The architect talks about his 2018 restoration and how the course will play for this year’s PGA Championship
By Richard Humphreys |
Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, will host the 2026 PGA Championship this week.
Donald Ross designed the course in 1928, and it originally featured more than 190 bunkers. Several architects made alterations throughout the 20th century, resulting in some simplification of the bunker scheme. However, in 2003, architect Ron Prichard, armed with original drawings, oversaw work to bring the course back to Ross’s intentions.
In 2016, following the discovery of course photographs from 1929, Aronimink appointed Gil Hanse to continue Prichard’s restorative work. Hanse would oversee the recovery of nearly 30,000 square feet of putting surface and expanded the number of bunkers to over 170. The course reopened in 2018 and Aronimink hosted the BMW Championship in the same year.
In his role as a Rolex Testimonee, Gil Hanse spoke with GCA ahead of this year’s PGA Championship, which sees Aronomink hosting the tournament for the second time – the first being Gary Player’s win in 1962. Player is also a Rolex Testimonee.
What were the most impactful changes you made in 2018 to restore the course closer to its original 1928 design?
It was more about understanding what had been built rather than the design – we had seen the original plans, but the actual layout of the course had deviated significantly. The greens were very much the same, but the bunkering was completely different. The bunkers are the most striking feature of the golf landscape at Aronimink, so we replicated this, rather than creating our own vision.
Not only did we turn bunkers into clusters of three or four, but we also moved them into locations that would be challenging. We added back tees and moved the original ones further back, so the bunkers are more relevant to the way the game is played today.
Gil Hanse restored elements of the Donald Ross course as part of a project that was completed between 2016-18 (Photo: Gary Kellner/PGA of America)
Which elements of the course do you believe will present the toughest challenges for players this week?
There will be many tests, but I think hole eleven will be the most challenging aspect for the players to navigate. It will cause players a lot of headaches if they get out of position. If they come into the green from the wrong angle or leave their ball in a bad position, then it will be difficult. The sixteenth hole, as a par five, will be a good opportunity for players to make birdie or eagle, which is always great in the closing stretch.
The eighteenth is a quintessential American parkland hole, where you climb the hill back up to the iconic clubhouse. You have to come at the green from a lower elevation, from which it is difficult to determine the hole location.
Describe the characteristics a golf course must have to successfully host a major championship?
Each major championship has its own identity. The PGA Championship sets up a nice equilibrium, where they defend the golf course, but they also allow the players to not be as defensive. The architecture at a major championship is always strong and a golfer can rarely overpower a golf course. The players need every skill and attribute to succeed in a major examination. Major championship golf courses tend to have a wonderful scale and Aronimink fits this with its beautiful landscape. Playability is critical and it is the most crucial part of the challenge, but the presentation of these golf courses always provides a grand stage.
Hanse’s project included restoring and relocating bunkers, expanding greens, new back tees, tree removal and new irrigation (Photo: Gary Kellner/PGA of America)
As your work is showcased on one of golf’s biggest stages, what does it mean to watch the world’s best compete on a course you helped restore?
It is always a thrill to see the world’s best players compete on golf courses that have been important projects for us. I’m so delighted that Rolex recognises the role that the golf courses play in the major events. The players are the most important people in any golf tournament, but they are playing on a stage that changes more dramatically than any other venue in sport.
Leading up to a major event, if we do our job, we will have created an examination and a test of golf that will challenge the best players in the world. Aronimink Golf Club will have a great opportunity to utilise several strategic tee spots and hole locations during the PGA Championship to provide challenges for the player.
What type of player or playing style do you feel is best suited to this course?
I would say Scottie Scheffler is favourite going into the PGA Championship. He is an incredible player and suited to any golf course he plays. Players will have to strike the ball well and hit good irons. It will be a complete golfer that will play well at Aronimink Golf Club.
Aronimink is hosting the PGA Championship for the first time since 1962 (Photo: Gary Kellner/PGA of America)