From Shifting Location to a Six-Figure Membership Cost: Burrow Into the 122-Year-Old Rich History of the 2023 PGA Championship Venue

While the Masters had been one delightful sight for the golf world, fans are eagerly awaiting the second Major of the season, the PGA Championship. Though the competition in the upcoming Major will be enticing, golfers will also endure the challenges of the Oak Hill Country Club. Before the best golfers in the world step on the historic field, let’s take a look at how iconic the venue of the upcoming event is.

Set in the suburbs of Rochester, New York, Oak Hill Country Club is one of the oldest and most iconic golf courses globally. The PGA Tour stars along with the stars of LIV Golf and other Tours, will look to dwell well into the conditions of the golf course. Ahead of the upcoming event, let’s take dive deeper into the rich history of the venue.

Foundation and History of Oak Hill Country Club

In 1901, 15 years before the foundation of the PGA of America and the PGA Championship, an 85-acre club property was leased in the year along with the first list of 137 members who began playing the 18-hole sport. In the span of the next few years, Oak Hill Country Club became a center of attraction for fellow Rochester residents.

Four years after leasing the property, the club members managed to purchase the Golf Course’s property for $34,000 in 1905. Another nine holes were created in 1910, and a new clubhouse was constructed a year later. However, in 1921, the internationally renowned University of Rochester decided to expand and take over the property of the golf course.

The negotiations between the Oak Hill Country Club and the University of Rochester continued until 1924 when both parties had a consensus. The University provided the golf club with a new 355-acre plot of farmland in the town of Pittsford alongside $360,000 as part of the deal. In 1926, the Oak Hill Country Club officially moved to their new home. With a new massive land in the hand of the members, the East Course and West Course was created.

Both courses were designed by Hall of Famer, Donald Ross. All Majors or other golf tournaments are commonly competed at the East Course, which is built around the east branch of Allen Creek. The Oak Trees surrounding the golf course today are from around the world. Some of the trees are from the Sherwood Forest, the Cedars of Lebanon, the Kew Gardens of England, and the gardens of Shakespeare and President George Washington.

How did Oak Hill Country Club become notable around the golf world?

Currently, the golf club is among the most iconic golf courses in the world. But how did the club manage to achieve this reputation? After giving away its Genesse River plot to the University of Rochester, the new 355-acre land was quite profitable for the golf course. With bigger land, Oak Hill Country Club hosted its first big golf competition in 1941.

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The local newspaper of Rochester, the ‘Times-Union’, posted an exorbitant $5,000 purse, and a star-studded field of 138 players. Some of the golfers included 7-time Major winner Sam Snead, 9-time Major winner Ben Hogan, and 11-time Major winner Walter Hagen. With some of the greatest golfers competing at the golf course, Sam Snead managed to take home the big check.

Moreover, Ben Hogan loved the course, too, and vowed to return in 1942. He did, and he won, shooting a 64 in the first round, which remained the course record until Jason Dufner’s 63 in the 2013 PGA Championship. Nonetheless, apart from Snead’s big triumph, the event also marked the beginning of many historical tournaments at the Oak Hill Country Club.

All the Major events hosted by the Oak Hill Country Club

Eight years after some of the greatest golfers paid the golf course a visit, it hosted the United States Amateur Golf Championship in 1949. Oak Hill Country Club hosted its first Major event in the professional circuit during the 1956 US Open, which was won by Cary Middlecoff. The club hosted the same Major again 12 years later in 1968, which was then won by the Supermex Lee Trevino.

Before hosting its third and final US Open in 1989, Oak Hill Country Club also hosted the 62nd PGA Championship in 1980 and the US Senior Open in 1984. The 122-year-old golf club had its first Ryder Cup event in 1995 and ended the 20th century by hosting the US Amateur Championship in 1998.

In 2003, the golf club hosted its second PGA Championship and hosted it a decade later in 2013. In the meantime, the 2008 Senior PGA Championship was also contested at the iconic golf club. Upon the completion of the 2008 Senior PGA Championship, Oak Hill Country Club became the only club in the United States to have hosted all six of the men’s major championships that move around the country.

After five years, the 122-year-old golf club will once again be the home of the 2023 PGA Championship. It is also set to be the venue for the 2027 US Amateur Championship. While the club has been around for more than a century, the membership costs must be evidently high.

2023 PGA Championship’s venue in the Modern Era

It has been close to 100 years since the iconic club moved to the new plot in Pittsford, Rochester. However, the course has undergone several renovations, with the latest being done in 2019. With changes being done to satisfy the current generation of golfers, the prices have also taken a hike.

The estimated costs of membership at the Oak Hill Country Club are around $15,000 and $20,000 for annual dues while the initiation fee is believed to be around $125,000. Along with its Major hosting golf course, the club also boasts a swimming pool, tennis courts, a fitness center, events spaces, and many other lavish amenities.

Moreover, the course has been among ‘America’s 100 greatest golf courses’ by Golf Digest since 1996. It currently stands at the 22nd position in the rankings. With so much in its resume, the Oak Hill Country Club is set to host its fourth PGA Championship in a matter of days. Undoubtedly, it will be an exciting event with a rich history of both the event as well as the golf course.

What are your thoughts on the Oak Hill Country Club? Let us know in the comments section below.

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