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Thursday
Jun262014

2020 PGA Championship To Harding Park

Looks like Joe Passov beat me to it by about 15 minutes, but here's my GolfDigest.com item for The Loop on Harding Park landing the 2020 PGA Championship.

The decision is a positive for the PGA of America because they are coming west after a 16-year hiatus, but I don't believe the current course, despite it's staggering $23 million PGA Tour Design Services renovation price, is up to the quality standards for a major site.

As I spell out in the item, this also dooms the chances of an international PGA in 2020 to get away from the Tokyo Games. That was always a longshot, but obviously when you weigh Harding Park vs. Royal Melbourne, well, the international option would have been great for fans.

**Story updated with quotes from Sandy Tatum, who spearheaded the renovation of Harding Park over 11 years ago and as you can imagine is delighted with the news.

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Reader Comments (38)

further and possibly definitive proof that quality of architecture is an important issue for deciding where majors are held
06.26.2014 | Unregistered Commenterchicago pt
^ as in where not to hold them? Not a fan of that place, architecturally speaking.
06.26.2014 | Unregistered Commentersmithens53
Is that why they choose Vahalla for the PGA so often... lol. Arch has nothing to do with it. Cronyism. 23 Million to renovate, what a joke...
06.26.2014 | Unregistered CommenterPool Boy
Smart move by the PGA...they have to go west...finally !!!
06.26.2014 | Unregistered CommenterTerry Malloy
If true, good for public golf and the PGA...Bethpage in '19 in NY...HP in '20 in CA.
06.26.2014 | Unregistered CommenterGreenwichGolfer
I know folks out here were excited to see something held at Royal Melbourne, but having the US PGA in another country just didn't make any sense to me. Move the match play or another WGC event - I'd say move the match play to Europe before the British, and the Bridgestone event to OZ somewhere in the October/November timeframe.
06.26.2014 | Unregistered CommenterBrianS
Harding Park is simply not a major quality course.
06.26.2014 | Unregistered CommenterPasaplayer
Ha! Nothing another $23 million can't fix.
06.26.2014 | Unregistered CommenterKLG
HP is in a large metropolitan area, can accomodate many ticket-buyers and corporate tents, and the infrastucture is (barely) adequate to allow for busing those buyers to the course from remote parking facilities and transit hubs.

What's missing from the equation?

[removing tongue from cheek]
06.26.2014 | Unregistered CommenterCarl Peterson
The back nine is not bad but the front nine is completely ho-hum. Its going to be a step back in architecture as a typical long parkland course which will include high rough.

Considering this is the PGAs marquee tournament and money maker, I'm not sure where are they going to put corporate tents, parking, and a locker room?
06.26.2014 | Unregistered CommenterSato
Bad move by the PGA it had a chance to finally distinguish itself and get out the shadow of the other majors by going to Royal Melbourne in 2020. Now it will continue to be a distant fourth to the others. I think in Olympic years the Olympic event should now be considered the fourth major for that year.
06.26.2014 | Unregistered CommenterIan McAllister
How does the total acreage of Harding Park compare to Merion?
06.26.2014 | Unregistered CommenterDTF
Harding is perhaps a bit light in terms of architechture, but possess a fantastic soul. It will prove to be a fantastic venue for both fans on the grounds and home viewers. And it's San Francisco!
06.26.2014 | Unregistered Commenterjeff
"The international option (at Royal Melbourne) would have been great for fans"

Would that be the American fans that would have to travel to the other side of the world (to see an American PGA Championship), spending thousands just to get there, or the TV viewers that would have to watch one of the majors in the middle of the night or on tape delay ?
06.26.2014 | Unregistered CommenterBrianS
Finally got to play the course yesterday. New greens and bunkering are superb and the whole course is in wonderful condition right now but there isn't a load of decision making going on out there. The back nine is much more interesting than the first.

efinitely a course everyone should play, but RM vs HP? They don't compare architecturally. Or interestingly.
06.26.2014 | Unregistered CommenterMichael
An old tree-lined track that is guaranteed to be green? Count me in.

The next question is when the PGA will be held, since this is an Olympic year. I wonder if San Fran's temperate climate ( it could host basically any time) had something to do with HP being picked--they still have options regarding how they'll avoid the Olympics while committing to a venue.
06.26.2014 | Unregistered CommenterGW
Is Torrey Pines an architectural gem? To me it's just a very long golf course with an ocean view. Yet it has hosted a US Open.
06.26.2014 | Unregistered CommenterTom
Good questions BrianS....
06.26.2014 | Unregistered CommenterDTF
Tatum is remarkable, still has his wits at age 94, speaking eloquently about sites and the game. Has been the most influential of all USGA presidents since Tufts. Hope he's still with us for the PGA at Harding Park. Has anyone seen him lately? Is he still vital, vibrant (read somewhere his golf game is slipping, hope he hasn't). His correspondance with the late, great Frank Hannigan must've been epic!!
06.26.2014 | Unregistered CommenterMedia driven
BrianS

Because America shouldn't host 3 majors indefinitely. The golf world is bigger than that now.

The world cares about the Masters and the US Open - but barely cares a dot about the PGA. Moving it around occasionally would do much for the championship.
And why should the rest of the world have sit up all night to watch the majors:)
06.26.2014 | Unregistered CommenterMike Clayton
If the PGA is really looked down on then the rest of the world wouldn't care to host it anyway. The fact of the matter is the United States' contribution to professional golf--in terms of the history, development, financial prowess, and continuation--is unrivaled. Therefore its professional association's championship is duly recognized as a major.

The WGC events were created to recognize and aid to the global presence of the game, and apparently most countries are unable to support such events. If Australia or Europe wants to pony up to support the large purses required for such an event then let 'em, but the PGA is ours.
06.26.2014 | Unregistered CommenterGW
I agree that having 3/4 of the Majors in the US is skewed. But moving the PGA (A stands for American btw) across the world just because it is "different" does not make sense - how about moving the Masters ? Honestly, Asia/Australia needs to throw cash behind an event, get a great golf course to stage it, and sooner or later you will have 5 majors. Or one of the others will wither and you are back to 4.
06.26.2014 | Unregistered CommenterBrianS
GW

Australia put up 7+ million for the Matchplay in 2001 and the World Cup last summer - and do you want me to start listing who didn't bother to turn up?
The PGA might be yours - but don't you think it couldn't be a great event outside of America every now and then?

BrianS
They played at Metropolitan and Royal Melbourne - so decent enough courses.

Australia wont be conned again into putting up that much money with no guarantee of players like Tiger,Phil,Rory,Sergio,Ernie - although Ernie did play the Matchplay.
06.26.2014 | Unregistered CommenterMike Clayton
@ BrianS "A" stands for association, as in the Professional Golfers Association followed by Of America in the case of this country. There are PGAs in other major golfing countries and I wouldn't mind combining them for an Major and moving it to somewhere like Australia or Great Britain
06.26.2014 | Unregistered Commentercameron
Ghoster, given our past outing, I have a mid-America invitation should you be interested. This year or next, it matters not. But the golf would be superb.

Full details and options to the address of your choice.

Cheers.
06.26.2014 | Unregistered CommenterPasaplayer
Thank goodness the PGA will be held west of the Rockies once again!
06.26.2014 | Unregistered CommenterRandom Fan
If all the world PGA's were to combine or at least co-sponsor a global PGA Championship - that would be cool. Moving the US PGA to another country I just don't get.
06.26.2014 | Unregistered CommenterBrianS
GW
That was a great post. Honest, polite and succinct. At this point, I think people who float this trial balloon underestimate how fiercely proud and protective of this championship the rank and file members of the PGA of America are. It's come up in my casual conversations with many club pros, and the reaction has been tantamount to relocating the Lincoln Memorial. Leaders will say nice things, but the response from the rank and file has essentially been, "over my dead body."
06.26.2014 | Unregistered CommenterLooper
Moving the PGA overseas every few years would help spread golf across the world, make the tournament more prestigious, probably be a financial windfall for the organization and let fans who have never seen the greats of the game compete a front row seat. Unfortunately it appears the PGA of America is more myopic than the R&A which this week made a great decision to bring the Open back to NI. Many of the comments supporting the PGA on this board are just silly Jingoism. Because the USA is such a large country most of the fans can obviously not attend an event anyway. It is true that it would place the tournament mostly at night for television viewers. In the end I believe that is what nixed the idea, CBS said no way were they going to Australia. I wonder if Geoff has any insight into what happened behind the scenes. A major at Royal Melbourne would have been very special and created enormous buzz.
06.26.2014 | Unregistered CommenterIan McAllister
"...the R&A which this week made a great decision to bring the Open back to NI. "

If altruism is truly your interest why not take The Open Championship to Royal Melbourne?
06.27.2014 | Unregistered CommenterDTF
How about moving the "Open" a/k/a "British Open" to China or Australia? Maybe the pros need a 5th and 6th major?

Back to HP. I've played the course a couple of times. Never in good condition, staff maybe the worst in California, and not very interesting.
06.27.2014 | Unregistered CommenterHBL
@jeff - unfortunately, in my opinion the "soul" of Harding Park was greatly diminished by the renovation by the PGA Tour. It was an incredible disappointment.
06.27.2014 | Unregistered CommenterKevin part deux
$23 million golf course renovation for a four day tournament? <- Proving that tournament golf at this level is irrelevant in the real world of golf. BTW, who's stupid enough to pay this to PGA Tour Design Services?
06.27.2014 | Unregistered CommenterHarveyF
The total renovation cost $23 million. Nobody paid the PGA tour design $23 million for design fee.

I disagree that HP is never in good condition. I play it often and it's in the best condition that it has ever been. I'm not sure if people expect it to be in the same condition as a country club, but let remember that this a muni course. Unfortunately, most golfers don't replace their divots nor they repair their ball marks on the green.
06.27.2014 | Unregistered CommenterJohn
@DTF

Moving the Open Championship outside the United Kingdom would definitely not be out of the question due to the fact that the R&A is the governing body of the rest of the world except for one rogue nation and its neighbor to the south. The only standard that has been set is that the Open should be contested over links land. Peter Dawson was asked about this one time and indicated such as I have. There is precedent I might add as the Amateur championship was one time contested in the republic of Ireland. Therefore if a true links course outside of the UK was able to host the championship I would not be opposed to this. Royal Melbourne well a mighty course is as I am sure you realize definitely not a links course. But there are links courses in the republic of Ireland and the Netherlands which definitely could qualify. So your jingoism is wasted on me. I simply love the game of golf in its many forms across the globe and would like to see more of these venues showcased rather than have two majors in the state of Georgia.
06.27.2014 | Unregistered CommenterIan McAllister
"Moving the US PGA to another country I just don't get"

At least you admit it.
06.27.2014 | Unregistered CommenterTater
"But there are links courses in the republic of Ireland and the Netherlands which definitely could qualify."

Only those two? "Jingoism"...? Surely ye jest!
06.27.2014 | Unregistered CommenterDTF

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