Shoal Creek Club facts for kids
| Club information | |
|---|---|
 Location in the United States
Location in Alabama
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| Coordinates | 33°26′17″N 86°36′43″W / 33.438°N 86.612°W |
| Location | 100 New Williamsburg Drive Shoal Creek, Alabama, U.S. |
| Established | 1977, 48 years ago |
| Type | Private |
| Total holes | 18 |
| Designed by | Jack Nicklaus |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 7,400 yd (6,767 m) |
| Course rating | 76.2 |
| Slope rating | 145 |
Shoal Creek Club is a special golf course in Alabama, USA. It is a private club, which means you usually need an invitation to join. The famous golfer Jack Nicklaus designed the course. It opened in 1977. Many people think it is one of the best golf courses in the United States!
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Big Golf Events at Shoal Creek
Shoal Creek Club has hosted many important golf tournaments. These events bring top golfers from all over the world.
Major Championships Hosted
The club has been the site for several major golf championships. These include the PGA Championship in 1984 and 1990. It also hosted the U.S. Amateur in 1986. In 2008, the U.S. Junior Amateur tournament was held here. Shoal Creek also welcomed the U.S. Women's Open in 2018.
Other Notable Tournaments
From 2011 to 2015, Shoal Creek hosted the Regions Tradition. This is a major tournament for senior golfers. The club has also been a place for qualifying rounds for other USGA events. These include the U.S. Amateur and the U.S. Mid-Amateur.
About the Golf Course
The golf course at Shoal Creek has 18 holes. It was designed by golf legend Jack Nicklaus. The course is known for being challenging and beautiful.
Course Layout and Length
The longest tees on the course are about 7,400 yards long. This is a very long course for golf! The course has a "par" of 72. This means a good golfer is expected to finish the 18 holes in 72 strokes.
| Hole | Yards | Par | Hole | Yards | Par | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 405 | 4 | 10 | 430 | 4 | |
| 2 | 415 | 4 | 11 | 525 | 5 | |
| 3 | 530 | 5 | 12 | 520 | 4 | |
| 4 | 480 | 4 | 13 | 215 | 3 | |
| 5 | 220 | 3 | 14 | 390 | 4 | |
| 6 | 540 | 5 | 15 | 425 | 4 | |
| 7 | 470 | 4 | 16 | 215 | 3 | |
| 8 | 165 | 3 | 17 | 550 | 5 | |
| 9 | 455 | 4 | 18 | 450 | 4 | |
| Out | 3,680 | 36 | In | 3,720 | 36 | |
| Source: | Total | 7,400 | 72 | |||
Membership and Inclusivity
For many years, Shoal Creek Club faced questions about its membership rules. This led to important changes in the world of golf.
Changes in Membership Rules
Before 1990, Shoal Creek Club did not have any African-American members. Before the 1990 PGA Championship, the club's founder made comments about who could join. This caused a big discussion. Many groups, including civil rights organizations, spoke out. Sponsors even pulled their ads from the tournament.
To solve the problem, the club made a compromise. A local business leader named Louis J. Willie was invited to become an honorary member. He later became a full member. This event made golf organizations like the PGA and USGA think about their rules. They changed their policies to make sure clubs hosting big events had fair membership requirements.
Welcoming New Members
After these changes, Shoal Creek began to welcome more diverse members. In 1994, Tiger Woods, a young and talented golfer, played at Shoal Creek. The club's founder praised his skills.
In 2009, Condoleezza Rice became a full member of Shoal Creek. She was once the United States Secretary of State. She was one of the first two women to join the club. This showed a step forward in making the club more open to everyone.
