Major Championship Golf Courses That No Longer Exist
Most golf courses on which men's major championships have been played still exist. In fact, nearly all do, at least in some — not necessarily their original — form. But a handful of major championship golf courses have disappeared, out of business and/or plowed under and replaced with something else.
The Original Course at Baltusrol in New Jersey
Baltusrol Golf Club, in Springfield, New Jersey, still hosts major championships today. But not on its original course.When the club opened in 1895, it did so with a nine-hole course designed by George Hunter. That nine was expanded to 18 in 1898, and George Low later made some changes to it. That course, which today is referred to as the Old Course or just as the original course, no longer exists. It was plowed under in 1918 by architect A.W. Tillinghast, who then built the Upper and Lower courses that are still at Baltusrol today. But before that original course disappeared, it was the site of the 1903 U.S. Open and 1915 U.S. Open (as well as the U.S. Women's Amateur in 1901 and 1911, and the U.S. Amateur in 1904).
Englewood Golf Club in Englewood, New Jersey
Englewood was the site of the 1909 U.S. Open (after getting its championship feet wet with the 1906 U.S. Amateur). But Englewood met its demise in 1976. Why did it close? Troubles started in the mid-1960s when an approach ramp to the George Washington Bridge, part of the New Jersey Turnpike, was built right smack in the middle of the golf property. They tried to keep playing, with golfers passing under the ramp, but membership kept falling. Today, houses are built on the former site.
Fresh Meadow Country Club (Original Site) in New York
Today, Fresh Meadow Country Club is located in Long Island. But when it hosted the 1930 PGA Championship and 1932 U.S. Open, it was located in Queens. The club sold that original golf course property in 1946. Today, the Fresh Meadow residential neighborhood of Queens in there.
Pomonok Country Club in Flushing, New York
This Devereux Emmet-designed golf course was the site of the 1939 PGA Championship, won by Paul Runyan in 37 holes over Byron Nelson. The club was located just east of Queens College in Queens, New York. But club members sold it in 1949 and today the site is covered by housing. Pomonok was within a few miles of Fresh Meadow's original site.
Pecan Valley Golf Club in San Antonio, Texas
Pecan Valley was a public golf course designed by J. Press Maxwell that opened in 1963. Five years later, it was the site of the 1968 PGA Championship in which Julius Boros became the oldest-ever major winner at age 48. Following a Bob Cupp redesign in 1998, the USGA chose the course for the 2001 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship. But the course closed in 2012 and portions of the property have since been redeveloped.Photo credit: Public domain, Bain News Service via the Library of Congress. Baltusrol's original course is pictured. Ted Ray is the golfer putting, Harry Vardon is to his right. To Ray's left are Alec Smith and George Low.
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