2009 US PGA Championship Venue HistoryGolfers and spectators make their way down the 5th fareway past the clock tower during a practice round 13 June 2001 in preparation for the 2001 US Open at the Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The event runs 14-17 June

Born under the expert guidance of the former President of the USGA, Totton Heffelfinger and one of the most celebrated golf course architects of his time, the incomparable Robert Trent Jones, the Hazeltine National Golf Club was effectively designed with one thing in mind and that was to host major golf events.

Trent Jones - guru of golf course development

Trent Jones was the obvious choice to plan the championship layout as he was the undisputed guru of golf course development, having been instrumental in at least 500 golf course designs.

Some of his enduring successes include Spyglass Hill, the venue of the annual AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, the Firestone Country Club, which hosts the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational each year and the Bellerive Country Club, venue of the 1965 US Open, 1992 PGA Championship and more recently, the 2008 BMW Championship.

After much haggling with the powers-that-be, Hazeltine was eventually given the timely nod to host the 1970 US Open Championship. After a single day on the course, however, pundits and the media were clearly alarmed at the poor results with half the field, including many of the top guns of the PGA, failing to break 80!

Hazeltine National under pressure

Although Tony Jacklin went on to win with a seven under par 281, the die was cast and for many years, the club disappeared into ignominy, plagued with financial problems. For all intents and purposes it appeared as if the championship legacy, left by Heffelfinger and Trent Jones, would never quite be realised.

At this stage, the course underwent some serious facelifts; cosmetic surgery that paid off almost immediately as the 1983 US Senior Open was contested on the new look course. Apart from straightening a number of doglegs, the original par 3-16th was totally abandoned and replaced with a difficult par 4 that ran along the Hazeltine Lake. The par 4-17th was shortened to a par 3.

Bolt from the blue steals the show

In an effort to propel the course back into the big time of golf majors, it was prepped for the 1991 US open by none other than Trent Jones' son, Rees Jones, with great success. The event was snaffled up by Payne Stewart in a playoff but sadly, the event will arguably be best remembered for the bolt of lightning that killed a spectator on the first day.

In final preparation for the 2009 US PGA Championship, a couple of tweaks were made to the course

  • additional bunkers on the par 4-2nd
  • a new tee box on the par 4-12th which will play at 520 yards

Major tournaments hosted at Hazeltine National GC

  • 1966 US Women's Open
  • 1970 US open
  • 1977 US Women's Open
  • 1983 US Senior Open
  • 1991 US Open
  • 1994 US Mid-Amateur Championship
  • 2002 US PGA Championship
  • 2006 US Amateur Championship