Golf Course Review - Aronimink Golf Club

Golf Betting Lines

05/27/2010 - Newtown Square, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - FACTS AND STATS: Course Architects: Donald Ross (1928), Ron Prichard, McDonald & Sons (2000-01). Year Opened: 1928. Location: Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. Slope: 130. Rating: 74.4. Par: 70. Yardage: 7,190.

Hole-by-Hole:

1 - Par 4 428 Yds 10 - Par 4 445 Yds

2 - Par 4 422 Yds 11 - Par 4 408 Yds

3 - Par 4 446 Yds 12 - Par 4 459 Yds

4 - Par 4 457 Yds 13 - Par 4 387 Yds

5 - Par 3 178 Yds 14 - Par 3 215 Yds

6 - Par 4 392 Yds 15 - Par 4 500 Yds

7 - Par 4 401 Yds 16 - Par 5 558 Yds

8 - Par 3 238 Yds 17 - Par 3 215 Yds

9 - Par 5 605 Yds 18 - Par 4 436 Yds

Par 35 3,567 Yds Par 35 3,623 Yds

Key Events Held: PGA Championship (1962), U.S. Amateur (1977), U.S. Junior Amateur (1997), PGA Senior Championship (2003), AT&T National (2010-11).

Awards Won: #3 by Golf Digest - Best in State, Pennsylvania (2009-10), #56 by Golfweek - America's Best Classic Courses (2009-10), #76 by Golf Digest - America's 100 Great Courses (2009-10), #91 by Golf Connoisseur - Prestigious Private Clubs (2006-07),

Website: www.aronimink.org

HISTORY: "I intended to make this my masterpiece, but not until today did I realize that I built better than I knew." Twenty years after designing the course, just prior to his death in 1948, Donald Ross - who designed more than 500 courses including famed venues Pinehurst No. 2, Seminole Golf Club and Oakland Hills - toured Aronimink Golf Club and uttered that statement. A bronze plaque including those words sits on a boulder behind the first tee.

Organized in 1896, Aronimink was named after an Indian Chief of the Lenape Tribe. When the club opened, entrance fees were $10, annual dues were $20 and membership was $150, with the caddies receiving 15 cents per hour. Ross' original design was to incorporate a parkland setting with more than 100 bunkers, slopes, valleys and doglegs in an effort to require superior shot making. After three previous sites, Aronimink moved to its current location in 1926, as the club purchased 300 acres for $300,000.

To celebrate its Indian heritage, all of the holes on the golf course bear native American names such as Apache, Seminole, Cherokee and Sioux.

Over the past several years, Aronimink has undergone a restoration and renovation guided by architect Ron Prichard in an effort to restore all bunkers to their original design, add an additional five acres of fairways (up to 31 acres) and restore the pond in front of the 10th green. In addition, over 1,000 trees have been removed for agronomical and aesthetic reasons.

The most celebrated event held at Aronimink was the 1962 PGA Championship won by Gary Player. The native South African finished the event at two-under-par (278), defeating Bob Goalby by one shot. With the win, Player became the fifth foreign-born player to win the PGA Championship. Only two players in the field, Player and Goalby, finished the week under par on the first course in PGA Championship history to be played over 7,000 (7,045) yards. Jack Nicklaus carded 69-67 the final two rounds to tie for third, while Arnold Palmer and Sam Snead tied for 17th, each failing to break par. Player sealed the win with pars on the final two holes.

In 1977, the United States Golf Association held its first event at Aronimink, the U.S. Amateur Championship, won by John Fought. The current course architect defeated heralded amateurs Marvin "Vinny" Giles III and Jay Sigel in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively, and then crushed Doug Fischesser, 9 & 8 in the championship match for the title.

Twenty years later, the USGA returned for the U.S. Junior Amateur, as Jason Allred defeated 2008 Masters champion Trevor Immelman, 1-up. Allred, who played several years on the PGA Tour, withstood a late rally by Immelman for the title. After falling two down to Allred after he chipped in on 15 from 30 yards away, Immelman responded with back-to-back birdies on 16 and 17 to square the match. The comeback was short-lived, as Allred two-putted for par on the last. Current PGA Tour player and Aronimink member Sean O'Hair lost in the semifinals to Immelman.

The PGA of America returned to Aronimink in 2003 for the Senior PGA Championship, the oldest and most prestigious senior event. Playing at just under 7,000 yards, John Jacobs outlasted the conditions and a stellar field to win for the fifth time on the elder circuit. Two shots behind after three rounds, Jacobs carded a final round of 68 after completing his third round earlier in the day, for a two-stroke win over Bobby Wadkins in a rain- delayed and soggy event. Fuzzy Zoeller, who tied for third, was the only player in the field to post four rounds of par or better (69-70-70-70). Tied for the lead with just four holes remaining, Jacobs birdied the 15th with a roller-coaster 25-footer and then two-putted for birdie on 16 for a two-shot cushion. The 58-year-old tapped in for par at the last to become the oldest Senior PGA Championship winner since Pete Cooper in 1976. The course played quite difficult for the week, as the players averaged 73.580 with 237 rounds over par.

REVIEW: The course starts off with a stern test, a slight dogleg left uphill par-four with no fairway bunkers in the wide landing area on the tee shot. A mid- to long-iron is left to a two-tiered green that slopes right to left. Pin placement could add another club to your approach shot. Any approach above the flag could result in a three-putt or worse, you're ball rolling off the green.

The second hole represents a birdie opportunity. Well, maybe. A sharp dogleg left with a new tee box set back to the left, you'll need to be quite accurate off the tee, as the fairway slopes away from the player with two fairway bunkers guarding the corner. A short iron should remain, but the green slopes to the front and is extremely fast. Miss long and you'll find a difficult chipping area, making for a tough up-and-down.

Another strong par-four faces the golfer when he reaches the third tee. At 446 yards, bending to the left and bunkers guarding both sides of the fairway, the tee shot is the most crucial aspect of the hole. A long tee ball down the right side, will leave a medium to short iron approach to a wide and narrow green that slopes towards the front guarded by bunkers. Missing long is not an option.

The fourth is ranked as the toughest hole on the course, and with good reason. It's the fourth consecutive par four over 400 yards and another hole that requires an accurate tee ball. Sand guards the left landing area and thick rough flanks the right. Another mid- to long-iron remains to a slightly downhill approach to a back to front canting and small putting surface.

The fifth is typical of Ross, as he made his three pars to play downhill while his four's and five's generally played uphill. This par-three is guarded left, right and center by bunkers that are very deep and features a green that is very undulating. As you stand on the tee, your thinking birdie, but when you hole out, you'll be happy with par.

One of only two par four's under 400 yards, the sixth plays slightly longer than the yardage indicates, as your tee shot on the dogleg right is uphill to a fairly wide landing area. Sand down the right side can be cleared, but you'd better step on it. A short-iron should suffice to attack the green, however, judging the distance might be difficult since you might not see the entire flag stick. The putting surface is large with another back-to-front slope.

A definite birdie chance, the seventh requires a three-metal or an iron off the tee. This dogleg right has a grouping of mounds, no sand and several large trees guarding the corner. However, a solid tee shot will leave just a wedge to a green that sits downhill from the fairway. Missing this target will leave an almost impossible up and down, as the green falls off with yawning bunkers guarding the entrance and left. Usually played into the wind, club selection could be dicey.

The second of the downhill par-threes, the eighth is a demanding 238 yards from the tips. The tee shot must carry a pond 40 yards short of the green and dissect bunkers left and right to a green that is very long and narrow with a mound dissecting the putting surface. Chipping areas around the back of the green can play havoc with your game.

Playing uphill towards the clubhouse, the par-five ninth is a massive hole, the longest on the course, following an addition of a new tee box that stretches this behemoth to 605 yards. A slight fade off the tee must avoid the bunkers right and left. From the fairway, it certainly is possible to get home for the biggest of hitters, but the sensible play is to layup around the 100 yard mark for a simple wedge up the hill. The green is deep, so you'll need to be spot on for your best shot at birdie, as the birdie is calm. Miss short and the ball might end up back at your feet.

One of the more demanding holes on the course starts the back nine, a par four of 445 yards. The narrow fairway is guarded on the right side by sand, while the left side is no picnic with thick rough. Missing the fairway might force a lay-up, as the green is guarded on the left side by a pond. Making par after missing this green will be tough, as the slope and speed of the putting surface requires an adept touch. The closely mown chipping areas right and deep can been game altering. Expect a front-left pin on the final day of a tournament.

The 11th features the most difficult putting surface on the course. The hole plays straight uphill from tee to green, with bunkers down the right side of the generous fairway. You must add at least one club or even two for your approach, as the putting surface sits well above the fairway. The green features many slopes and undulations and is quite demanding. Above the hole and you'll have no shot at getting it close. Stroke your putt too hard and you'll roll back down the fairway.

The monster par four's keep on coming when you reach the 12th, a 450-yard brute. Four bunkers strategically placed down the fairway will force a layup if your tee shot finds the sand. The green is slightly elevated with sand right and a sharp fall-off left. The putting surface is slick, but easier than most.

A rare birdie hole on the back nine, the 13th, requires a long-iron or hybrid off the tee to a tight landing area guarded left by bunkers and right by trees and rough. A short-iron should remain to a well-guarded green that can yield plenty of birdies, but miss left and long and double-bogey is in the picture.

With sand flanking both sides of the green, you'll need to be spot on at the par-three 14th. Not only that, the hole plays 215 yards from the tips, so a long-iron or more will be required to get home. A back-right pin is a bear, so play towards the center, two-putt and move on, if you can.

The addition of a new tee box, made the 15th hole the longest par-four on the course at 500 yards, hence the No. 2 handicap rating. A yawning bunker right figures prominently in your play off the tee, not to mention the right-to-left sloping fairway. Even with a good tee shot, the player is left with a long- iron to a large green that slopes from back to front. Play towards the right side, as everything feeds towards the center.

Honestly, the final true birdie hole on the course is the par-five 16th. A bunker guards the corner of the slight dogleg on the left side and can be carried. However, most tee shots tend to find their way towards the right side or even in the rough due to the slope of the landing area. Bunkers dot the right side of the layup zone, which should leave a simple wedge to a long, but narrow green. Miss the putting surface and you'll end up in a chipping area or sand left.

The slightly downhill, par-three 17th plays difficult, due to a lake guarding the green and when the tournament's on the line, watch out. A mishit tee shot with a left pin placement might cause an errant shot to slide down the steep bank and into the water. Miss right and a huge tree and sand will provide for a difficult up and down. To top it off, the putting surface is undulating and slick. That should be enough to give you plenty of "agita."

The home hole is as good as it gets, playing 436 yards and uphill from tee to green. The premium here is on your tee shot, that must avoid the bunker right. From the fairway, the hole bends slightly to the right and will require an extra club to reach the green. This terraced putting surface possesses many difficult hole locations with menacing bunkers guarding the surface. Sitting in front of the clubhouse, the 18th green is one of the finest settings in golf.

OVERALL: One of the true outstanding courses in America, Aronimink is Ross' true genius. Ross designed greens to protect par with plateaus, mounds and terraces running at diagonals and making the easier recovery sides the most difficult. Aronimink features putting surfaces that roll off on the edges, making par a great score. The size of the greens are an important part of the course as well, with an average size of 6,300 square feet. In comparison, the greens at Pebble Beach are just 3,500 square feet. His Scottish style is evident in the bunkering that requires precise shot ability. No wonder this course has been ranked as one of "America's 100 greatest golf courses" by many publications.

The bunker renovation work done over the past decade has brought out the true character of the course. The layout is solid and challenging enough, although several par fours play similarly. What I believe makes the course, are the four wonderful par threes, culminating with the exciting 17th.

In addition, the conditioning of the golf course and the very knowledgeable caddies promote the spirit and true essence of Aronimink Golf Club.

Although quite hilly, Aronimink is a wonderful course to walk, testing not only your skill, but your will. The climb coming up 18 is truly a great experience.

A remarkable golf course that has improved drastically over the years, accommodating the changes in golf technology, while still keeping its classic roots. Well done, Mr. Ross!

Aces, pars or bogeys, send your thoughts to psokol@sportsnetwork.com.