Saucon Valley Country Club

Last updated
Saucon Valley Country Club
OldCourseFall.jpg
Fall on the Old Course (2022)
Club information
Location Upper Saucon Township, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Established1920
TypePrivate
Total holes60
Events hosted U.S. Amateur (1951)
U.S. Junior Amateur (1983)
U.S. Senior Amateur (1987)
U.S. Mid-Amateur (2014)
U.S. Senior Open (1992, 2000, 2022)
U.S. Women's Open (2009)
Website Saucon Valley Country Club
Old Course
Designed by Herbert Strong
Par 71
Length7,129
Course rating 74.6
Grace Course
Designed by William Gordon
Par 72
Length7,091
Course rating 73.9
Weyhill Course
Designed by David Gordon and William Gordon
Par 72
Length7,099
Course rating 75.0

Saucon Valley Country Club is a country club in Upper Saucon Township in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania near both Allentown and Bethlehem. Its facilities include three 18-hole golf courses and a six-hole beginners course.

Contents

The old course has hosted eight United States Golf Association (USGA) tournaments, including the 1992, 2000, and 2022 U.S. Senior Opens. In 2009, it was the site of the U.S. Women's Open. Five years later, it was the host of the U.S. Mid-Amateur. Saucon Valley Country Club is also the home site of the Lehigh University golf team. All three of Saucon Valley's 18-hole courses have made appearances on golf magazine rankings of top courses.

History

Early postcard drawing of Saucon Valley Country Club, c. 1930 to 1945 Saucon Valley Country Club, Bethlehem, Pa (66149).jpg
Early postcard drawing of Saucon Valley Country Club, c. 1930 to 1945

Saucon Valley Country Club was founded in 1920 by a group of local businessmen, mostly from Bethlehem Steel. Architect Herbert Strong was hired to design the Saucon Course, now known as the Old Course. Construction of the course concluded in 1921, and it was opened the following year. [1] A fire destroyed Saucon Valley's clubhouse in January 1928; construction on a replacement building began shortly after the fire, and was finished in 1929. [2] The club elected to build a second course after World War II, due to an increase in membership. William Gordon was the architect, working with his son David. The first nine holes of the Grace Course, named after founding member Eugene Grace, were finished in 1953; five years later, the last nine holes were completed. [3] The Weyhill Course, the third 18-hole course built at the club, opened in 1968. [4]

Courses

The Old Course used to be a 6,799-yard course, [5] but after renovations that added more than 300 yards of length, it is now 7,129 yards with a par of 71. [1] [6] [7] Among its holes are three par-fives that are more than 550 yards. [5] The Grace Course is a 7,091-yard par 72, [8] which Links Magazine describes as "a big hitters' paradise". [5] The Weyhill Course is a par-72 that measures out to 7,099 yards. [9] ,

Events hosted

The USGA has held eight national tournaments at Saucon Valley Country Club's Old Course. [1] The first USGA event played at Saucon Valley was the 1951 U.S. Amateur, which was won by future PGA Tour player Billy Maxwell. [10] In 1983, the Old Course hosted the U.S. Junior Amateur; it was won by Tim Straub. [11] Four years later, John Richardson won the U.S. Senior Amateur at the club. [12]

Saucon Valley hosted its first U.S. Senior Open, a major championship on the Senior PGA Tour (now known as the PGA Tour Champions), in 1992. With a four-day total score of 275 (nine-under-par), Larry Laoretti won the tournament by four strokes over Dave Stockton. [13] The U.S. Senior Open returned to Saucon Valley in 2000, when Hale Irwin won the event by three strokes; his total score of 267 (17-under-par) broke the tournament's scoring record. [14] In July 2009, Saucon Valley hosted the U.S. Women's Open, a major championship on the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour. South Korean Eun-Hee Ji made a 20-foot birdie putt on the last hole of the tournament to win by one stroke. [15] The course received a positive reception from players following the U.S. Women's Open. [16] The Old and Weyhill Courses hosted the U.S. Mid-Amateur in 2014. Both courses were used for the stroke play part of the competition, while the 64-man match play was held on the Old Course. [17] Scott Harvey was the tournament's champion. [18] Saucon Valley became the first club to host the U.S. Senior Open for a third time in 2022. [19] Pádraig Harrington posted a one-stroke victory over Steve Stricker. [20]

The club serves as the site of home matches for the golf team of Lehigh University, [21] the college attended by Eugene Grace, the president of Bethlehem Steel when Saucon Valley Country Club was founded. [22] On four occasions—1996, 2003, 2008, and 2013—Saucon Valley hosted the men's golf championship of Lehigh's athletic conference, the Patriot League, which Lehigh won in 2013. [23] [24] The Old Course has also played host to the Pennsylvania Amateur Championship twice, in 2008 and 2013. [25]

Other facilities

In addition to its three 18-hole courses, the club has a six-hole Short Course, which is aimed at beginning golfers. [26] There are 16 tennis courts at the club, along with four swimming pools. Saucon Valley also has squash and platform tennis courts. [27]

Rankings

The Old and Grace courses have appeared numerous times on golf magazine listings of leading golf courses in the U.S. In 1995 and 1997, Golf Magazine named the Grace Course one of the "Top 100 Courses in the U.S." [28] The course was selected as one of "America's 100 Best Classical Courses" by Golfweek magazine each year from 1997 to 1999. [28] The Old Course joined the Grace Course in Golf Magazine's' "Top 100 Courses in the U.S." ranking in 1995; [28] Baltusrol Golf Club and Winged Foot Golf Club are the only other private clubs that have had multiple courses on the publication's list. [1] Golfweek placed the Old Course on its "America's 100 Best Classical Courses" annually from 1997 to 1999, along with the Grace Course. [28] After renovations in preparation for the 2009 U.S. Women's Open, the Old Course won the 2008 Best Remodel award from Golf Digest magazine. [6]

Related Research Articles

The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open national championship of golf in the United States. It is the third of the four men's major golf championships, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour. Since 1898 the competition has been 72 holes of stroke play, with the winner being the player with the lowest total number of strokes. It is staged by the United States Golf Association (USGA) in mid-June, scheduled so that, if there are no weather delays, the final round is played on the third Sunday. The U.S. Open is staged at a variety of courses, set up in such a way that scoring is very difficult, with a premium placed on accurate driving. As of 2024, the U.S. Open awards a $21.5 million purse, the largest of all four major championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inverness Club</span> Private golf club in Toledo, Ohio

Inverness Club is a private golf club in Toledo, Ohio.

Hazeltine National Golf Club is a golf club located in Chaska, Minnesota, a suburb southwest of Minneapolis, United States. It is a private club and therefore closed to guests not accompanied by a member. The golf course was designed by Robert Trent Jones and opened in 1962.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oakmont Country Club</span> Country club in Pennsylvania, U.S.

Oakmont Country Club is a country club in the eastern United States, located mostly in Plum with only a very small portion of the property located in Oakmont, suburbs of Pittsburgh in western Pennsylvania. Established 121 years ago in 1903, its golf course is regarded as the "oldest top-ranked golf course in the United States." It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987. The Pennsylvania Turnpike separates seven holes (2–8) from the rest of the course.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baltusrol Golf Club</span> Golf course in New Jersey, USA

The Baltusrol Golf Club is a private 36-hole golf club in the eastern United States, located in Springfield, New Jersey, about twenty miles (30 km) west of New York City. It was founded 129 years ago in 1895 by Louis Keller.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winged Foot Golf Club</span> Golf club in Mamaroneck, New York, United States

Winged Foot Golf Club is a private golf club in the northeastern United States, located in Mamaroneck, New York, a suburb northeast of New York City. The club was founded in 1921, by a group largely made up of members of The New York Athletic Club, and opened in June 1923. Winged Foot's name and logo are taken directly from a sculpture in the lobby floor of the New York Athletic Club in Manhattan.

Aronimink Golf Club is a private country club in the eastern United States, located in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, a suburb west of Philadelphia. Its championship layout is consistently rated among the nation's top golf courses. Aronimink is currently ranked 78th in Golf Digest's "Greatest Courses," 44th in "Toughest Courses" and 55th in Golfweek's "Classic Courses." In 2010, Aronimink was ranked #4 among the toughest courses on the PGA Tour by Links magazine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oakland Hills Country Club</span> Golf club in Michigan, United States

Oakland Hills Country Club is a private golf club in the central United States, located in Bloomfield Township, Michigan, a suburb northwest of Detroit. It consists of two 18-hole courses designed by Donald Ross: the South Course (1918) and the North Course (1923).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cherry Hills Country Club</span> Private country club in Colorado, U.S.

Cherry Hills Country Club is a private country club in the western United States, located in Cherry Hills Village, Colorado, a suburb south of Denver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Congressional Country Club</span> Golf course and country club

Congressional Country Club is a country club and golf course in Bethesda, Maryland, United States. Congressional opened in 1924 and its Blue Course has hosted five major championships, including three U.S. Opens and a PGA Championship. It was a biennial stop on the PGA Tour, with the Quicken Loans National hosted by Tiger Woods until 2020. Previously, Congressional hosted the former Kemper Open until its move to nearby TPC at Avenel in 1987. Congressional hosted its third U.S. Open in 2011. Tournament winners at Congressional have included Rory McIlroy, Ken Venturi, Ernie Els, Justin Rose and Tiger Woods, among many others. Congressional is generally considered one of the most prestigious golf clubs in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bellerive Country Club</span> Luxury country club

Bellerive Country Club is a golf country club in the central United States, located in Town and Country, Missouri, a suburb west of St. Louis. With the Old Warson, Westwood, and St. Louis country clubs, it is considered one of the "big four" old-line elite St. Louis clubs. The course has hosted three major championships: the U.S. Open in 1965, and the PGA Championship in 1992 and 2018.

Bandon Dunes Golf Resort is a complex of seven links and two par-3 golf courses on the West Coast of the United States, located alongside the Pacific Ocean in southwest Oregon, just north of the city of Bandon.

Canterbury Golf Club is a private golf and country club located in the Cleveland suburb of Beachwood, Ohio, US. The club was formerly the home of the DAP Championship, part of the Web.com Tour Finals.

Caves Valley Golf Club is a member-owned not-for-profit corporation in Owings Mills, Maryland, a suburb northwest of Baltimore. The golf course opened 33 years ago in 1991, and is known for its fast greens, rolling fairways, and water hazards; it was rated as 47th among America's best modern courses by Golfweek magazine in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golf</span> Club-and-ball sport

Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit a ball into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 U.S. Women's Open</span> Golf tournament

The 2009 U.S. Women's Open was the 64th U.S. Women's Open. Held July 9–12, it was the first U.S. Women's Open to be played at the Old Course of the Saucon Valley Country Club in Upper Saucon Township, Pennsylvania. Eun-Hee Ji won her only major title, one stroke ahead of runner-up Candie Kung. The event was televised by ESPN and NBC Sports.

The U.S. Women's Amateur, also known as the United States Women's Amateur Golf Championship, is the leading golf tournament in the United States for female amateur golfers. It is played annually and is one of the 13 United States national golf championships organized by the United States Golf Association (USGA). Female amateurs from all nations are eligible to compete and there are no age restrictions. It was established in 1895, one month after the men's U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open. It is the third oldest USGA championship, over a half century older than the U.S. Women's Open, which was first played in 1946. Along with the British Ladies Amateur, the U.S. Women's Amateur is considered the highest honor in women's amateur golf.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Desert Forest Golf Club</span> Golf course and club in Carefree, Arizona

Desert Forest Golf Club is a par-72 golf course and club located in Carefree, Arizona. The course is 7201 yards long and located underneath Black Mountain in the Sonoran Desert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 U.S. Open (golf)</span> Golf tournament

The 2015 United States Open Championship was the 115th U.S. Open, played June 18–21, 2015 at Chambers Bay in University Place, Washington, southwest of Tacoma on the shore of Puget Sound. Jordan Spieth won his first U.S. Open and consecutive major titles, one stroke ahead of runners-up Dustin Johnson and Louis Oosthuizen. This was the first U.S. Open televised by Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports, launching a 12-year contract with the United States Golf Association.

The 2010 U.S. Senior Open was a senior major golf championship and the 31st U.S. Senior Open, held July 29 to August 1 at Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Washington, a suburb east of Seattle. It was the first U.S. Senior Open played at the course, which hosted the PGA Championship in 1998.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Golf Course Review - Saucon Valley Country Club (Old Course)". KMGH-TV. The Sports Network. September 20, 2007. Archived from the original on October 29, 2009. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
  2. ↑ Whelan, Frank (July 5, 1992). "$25,000 Gold Mine: The Old Grim Farm Has A Different Look, But Beauty Remains (page 2)". The Morning Call . Retrieved December 22, 2011.
  3. ↑ "The Grace Course". Saucon Valley Country Club. Archived from the original on July 24, 2010. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
  4. ↑ "The Weyhill Course". Saucon Valley Country Club. Retrieved May 8, 2009.
  5. 1 2 Wogenrich, Mark (December 5, 2008). "A rave of a redesign: SVCC gets Golf Digest honor for changes made in time for 2009 U.S. Women's Open". The Morning Call. Retrieved May 9, 2009.
  6. ↑ "Old Course". Saucon Valley Country Club. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Grace Course". Saucon Valley Country Club. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Weyhill Course: Scorecard". Saucon Valley Country Club. Retrieved September 26, 2017.
  9. ↑ "Past Champion, 1951: Billy Maxwell". United States Golf Association . Retrieved August 30, 2009.
  10. ↑ "Past Champions: Tim Straub". United States Golf Association. Retrieved May 8, 2009.
  11. ↑ "1987: John Richardson". United States Golf Association. Retrieved May 8, 2009.
  12. ↑ Diaz, Jaime (July 13, 1992). "Golf; Laoretti Lights Up the Senior Open". The New York Times . Retrieved May 8, 2009.
  13. ↑ "Irwin wins Senior Open in record-setting fashion". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. July 2, 2000. Retrieved May 8, 2009.
  14. ↑ Gagne, Matt (July 13, 2009). "Eun Hee Ji wins Women's U.S. Open with 20-foot putt on final hole". New York Daily News . Retrieved July 20, 2009.
  15. ↑ Williams, Andre D. (July 13, 2009). "Saucon gets raves as challenging, beautiful". The Morning Call. Retrieved January 13, 2011.
  16. ↑ Blake, Corky (June 1, 2013). "Saucon Valley Country Club prepares to host 2014 USGA Mid-Amateur Championship". The Express-Times . Retrieved August 8, 2013.
  17. ↑ Shefter, David (September 10, 2014). "Harvey Wins 2014 U.S. Mid-Amateur". United States Golf Association. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
  18. ↑ Koltnow, Bo (June 20, 2022). "Saucon Valley Country Club prepares course to 'championship level' for US Senior Open". WFMZ-TV . Retrieved July 23, 2022.
  19. ↑ Markol, Drew (June 26, 2022). "10 takeaways from Padraig Harrington's win at 2022 U.S. Senior Open". Golfweek . Retrieved July 23, 2022.
  20. ↑ "Navy Sets Its Sight on 2008 Patriot League Golf Championship". CBS Sports Network. April 24, 2008. Archived from the original on September 18, 2012. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  21. ↑ Whelan, Frank (July 5, 1992). "$25,000 Gold Mine: The Old Grim Farm Has A Different Look, But Beauty Remains (page 1)". The Morning Call. Retrieved August 24, 2011.
  22. ↑ "Lehigh set to host league championship at Saucon Valley CC". Lehigh University. April 26, 2013. Retrieved May 15, 2013.
  23. ↑ "Mountain Hawks hold off Navy to claim first PL title since 1997". Lehigh University. April 28, 2013. Retrieved May 15, 2013.
  24. ↑ Gilbert, Karl (July 18, 2013). "Pennsylvania Amateur Championship coming to Saucon Valley's Old Course". The Express-Times. Retrieved October 7, 2013.
  25. ↑ "The Short Course". Saucon Valley Country Club. Retrieved May 8, 2009.
  26. ↑ "Saucon Valley Country Club: History Highlights". United States Golf Association. Retrieved May 8, 2009.
  27. 1 2 3 4 "Course Profile: Saucon Valley Country Club". Golf Magazine . Retrieved May 9, 2009.

40°33′13″N75°22′38″W / 40.5537°N 75.3771°W / 40.5537; -75.3771

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.