Great Major venue names
Three of golf's Majors have moved around a bit - here are 10 of the best venue names


Thank you for signing up to Golf Monthly. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
While one of golf’s big four stays rooted in Georgia, all of the others have moved around a bit over the years. Here are 10 great Major venue names
Myopia
This four-time US Open venue is the first of our great Major venue names, and perhaps not surprisingly, the only one to be named after a clinical ocular condition. Scots won all four of those US Opens courtesy of Fred Herd, Willie Anderson twice and finally Fred McLeod in 1908.
Fresh Meadow
Both US Open and USPGA have paid visits to this very pleasant-sounding New York country club.
French Lick
This Donald Ross-designed Indiana course is where the flamboyant Walter Hagen won the USPGA in 1924. It may sound potentially a bit rude, but ‘lick’ is apparently something to do with animal watering holes.
Pecan Valley
GM’s Danish pastry-loving staff particularly like the sound of the 1968 USPGA venue in San Antonio, Texas. Julius Boros was the champion that year, and apparently tour pros were nuts about it (sorry)…
Flossmoor
This early USPGA venue should perhaps have been brought back in 1969 to help counter the dental effects of those Pecan Danishes? American-Scot Jock Hutchison was the winner at this Illinois course back in 1920.
Crooked Stick
Big John Daly’s driver proved anything but crooked as the mullet-haired one shocked the golfing world with his 1991 USPGA victory, taking driver on holes where others favoured a more cautious approach.
This two-time Open venue is in Deal on the Kent coast, but the town wasn’t actually one of the original five Cinque Ports, only being added to the cast in the 15th century.
Onwentsia
This Illinois club played host to the US Open in 1906 and is listed as one the 100 oldest clubs in the United States
Wannamoisett
Venue for the USPGA’s only ever visit to America’s smallest state of Rhode Island back in 1931 when relatively unknown American, Tom Creavy, took the title.
Aronimink
Possibly an old Indian name meaning “by the beaver dam”. Scene of Gary Player’s third Major success in the 1962 USPGA.
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Tips on how to play better, latest equipment reviews, interviews with the biggest names and more.

Jeremy Ellwood has worked in the golf industry since 1993 and for Golf Monthly since 2002 when he started out as equipment editor. He is now a freelance journalist writing mainly for Golf Monthly across the whole spectrum from courses and Rules to equipment and instruction. He also edits The Golf Club Secretary Newsletter, a highly regarded trade publication for golf club secretaries and managers, and has authored or co-authored three books and written for a number of national papers including The Telegraph and The Independent. He is a senior panelist for Golf Monthly's Top 100 UK & Ireland Course Rankings and has played all of the Top 100 plus 91 of the Next 100, making him well-qualified when it comes to assessing and comparing our premier golf courses. He has now played well over 950 golf courses worldwide in 35 countries, right across the spectrum from the humblest of nine-holers in the Scottish Highlands to the very grandest of international golf resorts, but put him on a links course anywhere and he will be blissfully content.
Jezz can be contacted via Twitter - @JezzEllwoodGolf
Jeremy is currently playing...
Driver: Ping G425 LST 10.5˚ (draw setting), Mitsubishi Tensei AV Orange 55 S shaft
3 wood: Ping G425 Max 15˚ (set to flat +1), Mitsubishi Tensei AV Orange 65 S shaft
Hybrid: Ping G425 17˚, Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro Orange 80 S shaft
Irons 3-PW: Ping i525, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts
Wedges: Ping Glide 4.0 50˚ and 54˚, 12˚ bounce, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts
Putter: Ping Fetch 2021 model, 33in shaft (set flat 2)
Ball: Varies but mostly now TaylorMade Tour Response
-
-
Fleetwood Mac Look To Emulate Moliwood As Ryder Cup Power Pairing
Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood will pair up in the Friday morning foursomes session, as they look to help Europe win back the Ryder Cup
By Matt Cradock Published
-
Darren Clarke On The 'Poisoned Chalice' Of Being A Ryder Cup Captain
Darren Clarke talks exclusively to Golf Monthly on what Luke Donald will have to deal with as Ryder Cup captain in Rome
By Paul Higham Published