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) KPMG Women's PGA Championship (2023)
Greens	Bentgrass / Poa annua
Fairways	Bentgrass / Poa annua
Lower Course
Designed by	A. W. Tillinghast (1922), Gil Hanse & Jim Wagner(2021 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 Gil Hanse & Jim Wagner (2023-2024 renovation)
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 special private golf club in Springfield, New Jersey. It's about 20 miles (32 km) west of New York City. This club has 36 holes for playing golf.

It was started in 1895 by a person named Louis Keller. Baltusrol made history in 1985. It was the first club ever to host both the U.S. Open and the U.S. Women's Open golf tournaments on two different courses!

The famous golf course designer A. W. Tillinghast created both of Baltusrol's main courses in 1918. Over the years, the club has hosted seven U.S. Opens and two PGA Championships. In 2005, Baltusrol Golf Club was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Later, in 2014, it became a National Historic Landmark. This shows how important its golf course design is.

History of Baltusrol Golf Club

The club gets its name from Baltus Roll (1769–1831). He was a farmer who owned the land where the club is today. Sadly, he was murdered in 1831 by thieves.

In the 1890s, Louis Keller bought the land. He was famous 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 grew to 18 holes by 1898. This first course was called the Old Course.

Designing the Dual Courses

Louis Keller later hired A. W. Tillinghast to build another golf course. But Tillinghast had a different idea. He suggested plowing over the Old Course and building two brand new courses instead! The club agreed with his plan.

Construction of the new Upper and Lower courses began in 1918. In 1919, a golf magazine said that Baltusrol's plans were "vaster" than anything tried before in American golf. These "Dual Courses" were the first 36-hole design built side-by-side in America.

Both the Upper and Lower courses officially opened in June 1922. After they opened, some changes were made to get them ready for big national championships. The first major event on the Lower Course was the 1926 U.S. Amateur. The Upper Course hosted its first national championship, the U.S. Open, in 1936. Tillinghast continued to be the club's architect until he passed away in 1942.

Course Updates and Famous Winners

In 1948, Robert Trent Jones was hired to update the Lower Course for tournaments. His son, Rees Jones, made the Lower Course even longer in 1992 for the 1993 U.S. Open. He also updated the Upper Course for the 2000 U.S. Amateur.

Both Jones and his designer, Steve Weisser, brought back many of Tillinghast's original design ideas that had been changed over time. 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."

The Clubhouse

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

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

Major Golf Tournaments Hosted

Baltusrol has hosted many important golf championships. It has been the site for 15 championships sponsored by the USGA and three by the PGA.

It has hosted the U.S. Open seven times: in 1903, 1915, 1936, 1954, 1967, 1980, and 1993. The club has also hosted the U.S. Amateur four times (1904, 1926, 1946, 2000).

The U.S. Women's Open has been held here twice (1961, 1985). The U.S. Women's Amateur was also hosted twice (1901, 1911). Baltusrol hosted its first PGA Championship in 2005 and again in 2016. The club also hosted the 2023 Women's PGA Championship.

Year	Tournament	Course	Winner
2023	Women's PGA Championship	Lower Course	Yin Ruoning
2018	U.S. Junior Amateur	Medal play – Both Match play – Upper	Michael Thorbjornsen
2016	PGA Championship	Lower Course	Jimmy Walker
2005	PGA Championship	Lower Course	Phil Mickelson
2000	U.S. Amateur	Medal play – Both Match play – Upper	Jeff Quinney
1993	U.S. Open	Lower Course	Lee Janzen
1985	U.S. Women's Open	Upper Course	Kathy Baker
1980	U.S. Open	Lower Course	Jack Nicklaus
1967	U.S. Open	Lower Course	Jack Nicklaus
1961	U.S. Women's Open	Lower Course	Mickey Wright
1954	U.S. Open	Lower Course	Ed Furgol
1946	U.S. Amateur	Lower Course	Ted Bishop
1936	U.S. Open	Upper Course	Tony Manero
1926	U.S. Amateur	Lower Course	George Von Elm
1915	U.S. Open	Old Course	Jerome Travers (a)
1911	U.S. Women's Amateur	Old Course	Margaret Curtis
1904	U.S. Amateur	Old Course	Chandler Egan
1903	U.S. Open	Old Course	Willie Anderson
1901	U.S. Women's Amateur	Old Course	Genevieve Hecker

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 to be "Dual Courses," meaning golfers would enjoy playing either one.

The Lower Course is on rolling parkland. This land was shaped by a glacier about 18,000 years ago. The Upper Course runs along a ridge called Baltusrol Mountain. This mountain was formed by ancient lava flows about 200 million years ago.

Both courses have ponds and other challenges for golfers. On the Lower Course, holes 4 and 18 have ponds. On the Upper Course, holes 9 and 13 have ponds. Creeks also come into play on holes 10, 13, and 15. Baltusrol is the only club with two courses that has hosted both the U.S. Men's and Women's Open Championships on both of its courses.

Lower Course Highlights

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

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

Some famous holes on the Lower Course include:

• The fourth hole: A par three where you hit the ball over a pond to a green with two levels.
• The seventeenth hole: A long par five, about 650 yards (594 m). John Daly is the only player known to reach the green in just two shots!
• The eighteenth hole: A par five, about 533 yards (487 m). This hole is famous for amazing finishes by golfers like Furgol, Nicklaus, Mickelson, and Jason Day.

Upper Course Highlights

The Upper Course is also a par 72 course. From the black tees, it measures about 7,348 yards (6,719 m). This course has hosted three national championships, including the 1936 U.S. Open.

GOLF Magazine also recognized the Upper Course as one of the "Top 100 Courses in the U.S." It was ranked 89th in 1997 and 74th in 1999.

Club Rules and Course Care

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

The Baltusrol Golf Club is a private club, so it's not open to the public. Guests can play if they are with a member. There's a dress code: no denim (jeans), and you need to wear a collared shirt. Metal spiked shoes are not allowed. Also, you can't use cell phones on the course or club grounds, except in your car.

The course is open all year. Between 7 AM and 2 PM, players need to use a caddy. The fairways and greens are made of special grasses called poa annua and bent grass. The club takes great care of the greens.

Caring for Nature: Audubon Certification

Baltusrol Golf Club is a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary. Audubon International gave Baltusrol this award in 1999. It means the club manages its land in a way that protects the environment.

Audubon International looks at several things. These include how the club plans for the environment, manages wildlife and their homes, reduces chemical use, saves water, and keeps water clean.

See also

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