Baltusrol Golf Club facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Baltusrol Golf Club

Clubhouse during the 2005 PGA Championship
Club information
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Location	Springfield, New Jersey
Established	1895, 130 years ago
Type	Private
Total holes	36
Tournaments hosted	List of Major Tournaments PGA Championship (2005, 2016) U.S. Open (1903, 1915, 1936, 1954, 1967, 1980, 1993) U.S. Women's Open (1961, 1985) U.S. Amateur (1904, 1926, 1946, 2000) U.S. Women's Amateur (1901, 1911)
Greens	Bentgrass / Poa annua
Fairways	Bentgrass / Poa annua
Lower Course
Designed by	A. W. Tillinghast (1922), Rees Jones (2014 renovation)
Par	72  (70 for majors)
Length	7,550 yards (6,904 m)
Course rating	76.2
Slope rating	145
Upper Course
Designed by	A. W. Tillinghast
Par	72
Length	7,348 yards (6,719 m)
Course rating	75.9
Slope rating	151
Baltusrol Golf Club
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark District
Baltusrol Golf Club Location in Union County, New Jersey
Location	201 Shunpike Road, Springfield, New Jersey
Area	474 acres (192 ha)
Built	1909: Clubhouse 1918–26: Courses
Architect	Clubhouse: Chester H. Kirk Courses: A. W. Tillinghast
Architectural style	Tudor Revival
NRHP reference No.	05000374
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	May 6, 2005
Designated NHLD	August 25, 2014

Tom McNamara at the 1915 U.S. Open

The Baltusrol Golf Club is a private golf club with 36 holes. It is located in Springfield, New Jersey, which is about 20 miles (32 km) west of New York City. The club was started in 1895 by Louis Keller.

Baltusrol made history in 1985. It became the first club to host both the U.S. Open and the U.S. Women's Open on two different golf courses. Both of its famous courses were designed by A. W. Tillinghast in 1918. Over the years, Baltusrol has hosted seven U.S. Opens and two PGA Championships.

In 2005, the club was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's recognized as an important historical site. Later, in 2014, it was named a National Historic Landmark. This special title honors its role in the career of golf course designer A. W. Tillinghast.

History of Baltusrol Golf Club

Baltusrol Golf Club gets its name from Baltus Roll (1769–1831). He was a farmer who owned the land where the club is today.

In the 1890s, Louis Keller bought the land. He was known for publishing the New York Social Register. Keller owned a large area of land in Springfield Township. On October 19, 1895, he announced that the Baltusrol Golf Club would open.

The club first had a 9-hole course, designed by George Hunter in 1895. It was made into an 18-hole course in 1898. This course was called the Old Course, but it no longer exists today.

Keller then hired A. W. Tillinghast to create a second golf course. Tillinghast suggested a big change: he wanted to replace the Old Course entirely. Instead, he would design and build two brand new courses. The club agreed to his plan.

Construction of the Upper and Lower courses began in 1918. In 1919, Golf Illustrated magazine said that Baltusrol's plans were "on a vaster scale than anything that has ever been attempted in American Golf." These "Dual Courses" were the first 36-hole design built side-by-side in America. Both courses officially opened in June 1922.

After they opened, the courses were improved to get ready for national championships. The first big tournament on the Lower Course was the 1926 United States Amateur. The Upper Course hosted its first national championship, the U.S. Open, in 1936. Tillinghast continued to work as the club's architect until he passed away in 1942.

Later, in 1948, Robert Trent Jones updated the Lower Course for tournaments. His son, Rees Jones, made it even longer in 1992 for the 1993 U.S. Open. He also updated the Upper Course for the 2000 U.S. Amateur. Both father and son helped bring back original design features by Tillinghast. Many famous golfers have won tournaments at Baltusrol. These include Ed Furgol, Mickey Wright, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Janzen, and Phil Mickelson. In 1995, Golf Magazine named Baltusrol one of "The First 100 Clubs in America."

Clubhouse

In March 1909, the original clubhouse at Baltusrol burned down. A new clubhouse was quickly designed that same year by Chester Hugh Kirk, who was a member of the golf club. It was built in a Tudor revival style.

In 1912, this new clubhouse became the first golf clubhouse to host a President of the United States, William Howard Taft.

Tournaments Hosted at Baltusrol

Baltusrol has hosted many important golf championships. It has been the site of 15 championships organized by the USGA and two PGA Championships.

The club has hosted the U.S. Open seven times: in 1903, 1915, 1936, 1954, 1967, 1980, and 1993. It has also hosted the U.S. Amateur four times: in 1904, 1926, 1946, and 2000. The U.S. Women's Open has been held here twice, in 1961 and 1985. The U.S. Women's Amateur was also hosted twice, in 1901 and 1911.

Baltusrol hosted its first PGA Championship in 2005 and again in 2016. The club is also set to host the 79th Women's PGA Championship in 2023 and the 111th PGA Championship in 2029.

Year	Tournament	Course	Winner	Winning score	Winner's share ($)
2018	U.S. Junior Amateur	Medal play – Both Match play – Upper	Michael Thorbjornsen	36th hole	N/A
2016	PGA Championship (2)	Lower Course	Jimmy Walker	266 (−14)	1,890,000
2005	PGA Championship	Lower Course	Phil Mickelson	276 (−4)	1,170,000
2000	U.S. Amateur (4)	Medal play – Both Match play – Upper	Jeff Quinney	39th hole	N/A
1993	U.S. Open (7)	Lower Course	Lee Janzen	272 (−8)	290,000
1985	U.S. Women's Open (2)	Upper Course	Kathy Baker	280 (−8)	41,975
1980	U.S. Open	Lower Course	Jack Nicklaus	272 (−8)	55,000
1967	U.S. Open	Lower Course	Jack Nicklaus	275 (−5)	30,000
1961	U.S. Women's Open	Lower Course	Mickey Wright	293 (+5)	1,800
1954	U.S. Open	Lower Course	Ed Furgol	284 (+4)	6,000
1946	U.S. Amateur	Lower Course	Ted Bishop	37th hole	N/A
1936	U.S. Open	Upper Course	Tony Manero	282 (−6)	1,000
1926	U.S. Amateur	Lower Course	George Von Elm	2 & 1	N/A
1915	U.S. Open	Old Course	Jerome Travers (a)	297 (+1)	(300)
1911	U.S. Women's Amateur (2)	Old Course	Margaret Curtis	5 & 3	N/A
1904	U.S. Amateur	Old Course	Chandler Egan	8 & 6	N/A
1903	U.S. Open	Old Course	Willie Anderson	307	200
1901	U.S. Women's Amateur	Old Course	Genevieve Hecker	5 & 3	N/A

Source:
Bolded years are major championships on the PGA Tour

About the Golf Courses

The Upper and Lower courses at Baltusrol are quite different. They were built on two unique types of land. Tillinghast designed them as "Dual Courses," meaning both were meant to be equally popular.

The Lower Course is on rolling parkland. This land was shaped by a terminal moraine, which is a pile of rocks and dirt left behind by a glacier about 18,000 years ago. The Upper Course runs along a ridgeline called Baltusrol Mountain. This mountain was formed from ancient lava flows about 200 million years ago.

Both courses have water hazards like ponds and creeks. On the Lower Course, the 4th and 18th holes have ponds. On the Upper Course, the 9th and 13th holes have ponds, and the 10th, 13th, and 15th holes have creeks. Baltusrol Golf Club is special because it's the only two-course club to have hosted both the U.S. Men's and Women's Open Championships on both of its courses.

Lower Course Details

The Lower Course is a par 72 course. From the longest tees (black tees), it measures 7,400 yards (6,767 m). For the 2005 PGA Championship, it was set up as a par 70 course and measured 7,392 yards (6,759 m).

Here are the lengths from different tees:

• Blue tees: 7,015 yards (6,415 m), par 72
• Green tees: 6,652 yards (6,083 m), par 72
• White tees: 6,325 yards (5,784 m), par 72
• Red tees: 5,539 yards (5,065 m), par 73

GOLF Magazine has often ranked the Lower Course among the "Top 100 Courses in the U.S." It was ranked 22nd in 1995, 1997, and 1999.

Three holes on the Lower Course are especially famous:

• The 4th hole: This is a par three, 194-yard (177 m) hole. Golfers must hit their ball over a pond to a green with two levels.
• The 17th hole: This is a long par five, 650-yard (594 m) hole. Only John Daly has ever reached the green in just two shots.
• The 18th hole: This is a par five, 533-yard (487 m) hole. It's known for amazing finishes by golfers like Furgol, Nicklaus, Mickelson, and Jason Day.

Upper Course Details

The Upper Course is also a par 72 course. From the longest tees (black tees), it measures 7,348 yards (6,719 m).

Here are the lengths from different tees:

• Blue tees: 7,002 yards (6,403 m), par 72
• Green tees: 6,558 yards (5,997 m), par 72
• White tees: 6,232 yards (5,699 m), par 72
• Red tees: 5,749 yards (5,257 m), par 73
• Gold tees: 5,540 yards (5,066 m), par 73

The Upper Course has hosted three national championships, including the 1936 U.S. Open. GOLF Magazine also recognized the Upper Course, ranking it 89th in 1997 and 74th in 1999 on its "Top 100 Courses in the U.S." list.

General Information for Visitors

Marker identifying Baltusrol Golf Club as a National Historic Landmark in 2014.

The pro shop at Baltusrol Golf Club is open from 7:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. The course is private, which means it is not open to the public. Guests can play if they are with a club member.

There is a dress code to follow. You cannot wear denim (jeans), and you must wear a collared shirt. Metal spiked shoes are not allowed. Also, groups of five players are not permitted. Using cell phones is not allowed on the course or club grounds, except inside your car. The golf course is open all year. Between 7 AM and 2 PM, players need to use a caddy.

The fairways and greens are made of poa annua and bent grass. The greens are aerated (meaning small holes are made in them to help them breathe) in late March to early April, late August, and November. New seeds of Penn A4 Bentgrass are also planted. The rough areas are made of Kentucky Bluegrass.

Caring for the Environment

Audubon International has given Baltusrol Golf Club a special award: Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary. Baltusrol first received this award in 1999. It means that the club takes care of its land with the environment in mind.

Audubon International looks at several things to give this award:

• How the club plans for the environment.
• How it manages wildlife and their habitats.
• How it reduces the use of chemicals and ensures safety.
• How it saves water.
• How it manages water quality.

See also

• List of National Historic Landmarks in New Jersey
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Union County, New Jersey