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Of all the many things about which Philadelphia can be proud, one is its place in the world of golf.
Although it inexplicably lacks a regular stop on the PGA, LPGA or Champions Tours, Philadelphia bows to no city or area in its rich bounty of golf courses or its connection to the history of the game.
One of the supreme feats in all of sports, Bobby Jones’ Grand Slam, was completed on the 11th hole at Merion Golf Club in 1930. Merion has been the setting for four U.S. Opens, among Ben Hogan’s famous victory in 1950. The Open will return to Merion in 2013.
The area also is home to a thriving amateur scene, thanks in large measure to the Golf Association of Philadelphia. Founded in 1897, GAP is the oldest regional golf association in the country and only two years younger than the U.S. Golf Association. GAP’s Amateur Championship is only one year younger than the U.S. Amateur.
Each year, GAP conducts a full tournament schedule, including inter-club matches among the 137 member clubs, that is a model for an envy of regional associations across the country.
On the professional side, of 41 sections that make up PGA of America nationwide, Philadelphia is one of only two cities that constitutes its own section. The other is New York.
The area is home to three accomplished golf professionals on the national scene: Sean O’Hair, rookie of the year in 2005, on the PGA Tour; veteran Champions Tour player Jay Sigel, whose career as an amateur ranks alongside those of Bobby Jones and Tiger Woods; and Ed Dougherty, who in a 30-year career has won on the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour.
Philadelphia has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to golf courses. Every golfer dreams of playing the two crown jewels in the area: Pine Valley Golf Club in South Jersey, which is consistently ranked No.1 in the country; and Merion’s East Course, which never falls outside the Top 10.
But those two courses are only the beginning of a long list. No less than 10 Philadelphia courses could very well be regarded as the best course in plenty of other cities, if only they somehow could be picked up and moved.
Old classics designed by famous architects abound, from Donald Ross layouts such as Aronimink Golf Club and Torresdale-Frankford Country Club, to A.W. Tillinghast’s marvelous Philadelphia Cricket Club.
No architect, however, left a more impressive legacy than William S. Flynn, whose courses include Philadelphia Country Club, Rolling Green Golf Club, Huntingdon Valley Country Club, Green Valley Country Club and Manufacturers Country Club.
In recent years, modern courses, both private and public, have begun to rightfully grab attention. To name only three, there are Pine Hill Golf Club by Norristown native Tom Fazio, Applebrook Golf Club by Malvern-based architect Gil Hanse, and Lookaway Golf Club by Rees Jones, the so-called U.S. Open doctor.
It’s all part of the landscape and tradition that make up golf in Philadelphia.
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