Ranking The 17 Best And Worst Golf Clubs To Host Multiple PGA Championships

With the Quail Hollow Club hosting its second PGA Championship this week, we take a look at the best and worst golf clubs that have hosted multiple PGA Championships over the years.

Quail Hollow will host its second-ever PGA Championship this week with Rory McIlroy going for back-to-back majors, Jordan Spieth looking to complete the career grand slam, Scottie Scheffler searching for his first Wanamaker Trophy, and the rest of the field looking to break through.

In honor of Quail Hollow Club’s second PGA, we ranked the 17 best and worst clubs that have hosted multiple PGA Championships over the years.

17: Keller Golf Club, St. Paul, Minnesota (2x Host)

At 17th on the list is the Keller Golf Club in St. Paul, Minnesota. It has hosted 2 PGAs, 1923 won by Olin Dutra and 1954 hosted by Chick Harbert. Once one of the best around, these days it is ranked #21 in the state of Minnesota by Top 100 Golf Courses. A major renovation back in 2014 modernized the course.

16: Atlanta Athletic Club (3x Host)

The Atlanta Athletic Club has stiff competition from other courses in the state of Georgia (*cough* Augusta *cough*). This club has hosted the PGA Championship three times: 1981 (Larry Nelson), 2001 (David Toms), and 2011 (Keegan Bradley). The AAC is currently ranked 148th by Golf Digest and is the 5th ranked course in the state of Georgia according to Top 100 Golf Courses.

15. Shoal Creek Country Club, Birmingham, Alabama (2x Host)

The Shoal Creek Country Club in Birmingham, Alabama has hosted two PGA Championships: 1984 (Lee Trevino) and 1990 (Wayne Grady). Shoal Creek peaked at #50 in Golf Digests rankings and #70 in the Golf Week rankings and these days Top 100 Golf Courses has it ranked as the #2 golf course in Alabama, ranked only behind the Wicker Point Golf Club.

14. Bellerive Country Club, St. Louis, Missouri (2x Host)

Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, Missouri was once one of the absolute best courses in the country’s heartland. It has hosted the PGA Championship twice: 1992 (Nick Price) and 2018 (Brooks Koepka).

Currently, Bellerive CC is ranked 169th according to Golf Digest and Top 100 Golf Courses has the course ranked as the 5th best in the state of Missouri.

13. Hazeltine National Golf Club, Chaska, Minnesota (2x Host)

Hazeltine National Golf Club has hosted 2 PGA Championships this century: 2002 (Rich Beem) and 2009 (Y.E. Yang) but most recently hit hosted a Ryder Cup in 2016. Top 100 Golf Courses has Hazeltine National GC ranked 5th in Minnesota and Golf Digest ranks it 138th in the country.

12. Olympia Fields Country Club, Illinois (2x Host)

Olympia Fields Country Club in Illinois is another 2-time host of the PGA Championship: 1925 (Walter Hagen) and 1961 (Jerry Barber). Golf Digest ranks Olympia Fields as the 99th best course in the country.

Olympia Fields CC is annually ranked as one of the top 3 courses in the Chicago area and has remained a powerhouse throughout the years.

11. Medinah Country Club, Illinois (2x Host)

Medinah Country Club in Illinois has hosted the PGA Championship twice and lays claim to being the only course where Tiger Woods won both PGA Championships held there. Tiger won in 1999 and 2006. Golf Digest has Medina ranked as the 93rd best golf course in the nation.

10. Valhalla Golf Club, Kentucky (4x Host)

Valhalla Golf Club hosted the PGA Championship last year won by Xander Schauffele, the infamous location where Scottie Scheffler was arrested.

Valhalla GC has hosted the PGA four times: 1996 (Mark Brooks), 2000 (Tiger Woods), 2014 (Rory McIlroy), and 2024 (Xander Schauffele). This is the 87th ranked course nationwide according to Golf Digest and the top-ranked course in the state of Kentucky.

9. Inverness Club, Toledo, Ohio (2x Host)

Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio hosted the PGA Championship in 1986 (Bob Tway) and 1993 (Paul Azinger). It is one of the top ranked courses to host major championships with Golf Digest ranking it 58th in the country and Top 100 Golf Courses ranking it 44th in the USA and 94th in the world.

8. Firestone Country Club (2x Host)

Firestone Country Club has hosted three PGA Championships: 1960 (Jay Herbert), 1966 (Al Geiberger), and 1976 (Jack Nicklaus). Firestone is the top-ranked golfcourse in the the state of Ohio, it ranks 85th on Golf Digest’s list of Top 100 Public Courses, and Golf.com ranks it 53rd in the country among all courses.

7. Baltusrol Golf Club, Springfield, N.J. (2x Host)

Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey is one of the prized courses of the northeast, a region that is packed with the best golf clubs in the nation. Golf Digest has Baltusrol ranked 45th, Top 100 Golf Courses has it ranked 97th in teh world and 40th in the USA, but just 17th in the Northeast.

6. Southern Hills Country Club (5x Host)

Southern Hills Country Club has hosted FIVE PGA Championships: 1970 (Dave Stockton), 1982 (Raymond Floyd), 1994 (Nick Price), 2007 (Tiger Woods), and 2022 (Dustin Johnson). This is the 28th ranked course in the nation according to Golf Digest and the 87th best course on earth according to Top 100 Golf Courses.

5. Whistling Straits Golf Course, Wisconsin (3x Host)

Whistling Straits is a three-time host of the PGA Championship: 2004 (Vijay Singh), 2010 (Martin Kaymer), and most recently 2015 (Jason Day).

This is the 26th ranked course in the country according to Golf Digest and Top 100 Golf Courses has it ranked as the 43rd best in the country. It is truly a stunning course and one where TV cameras do not do it justice.

4. Oak Hill Country Club (4x Host)

Oak Hill Country Club is a 4-time host of the PGA Championshoip: 1980 (Jack Nicklaus), 2003 (Shaun Micheel), 2013 (Jaso Dufner), and 2023 (Brooks Koepka).

Golf Digest and Top 100 Golf Courses both rate Oak Hill CC as one of the finest golf courses in America, ranking it 22nd and 30th respectively. This Donald Ross designed golf course is a ball striker’s delight.

3. Oakland Hills Country Club (2x Host)

Another Donald Ross designed course, Oakland Hills Country Club has hosted three PGA Championships: 1972 (Gary Player), 1979 (David Graham), and 2008 (Padraig Harrington).

Golf Digest ranks this as the 20th best course in the United States while the Top 100 Golf Courses rates is as the 38th best in North America, 24th in the USA, and 54th best course on earth.

2. Riviera Country Club, Pacific Palisades, California (2x Host)

The Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California is one of the most beautiful golf courses in the country. It is also a mainstay on the PGA Tour and where Tiger Woods hosts the Genesis Invitational.

The course record was set in 1999 by Ted Tryba who fired off a 61 but that would likely never happen during a PGA Championship, which the course has hosted twice: 1983 (Hal Sutton) and 1995 (Steve Elkington). This is the 18h ranked course in the country according to Golf Digest and Top100 has it ranked 30th in the entire world.

Tie 1st: The Ocean Course At Kiawah Island (2x Host)

The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island really is in a class of its own, but so is the other club tied for first on this list. It is ranked as the 24th best golf course in the nation by Golf Digest and the 41st best in the country by top100.

What sets Pete Dye’s Ocean Course apart from the others for me are (1) the views and (2) the fact that it is public and accessible to anyone willing to fork over the $600+ for greens fees. The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island has hosted the PGA in 2012 (Rory McIlroy) and 2021 (Phil Mickelson) as well as the 1991 Ryder Cup.

Tie 1st: Oakmont Country Club (3x Host)

Oakmont Country Club was designed by Henry C. Fownes, a steel magnate who both designed and opened the club back in 1904. This is arguably one of if not THE best major championship course outside of Augusta National.

Oakmont CC has hosted three PGA Championships: 1922 (Gene Sarazen), 1951 (Sam Snead), and 1978 (John Mahaffey). It is the 5th ranked course according to Golf Digest and the 8th in the world according to Top100. Oakmont has also hosted 5 U.S. Open Championships.