Aronimink Golf Club: "Great and Tough"

Opened in 1896, a Tournament Venue for Major Championships
Designed by Architect Ross, Ranked Among World's Top 100 Courses
Natural Links Feel, Glass-Like Greens and Challenging Bunkers

It will be held for the first time in 64 years since 1962.

On May 14 (local time), Aronimink Golf Club will once again host the 108th PGA Championship, a major men's golf tournament. Located in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, this golf club is annually recognized as one of the best courses in the United States. Along with Pine Valley Golf Club and Merion Golf Club, Aronimink Golf Club is a regular fixture on the list of the world's top 100 golf courses. It consistently ranks in the 'Top 100' for categories such as greatest courses, toughest courses, and classic courses, as selected by Golf Digest, Golfweek, and others.

Founded in 1896, it is a historic golf club located on the outskirts of Philadelphia. It is a traditional members-only, 18-hole club featuring indoor and outdoor tennis courts, paddle courts, a trap shooting range, swimming pool, and fitness center. It is a tournament course that has hosted major events including the 1962 PGA Championship, the 1977 U.S. Amateur, the 1997 U.S. Junior Amateur, the 2003 Senior PGA Championship, and the 2020 LPGA Tour KPMG Women's PGA Championship.

The course was designed by Donald Ross, a Scottish-born architect. In 2003, Ron Prichard carried out a renovation. It is famously known as the golf course most cherished by Ross himself. The par 3 holes are downhill, while the par 4 and par 5 holes are uphill. Both the fairways and greens are bentgrass. Aronimink Golf Club is named after a chief of the local Lenape tribe.

The scale is enormous. The golf course is located at the center of a 300-acre (approximately 367,300 square meters) property. The course retains a natural links feel. The holes are continuously sloped and traverse hilly terrain. The putting greens are steep and undulating. For this year's PGA Championship, the greens were mowed down to approximately 1/10 of an inch (about 2 mm) and rolled to perfection. They are glass-like smooth and boast a fast speed of about 13.5 on the Stimpmeter.

The course is a par 70, with a total length of 7,394 yards. Every par 4 hole is challenging, and wind is a significant factor. Each hole features diverse terrain with variations in elevation, slope, and side tilt. Bunkers are densely placed at the landing areas for driver shots. The width of the fairways varies from 50 yards to 20 yards depending on the terrain, approach distance, and whether there are bunkers in front of the putting greens.

There is a particularly noteworthy hole: the par 3 5th hole (171 yards). It is surrounded by sand. There is a slight depression in the center, with higher ground surrounding and behind it. The entire front of the green is encircled by steep bunkers. It is difficult to judge the depth of the putting surface. Players typically use an 8 or 9 iron. The key is to clear the bunkers and hold the green.