Great Major venue names

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

Crooked Stick, scene of John Daly's 1991 USPGA victory, is one of the best Major venue names of late

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.

Walter Hagen captured 2 Majors in 1924 - The Open at Hoylake (pictured) & the USPGA at French Lick

Walter Hagen captured 2 Majors in 1924 - The Open at Hoylake (pictured) & the USPGA at French Lick

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.

Royal Cinque Ports

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.

Royal Cinque Ports in Kent hosted two Opens in 1909 and 1920

Royal Cinque Ports in Kent hosted two Opens in 1909 and 1920

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.

Gary Player in action in the 2003 Senior PGA where he also won the USPGA in 1962

Gary Player in action in the 2003 Senior PGA where he also won the USPGA in 1962
Jeremy Ellwood
Contributing Editor

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. He is an expert on the Rules of Golf having qualified through an R&A course to become a golf referee. 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 1,000 golf courses worldwide in 35 countries, from the humblest of nine-holers in the Scottish Highlands to the very grandest of international golf resorts. He reached the 1,000 mark on his 60th birthday in October 2023 on Vale do Lobo's Ocean course. 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