Valhalla, the great hall described in Norse mythology where the souls of Vikings feasted and celebrated with the gods, is now the namesake of a modern paradise for championship golf. Valhalla Golf Club is the culmination of Dwight Gahm's dream to build a world-class course capable of hosting a major golf championship.
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.
So much space that 40 possible course routings were considered before construction eventually began. Valhalla finally opened for play in 1986 to a rapturous standing ovation but Valhalla is an old Viking word, which roughly translated means “Hall of the slain”, a mythical heaven for Norse warriors slain gloriously in battle.
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.
Jack NicklausThe following year (1993), the PGA of America purchased a 25% interest in the club....Valhalla Golf Club.Club informationDesigned byJack NicklausPar72Length7,458 yards (6,820 m)Course rating76.411 more rows
Valhalla, the PGA's only wholly owned club, logically looms at or near the top of lists of alternative sites. “This is why we bought Valhalla,” former PGA of America President Ted Bishop said Monday.
$12.4 millionThe deed shows the club sold for $12.4 million. The course was designed by golf legend Jack Nicklaus and opened in 1986. It has since established itself as one of golf's memorable stages.
In the 1996 PGA Championship - Valhalla's first Major Championship - Mark Brooks edged Kentuckian Kenny Perry in a one-hole playoff. In 2024, the major is returning to the iconic location.
Golf - Valhalla Golf Club. With over 500 acres stretching across rolling hills and breathtaking golf theater, Valhalla Golf Club features impeccable course conditions and an exceptional experience for Members and guests alike. Valhalla is the only private golf club owned and operated by the PGA of America.
the PGA of AmericaValhalla Golf Club has been sold by the PGA of America to a group of Louisville investors who want to "continue to bring major championships” to Kentucky, according to new co-owner Jimmy Kirchdorfer. “Valhalla, for a 36-year-old club, has amazing history,” said Kirchdorfer, an executive with ISCO Industries.
Valhalla is located within a gated entrance. After approaching the entrance gate, please press the call button on the intercom box located to the left of the entrance gate. Please provide your name, the member that is sponsoring your round and starting time to gain access to the Club.
Louisville, KentuckyReturn to Valhalla In May of 2024, Valhalla Golf Club plays host to its fourth PGA Championship. Opened in 1986, the Jack Nicklaus design in Louisville, Kentucky has already established itself as one of golf's most storied venues with names like McIlroy and Woods hoisting the Wanamaker Trophy on its grounds.
Rochester, New YorkIn 2023, the PGA Championship returns to historic Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York. Recently restored, the Donald Ross designed East Course will provide a stage for the world's best who arrive in search of a Major Championship title. Entertain at golf's only all-professional major championship.
Valhalla Golf Club is the culmination of Dwight Gahm's dream to build a world-class course capable of hosting a major golf championship.
In November 1993 , an agreement was negotiated whereby The PGA agreed to purchase a stake in Valhalla Golf Club.
Awtrey told Mr. Gahm of The PGA's dream of owning and operating a limited number of high-quality golf facilities that could host golf's major championships. It was a time when shared visions became one. In November 1993, an agreement was negotiated whereby The PGA of America agreed to a portion of Valhalla Golf Club.
In 1992, Valhalla Golf Club was announced as the site for the 1996 PGA Championship.
For Dwight Gahm (pronounced "Game"), a prominent Louisville business leader and golf enthusiast, that dream - the creation of a traditional "golf-only" facility with an outstanding championship course that would host a world-class championship event - began in 1981 .
Rory McIlroy captures 2014 PGA Championship. In Valhalla fashion, Rory McIlroy takes his fourth major championship and third consecutive victory defeating the darkness and a strong push from Phil Mickelson and Ricky Fowler.
Today, Valhalla Golf Club is the flagship property for the PGA of America being their only private golf club in the PGA portfolio. Valhalla Golf Club also made its mark on championship golf in 1996. Spectators found some of golf's most spectacular viewing areas in Valhalla Golf Club's natural amphitheaters.
Valhalla’s major career began with the 1996 PGA Championship, when Mark Brooks defeated Kenny Perry in a one-hole playoff. The PGA of America assumed full ownership of Valhalla after the 2000 Championship, opening the doors to a run of major moments, including two Senior PGA Championships -- Hale Irwin edged Jay Haas in 2004;
Valhalla Golf Club – The Course that Jack Built Made Louisville a Major Port of Call. When the 2000 rota of major championships was announced, critics aimed a quiver-full of arrows at Valhalla Golf Club, site of the PGA Championship that August, its second in four years. “Too easy” and “not major material,” were the nicest comments as Valhalla was ...
It took 21 pulsating holes -- including the first three-hole aggregate score playoff in a major -- for Tiger Woods to escape with a one-stroke victory ...
Valhalla finally opened for play in 1986 to a rapturous standing ovation but Valhalla is an old Viking word, which roughly translated means “Hall of the slain”, a mythical heaven for Norse warriors slain gloriously in battle.
People from miles away heard Jack Nicklaus rubbing his hands together when he was approached to design Valhalla back in the 1980s. This 500-acre parcel of Kentucky land was an architect’s dream, with varied terrain, water and plenty of space.
This is one of the better designs by Jack Nicklaus. It is a course of two nines, with the front nine playing primarily flat with the exception of the ninth hole and the back nine offering holes that play through significant changes in elevation, save for the fifteenth hole.
A Golfer’s Dream, by Larry Berle, tells the story of how a regular guy conquered America’s Top 100 Golf Courses (following Golf Digest’s 2001/2002 list). Larry has exclusively rated for us every course in the hundred, using our golf ball rating system. However, Larry did not rate the 100 courses against every golf course he has played, but instead he rated them in relation to each other within the hundred. Consequently, in some cases, his rating may seem rather low. A Golfer’s Dream is available in Kindle format and also on Kindle Unlimited via Amazon... click the link for more.
Team USA ended their run of three successive defeats by recording in Kentucky their biggest Ryder Cup victory since 1981. Jim Furyk clinched the deciding point, defeating Miguel Angel Jiménez to take the US total to an unassailable 14 ½ points. In the singles, Kentuckians Kenny Perry and J B Holmes held off Henrik Stenson and Soren Hansen, while Boo Weekley comfortably dispatched Oliver Wilson. USA 16 ½ - Europe 11 ½. The Ryder Cup was played at The K Club in 2006 and at Celtic Manor in 2010.
The 4th is a good short Par 4, and the 6th is a beast of a hole. My friend, an assistant pro at Valhalla, says it's the hardest hole in Kentucky. It's believable, and it hasn't always been like that, as Nicklaus moved the green 100 yards back from its original location next to a creek, to an area surrounded by trees.