From Bobby Jones’ Home to Tiger Woods’ Troublemaker: Here Are Top 7 Things We Bet You Did Not Know About East Lake Golf Club

The FedEx Cup Playoff final event, the Tour Championship, is the deciding tournament; the one for which golfers work hard for three consecutive weeks. The Tour championship has been held at the same golf course for almost 2 decades, that is the East Lake Golf Club. It is an iconic venue located 5 miles east of downtown Atlanta, Georgia. 

East Lake is a private golf course that came into being in 1904. This beautiful course is the oldest golf course in the city and has been home to a few illustrious golf tournaments. One of the most prestigious tournaments hosted at this Georgia-based golf course was the 1963 Ryder Cup. Besides the course’s rich history, there are some very intriguing facts about the course, that might sweep the floor away right under your feet. Let us dive in to get to know a bit more about the permanent home of the Tour Championship.

Things you should know about the Tour Championship home: East Lake Golf Club 

• East Lake is Bobby Jones’ home 

One of the greatest golfers that golf has ever witnessed, Bobby Jones learned his craft at this course. The Golf Hall Of Famer was just 6 years old when the course was established. It is said that Jones played his first and last game at East Lake. 

Jones took the golf world by storm when he was an amateur. He won 13 national championships from 1923 to 1930. His accolades as an amateur include 4 U.S. Opens, 5 U.S. Amateurs, 3 Open Championships, and 1 British Amateur. The great golfer won the Grand Slam in 1930, claiming all four of those championships in the same calendar year. 

There is also Jones’ old locker in the pro shop at the golf club. It also has a double locker, bearing Nos. 690 and 691, which hold Jones’ clubs, shoes, and other necessary accouterments of the great champion. 

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• East Lake Golf Club is a course with a profound purpose 

East Lake Golf Club’s motto is “Golf with a Purpose,” and they stand by it every day. All the proceeds from the golf club go to the East Lake Foundation which helps in supporting the health, education, safety, and productivity of the neighborhood. 

• East Lake model was an inspiration behind another charitable organization 

After seeing the success of the East Lake charitable model, another non-profit organization, Purpose Built Communities, was set up in 2009 with the aim to help fight concentrated segments of poverty in communities throughout the United States. The organization today holds a prominent place in 14 American cities while fulfilling its purpose of establishment. 

• East Lake Golf Club was part of the Atlanta Athletic Club (AAC)

AAC was founded in 1898 as the dedicated center to several sporting endeavors, but it had no mention of golf. Almost 6 years after its establishment, the club acquired land to create a country club. Then in the 1960s, AAC sold the golf course to relocate to its new home in Duluth.

Eventually, the clubhouse and course started to decay, and the 25 people came together to save the oldest course in the city. In 1968, the project to reconstruct the East Lake Golf Club was initiated. 

• There was once an unfortunate fire accident at the golf club

In 1925, the East Lake Golf Club was ravaged by an unfortunate fire. A lot of antiques and precious artifacts were destroyed in fire including Jones’ clubs and the original Havemeyer Trophy which was awarded to the U.S. Amateur champion. Even after the fire, East Lake is still home to several of Jones’ trophies, his beloved Calamity Jane putter, and other priceless artifacts. 

• FedEx Cup Playoffs and Tiger Woods’ success came hand in hand at East Lake 

The Tour Championship was first played at East Lake in 1998 and has been played there every year since 2004. The championship became a part of the FedEx Cup playoffs in 2007. Tiger Woods had competed at East Lake before 2007, but his victory was always somehow snatched away from him.

In 2007, during the first edition of the FedEx Cup, Woods came to Atlanta all hot and was ready to put behind his East Lake troubles. The golfing legend finally won on East Lake and became the first FedEx Cup winner ever. 

• East Lake Cup

In 2015, East Lake Golf Club introduced a tournament, namely the East Lake Cup. The East Lake Cup is a collegiate competition featuring top-performing teams from the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Golf Championships. The competition was announced in collaboration with Golf Channel. The following year, the tournament added a day of stroke play to the competition. 

Indeed, East Lake Golf Club is one of a kind! Tune in to find out what unravels at the 2023 Tour Championship as its beautiful course, and who ultimately gets crowned as the 2023 FedEx Cup winner.

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