LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The PGA Championship will return to Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville next spring, and crews are hard at work around the property finishing the final major projects before the pros arrive.
In late-2021, the club began work to re-sod the entire golf course. The course was transitioned from a cool-season Bentgrass to a warm-season Zyosia grass, allowing for easier maintenance of the course during the warm season, course superintendent John Ballard said. The course has been lengthened by about 100 yards, extending tee boxes on holes 1, 12 and 14. No. 1 will play 50 yards longer, while No. 12 can go 20 yards longer. And No. 14 can now be played as a 250-yard par three.
And now, work is underway to now to add a new championship tee to No. 18. Additionally, crews are in the middle of a large-scale renovation to the clubhouse and the green site on No. 13.
The 486-acre property sits off Shelbyville Road, just east of Interstate 265. Designed by Jack Nicklaus, it opened in 1986 and remains the No. 1-ranked course in Kentucky, according to Golf Digest.
Valhalla has also played host to many marquee events that drew national and international attention to Louisville:
- 1996 PGA Championship: Won by Mark Brooks
- 2000 PGA Championship: Won by Tiger Woods
- 2004 Senior PGA Championship: Won by Hale Irwin
- 2008 Ryder Cup: Won by the United States
- 2011 Senior PGA Championship: Won by Tom Watson
- 2014 PGA Championship: Won by Rory McIlroy
Related Stories:
- Changes to Valhalla Golf Club mostly completed for the 2024 PGA Championship
- PGA of America sells Valhalla Golf Club to Louisville investor group
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