PGA Championship 2016: Your One-Stop Guide

At The Tee

December 11, 2015

PGA Championship 2016

Baltusrol Golf Club

201 Shunpike Road

Springfield Township, NJ 07801

(973) 376-1900

Dates: Thursday, July 28th through Sunday, July 31st, 2016

Clubhouse, Baltusrol Golf Club
Image source: www.baltusrol.org

History

The PGA Championship is the fourth and final major championship played each year by qualifying members of the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA). The PGA Championship is held in mid-August on the third weekend prior to Labor Day weekend, although it has been rescheduled in 2016 in order to accommodate golf’s return to the Olympics. In 2016, it will be played at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield Township, New Jersey; this is the second time this club has hosted the PGA Championship. PGA Championship winners are automatically eligible for the other three majors for the next five years and are qualified for future PGA Championships for life. The first PGA Championship was played in October 1916, the same year the PGA itself was established in New York City. The Championship was originally a match play event, but eventually moved to stroke play in 1958 with the adoption of the standard four day, 72 hole tournament.

Golfers who have won three or more PGA Championships include Walter Hagen (5: 1921, 1924, 1925, 1926, and 1927), Jack Nicklaus (5: 1963, 1971, 1973, 1975, and 1980), Tiger Woods (4: 1999, 2000, 2006, and 2007), Gene Sarazen (3: 1922, 1923, and 1933), and Sam Snead (3: 1942, 1949, and 1951). The reigning PGA Championship winner is Jason Day.

3-time PGA Championship winner (1942, 1949, 1951) Sam Snead in 1951
Image source: www.sportsnet.ca

Where to Stay

When planning your trip to the 2016 PGA Championship, the AtTheTee.com team recommends using Hotels.com. There are a number of courses within a few miles of Baltusrol Golf Club, including Clinton Manor Hotel Union (2.6 miles), Best Western Westfield Inn (5 miles), Best Western Plus Murray Hill Inn & Suites (5.7 miles), Best Western Turtle Brook Inn (6 miles), and Holiday Inn Clark-Newark Area (10 miles).

Gene Sarazen (1922, 1923, and 1933) and Walter Hagen (1921, 1924, 1925, 1926, and 1927)
won a combined eight PGA Championships
Image source: www.compleatgolfer.co.za

What to Do

According to Joe Fletcher and USA Today Travel Tips, there are a number of enjoyable things to do during your trip to Springfield Township. Springfield “played a role in the Revolutionary War, [and] a few Revolutionary-era buildings and landmarks still stand today…examples include the Cannonball House [and] the town’s First Presbyterian Church.” Another interesting place to visit is Ballpark, which “bills itself as the area’s ‘premier indoor baseball facility’ [and] has half-a-dozen batting cages that are open to the public.” The Mall at Short Hills in neighboring Millburn is also worth a visit, and “features a collection of high-end shops.” The best part of visiting Springfield Township? You are a mere 30 minutes from New York City, where there is always a million things to do.

Joe Fletcher writes travel and outdoor recreation articles for a variety of print and online publications. Learn more here and @demandmedia on Twitter.

Springfield Township Municipal Building
Image source: www.firstclasselectricnj.com

Where to Eat

Gogobot.com had a number of tasty suggestions on restaurants you should visit during your trip to Springfield Township. They include Basilico (2.1 miles), Village Trattoria (2.1 miles), Sakura Japanese Restaurant (2.3 miles), La Pergola (2.3 miles), and Theresa’s Restaurant (4.9 miles).

2005 PGA Championship winner Phil Mickelson at Baltusrol Golf Club (NJ)
Image source: www.pga.com