one in a major championship. A new tee gives officials the option to play it at 260 yards. The 15th played as the second-toughest hole in 2001.
No. 16 is a 485-yard par 4 and No. 17 is a 210-yard par 3 that was the third-toughest hole in 2001.
The 18th hole, ranked the toughest in 2001, was tweaked, too. From the tee a player may now see the lake, which was brought 10-15 yards farther to the right and into the fair way. The par 4 will play 500- plus yards to a green fronted by water. In 2001, Toms made the decision to lay up on the 72nd hole and trust his wedge and putter to win the Championship.
“In 2001, I said the tournament might
be decided from the fair way side of the lake
and it worked out that way,” Anderson says.
“That might be the way it works out again.”
The members of the Atlanta Athletic
Club have taken to the notion of hosting
major championships as the club joins
Southern Hills Country Club, Oakmont
Country Club, Oakland Hills Country Club
and Firestone Country Club as the only
facilities to host three or more PGA
Championships. “Our members embrace
Year Facility Location
2011 Atlanta Athletic Club Johns Creek, Ga.
2012 Kiawah Island Golf Resort Kiawah Island, S.C.
2013 Oak Hill Country Club Rochester, N. Y.
2014 Valhalla Golf Club Louisville, Ky.
2015 Whistling Straits Kohler, Wis.
2016 Baltusrol Golf Club Springfield, N.J.
Future PGA Championship venues
this Championship,” Thorne said. “The membership is actively involved; all of the 60 committee chairs are actually from the Atlanta Athletic Club, as are many of the
3,500 volunteers who will work the event.”
The club would like to host the PGA
Championship again before the end of the
decade (in 2017, ’ 18 or ’ 19) and desires to be
considered as the site for a future Ryder
Cup. “That’s part of our mission
statement,” Anderson explains. “It’s part of
the history of this club and our people see
the big picture.”
And that attitude, unlike the evolving
golf course, isn’t expected to change. ●
Stan Awtrey writes for PGATour.com and is based in
Loganville, Ga.