Inside the Course: Aronimink Golf Club

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Jun. 28, 2010

Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pa. will host this week's AT&T National for the first time. Here's all you need to know about the course.

Bill Masching, Head Instructor at the TOUR Academy New York, analyzes this week's course:

The Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands ended in exciting fashion as Bubba Watson rose to the top in a three-way playoff. Scott Verplank and Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin made it exciting for the fans, but Bubba pulled it off at the end. Great job, Bubba!

This week, the PGA TOUR travels to the AT&T National held at the Aronimink golf club in Newtown Square, Pa. Tiger Woods defends his title and will try to win the 6.2 million dollar purse. Last year, Woods had to fend off a late charge by Hunter Mahan last year to win. The par 70 course only has two par 5s, but the 9th hole is 605 yards and has many long par 4s. The 7,237-yard layout will be a great test for some of the best players in the world, including Vijay Singh, Jim Furyk and Davis Love III.

Donald Ross, a personal favorite of mine, designed this course in 1928, so be prepared to see many long irons into greens. When using long irons, notice how the PGA TOUR players set up for success. Watch how they set up with their head behind the ball and how it stays behind the ball at impact. This allows them to swing the club with speed and efficiency. Try this simple check point to make sure your head is behind the ball at address; let go of the club with your trail hand and see if you can touch the top of your knee cap. Make sure to add a slight secondary tilt to keep your head behind the ball at address and your long iron game will improve.

To learn more about the TOUR Academy, please click here.

Fast facts

Original architect	Donald Ross (1928)
Course remodel	Ron Pritchard (2000)
Course Superintendent	John M. Gosselin
Number of TOUR events as host venue	2 (including 2010)
Yardage history	6,995 yards (2010)
Grass	Bentgrass (tees, fairways, greens); Bentgrass, fescue (rough)
Tournament Stimpmeter	11-12 feet
Sand bunkers	75
Water hazards	5
Course tour	Click here

Hole	Par	Yards
1	4	430
2	4	422
3	4	446
4	4	466
5	3	178
6	4	400
7	4	401
8	3	238
9	5	605
10	4	454
11	4	412
12	4	465
13	4	393
14	3	218
15	4	500
16	5	558
17	3	215
18	4	436

Course origins

Aronimik Golf Club hosted the women's Eastern championship, the first of many major sectional tournaments to be played there, in 1929. It was won by Maureen Orcutt's record 241 (for 54 holes). In 1962, Aronimink had worldwide exposure as the venue for the national PGA Championship, won by Gary Player's 2-under 278.

The course is still basically the same as laid out by Ross. Most of the relatively minor changes involved modernizing the bunkering. More significant has been the growth of the trees, which has completely altered the appearance of the course.

Tournament course history

Course	Location	Years
Congressional CC	Bethesda, Md.	2007-2009
Aronimink Golf Club	Newtown Square, Pa.	2010

This week's Kodak Challenge hole

HOLE: The par-3, 212-yard 17th at Aronimink G.C.
THIS WEEK: Named the "Seneca" by the Architect Donald Ross. The 17th is a downhill par 3. Any errant shot will trickle down the steep bank into the lake guarding the large green. The lead could easily change hands here on the final day, making for an interesting finish. Click here to tour the Kodak Challenge holes | Current Kodak Challenge standings