|
In a recent article Associated Press golf stooge writer Deputy Doug Ferguson pointed to the lack of accessible venues on the PGA Championship's upcoming schedule. The next six sites for the year's final major are either extremely expensive resorts or highly-exclusive private clubs:
2011 - Atlanta Athletic Club
2012 - Kiawah Island
2013 - Oak Hill Country Club
2014 - Valhalla Golf Club
2015 - Whistling Straits
2016 - Baltusrol
"We've had discussions with a number of daily-fee facilities, along with traditional clubs," PGA CEO Joe Steranka told the AP at his organization's annual news conference. "We'll step out of the box every now and then and try something. And right now, the USGA is doing a great part in taking it to the Bethpage Blacks and Torrey Pines."
It appears that we'll have to wait until at least 2018 for the PGA of America to climb out of that box.
The Charlotte Observer's Ron Green Jr. is reporting that Quail Hollow Club, host of the former Wachovia Champioship aka Wells Fargo Championship aka Quail Hollow Championship, will be introduced as the host site of the 2017 PGA Championship at a Tuesday morning media conference.
Obviously concerns voiced by the likes of Davis Love III dealing with the club's ability to host a mega golf event like the PGA Championship were satisfied.
"There's a lot of courses that can handle a major championship, certainly Quail Hollow as a golf course can, it's the infrastructure that goes around," Love said at the 2009 Verizon Heritage. "If Johnny Harris said you all come look at Quail Hollow for a U.S. Open or a PGA, they wouldn't look much at the golf course to start with. They'd say wait a minute, is there room for parking? And is there room for corporate hospitality? Is there room for buses? All the things they do well there with a medium-large tournament. But if you get an extra large tournament, can you handle it? That's the argument at Merion, that's an argument at so many places, can you get people in and out? Is the infrastructure big enough?
"Quail Hollow, sure, they've got deep rough and fast greens. It would certainly handle a major championship," he added. "But I don't think there's enough room for everything else that goes with it."
Rumors have been swirling for quite some time that Quail Hollow, whose contract to host a PGA Tour event expires in 2014, was on the brink of landing a major. This shouldn't come as a surprise.
But if you're going to pick a private club or high-priced resort course, why not inject some new blood into the rotation? This year's PGA Professional National Championship was played on the massive Pete Dye Course at French Lick Resort. At least Indiana would be more tolerable temperature wise in mid-August.
|
