Nate Tramdaks, Staff Writer

The second Major of the year, the PGA Championship, returns to Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square for the first time in 64 years. 

Pound for pound, Pennsylvania is home to the most legendary and prestigious golf courses in the union, from Oakmont Country Club and Fox Chapel Golf Club in the west to Philadelphia Country Club and Merion Golf Club in the east. The heart of Pennsylvania golf, however, can be found in the southeastern corner of the state, surrounding Philadelphia. Here you will step onto one historic golf course after walking off of another. This dense and history rich area is home to courses such as the aforementioned Merion and Philly Country, as well as Philadelphia Cricket Club, Llanerch, Rolling Green, Manufacturers and, of course, Aronimink. 

With such a deeply ingrained golf culture and a plethora of courses to choose from, it is bewildering at how infrequently this area hosts a tour event. Since 2013, the Philadelphia area has hosted three men’s-professional golf events: 2013 US Open at Merion, 2018 BMW Championship at Aronimink and the 2025 Truist Championship at Philadelphia Cricket. The 2013 US Open was the last major this area hosted since 1981, when Merion was also the host of the US Open. The PGA Championship coming to Aronimink marks an optimistic step up to the national stage for Philadelphia golf, and with Merion set to be a recurring host of the US Open starting in 2030, more and more fans will start to be exposed to the prestige of Philadelphia golf. 

Aronimink is a very interesting choice of course to host the PGA. The last time the club hosted this event was back in 1962, when the legendary Gary Player won shooting 2 under par for the tournament. Since then, it has hosted just three professional men’s events: The 2010 and ‘11 AT&T National and the 2018 BMW. The return to Aronimink and the Philadelphia area is the way the PGA is paying tribute to our country’s 250th anniversary. 

Designed by the legendary course architect Donald Ross, Aronimink opened on Memorial Day in 1928. Following a classic Ross design, Aronimink is filled with tree-lined fairways, strategic bunkering and subtle green complexes that demand precision over power. While the course has been lengthened and modernized over time, it still retains the architectural identity that made Ross designs so respected in championship golf. That exemplification of tradition is what makes Aronimink intriguing as a major venue.

To put the course under a bit of scrutiny, however, questions have been raised about its ability to fully test today’s longest hitters on the PGA Tour. Modern championship golf has increasingly favored distance and aerial control, raising the question of whether a classic, tree-lined layout can adequately stretch the game’s best players. Still, others argue that precision-based courses like Aronimink are exactly what major championships need to prove that elite golf is not only about power, but also about patience, strategy and execution under pressure.

The PGA Championship is a premier event that helps the golf season launch into the summer. It is a great event for players to get their first major title, as well as players to pick up their second or third. This weekend will also give Jordan Spieth another try at completing the career grand-slam, which would make him the eighth player to achieve such a feat.