if I read it correctly... they hosted the 1962 PGA and the 1977 US Am.  They were supposed to host the 1993 PGA, but w/drew   

[BHoover]

Hasn't there been some talk of the PGA returning to Aronomink? I seem to recall hearing that when the club hosted the AT&T National.

[Nigel Islam]

Aronomink should be on the list. It was on my list when I counted.