Valhalla Golf Club

Valhalla Golf Club, located in Louisville, Kentucky, is a private golf club designed by Jack Nicklaus, opened in 1986.

Valhalla Golf Club
Club information
Valhalla Golf Club is located in the United States
Valhalla Golf Club
Location in the United States
Location15503 Shelbyville Road,
Louisville, Kentucky
Established1986
TypePrivate
Owned byValhalla Golf Partners, LLC[1]
Total holes18
Events hostedPGA Championship
 (1996, 2000, 2014, 2024)
Ryder Cup  (2008)
Senior PGA Championship (2004, 2011)
Websitevalhallagolfclub.com
Designed byJack Nicklaus
Par72
Length7,458 yards (6,820 m)[2]
Course rating76.4
Slope rating148 [3]
Course record63: José María Olazábal (2000)
63: Michael Block (2023)[4]
Statue of Jack Nicklaus and Dwight Gahm by Zenos Frudakis at Valhalla in 2008

In 1992, Valhalla was selected to host the PGA Championship in the year 1996, one of golf's four majors. The following year (1993), the PGA of America purchased a 25% interest in the club. After the championship in 1996, the PGA of America raised its stake to 50% and announced that the event would return to Valhalla in 2000. At its conclusion, the PGA of America exercised an option to purchase the remaining interest in the club. Later that year, it announced that the Ryder Cup would be held at Valhalla in 2008.

Valhalla also hosted the PGA Club Professional Championship in 2002 and the Senior PGA Championship in 2004. The PGA Championship was originally scheduled to be played at Valhalla in 2004, but the PGA of America switched it to Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.[5]

In 2009, the PGA of America announced that the Senior PGA Championship and the PGA Championship would return to Valhalla in 2011 and 2014, respectively. in November 2017, the PGA of America announced that the PGA Championship would return to Valhalla in 2024.[6]

On June 1, 2022, the club and the PGA of America jointly announced that the club had been sold to a group of club members led by Jimmy Kirchdorfer, CEO of locally based piping supplier ISCO Industries. Other group members include former Yum! Brands CEO David Novak, businessman and former NBA player Junior Bridgeman, and hotelier Chester Musselman.[1]

The course sits on a 486-acre (2.0 km2) property on Shelbyville Road (US 60) in the eastern portion of Louisville just outside the Gene Snyder Freeway (I-265) It was envisioned by local business leader Dwight Gahm (pronounced "game") and his three sons in 1981, and opened five years later. Steve Houg is the head professional as of March 2016.

Major tournaments hosted

The 1996 PGA Championship was won in a playoff; Mark Brooks won his only major title with a birdie on the first extra hole, the par-5 18th. Franklin native Kenny Perry was the runner-up in the event's final sudden-death playoff. Four years later, the 2000 PGA Championship also went to a playoff; Tiger Woods won by one stroke over Bob May in the revised three-hole format. Woods had a 3-4-5=12 to May's 4-4-5=13 on the course's final three holes. It was Woods' second consecutive PGA Championship, his fifth major title and his third of his eventual "Tiger Slam" of four consecutive major titles – the PGA Championship was preceded by the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach and the 2000 Open Championship at the Old Course at St Andrews and then followed by the 2001 Masters at Augusta National.) Valhalla hosted its third PGA Championship in 2014, when Rory McIlroy beat Phil Mickelson also by one stroke.[7] Beforehand, the course had undergone a major "modernization" after it hosted the Senior PGA Championship in 2011, which included the rebuilding of all 18 greens.[8]

In addition, Valhalla hosted the Ryder Cup in 2008, with the United States defeating Europe 16½ to 11½ for the first U.S. win since their comeback victory in 1999 at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. Perry and another native Kentuckian – J. B. Holmes of Campbellsville, who made the team as one of American captain Paul Azinger's four picks - were part of the victorious Team USA and accounted for a combined five points.

The club will host the 2024 PGA Championship, marking the fourth time as host site for that major.

YearTournamentWinner Winning Score Margin of

Victory

 Runner(s) Up Winner's Share ($)
1996PGA ChampionshipUnited States Mark Brooks 277 (-11) PlayoffUnited States Kenny Perry 430,000
2000PGA ChampionshipUnited States Tiger Woods 270 (-18) PlayoffUnited States Bob May 900,000
 2004 Senior PGA ChampionshipUnited States Hale Irwin 276 (-8) 1 strokeUnited States Jay Haas 360,000
2008Ryder CupUnited States United States 161/2 to 111/2Europe Europe N/A
2011Senior PGA ChampionshipUnited States Tom Watson 278 (-10) PlayoffUnited States David Eger 360,000
2014PGA ChampionshipNorthern Ireland Rory McIlroy 268 (-16) 1 strokeUnited States Phil Mickelson 1,800,000
2024PGA ChampionshipTBD

Scorecard

Course setup for the 2014 PGA Championship

HoleNameYardsParHoleNameYardsPar
1Cut the Corner446410Turns5905
2The Ridge500411On the Edge2103
3Floyds Fork205312Odin's Revenge4674
4Short 'n Sweet372413The Island3504
5Fade Away463414Two Tears2173
6The Bear495415On the Rocks4354
7Players Pick597516Down the Stretch5084
8Thor's Hammer174317No Mercy4724
9The Rise415418Gahm Over5425
Out3,66735In3,79136
Source:[2][9]Total7,45871
Valhalla Golf Club
Tee Rating/Slope 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Out 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 In Total
Championship 76.4 / 148 4505302103754604956001904153725 59521047035522043551047554538157540
Black 74.1 / 143 415500210350405475505170415344555519045035522040044043049035306975
Green 71.6 / 138 3904751703254054504901504003255 52019042032516538040539049032856540
Green / Blue 70.4 / 135 3904751703253854304901504003215 52016540029014034534535049030456260
Blue 69.8 / 129 3504501702853854304901504003110 48016540029014034534535049030056115
SI Men's 1391115315177 61621418104812
Par 45344453436 5344344453672
SI Ladies' 1151517913137 61621418124108
Silver 70.8 / 124 3154201152153153504801303102650 43015035021013029031030041525855235

See also

References
  1. "PGA of America Sells Valhalla Golf Club to a Local Group of Club Members" (PDF) (Press release). PGA of America. June 1, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  2. "Course tour". Valhalla Golf Club. Archived from the original on October 8, 2013. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  3. "Course Rating and Slope Database: Valhalla Golf Club". USGA. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  4. Schmitt, Tim (August 18, 2023). "PGA Championship darling Michael Block ties course record at Valhalla Golf Club". Golfweek. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  5. "Lexington Herald Leader: Search Results".
  6. "2024 PGA Championship, 2018 Boys Junior PGA Championship to be contested at Valhalla Golf Club".
  7. "PGA Championship". pga.com. PGA/Turner Sports Interactive. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  8. Sokeland, Justin (August 4, 2013). "Green light at Valhalla: Renovation of putting surfaces draws praise one year out from PGA Championship". Louisville Courier-Journal. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
  9. "PGA Championship: course tour". PGA of America. 2014. Retrieved August 11, 2014.

38.242°N 85.472°W / 38.242; -85.472

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