Baltusrol Golf Club, Lower Course

Detailed description of Baltusrol Golf Club, Lower Course

Baltusrol Golf Club is a private 36-hole golf club located at the base of Baltusrol Mountain in Springfield, northrn New Jersey. The Club has two championship 18-hole golf courses, The Upper Course and The Lower Course.

Baltusrol Golf Club traces its golf roots to 1895. Golf has been played over the grounds at Baltusrol for over twelve decades, on its first nine hole golf course, the former "Old Course," and on its current "Dual" courses, the Upper and Lower. The club's original 9-hole course was designed by George Hunter in 1895 and expanded to 18 holes in 1898. This course which is called the Old Course was further modified by George Low and no longer exists today. In 1918 A.W. Tillinghast was hired to build a second golf course to complement the Old Course. However, Tillinghast recommended that the Old Course be plowed over and he would design and build two new courses. Baltusrol approved his design recommendation and commenced construction of the Upper and Lower courses in 1918. The Dual Courses, or Upper and Lower, would be the first contiguous 36-hole design built in America. Both courses officially opened for play in June 1922. The "Old Course" was not lost totally, as Tillinghast incorporated many of the green sites into the designs of the Upper and Lower.

Baltusrol Golf Club is synonymous with championship golf. Its two championship courses, the Lower and Upper, have played distinguished roles on the national golf stage since their creation by Golden Age architect A.W. Tillinghast. Together, the courses have hosted 16 national championships, including seven U.S. Opens and one PGA Championship.

While Tillinghast's Upper and Lower have been lengthened and strengthened for today's tournament play, the changes designed after Tillinghast passed were overseen by two of the most preeminent architects to follow him; Robert Trent Jones and his son Rees Jones. Many of the recent changes introduced by Rees Jones under a master plan program have remained true to the Tillinghast design for both the Upper and Lower courses.

The Lower Course is a par 72, but for major championships, it can be set up to play as a par 70. The Upper is also a par 72 and can be set up to play as a par 71 or par 70 for championship play.

Lower Course __________

Black (Championship) tees: par-72, 7,400 yards, 75.6 / 140

Blue (Tillinghast) tees: par-72, 7,015 yards, 73.9 / 139

Green (Baltusrol) tees: par-72, 6,652 yards, 72.2 / 136

White (Club) tees: par-72, 6,325 yards, 70.7 / 133

Red (Curtis) tees: par-73, 5,539 yards, 76.1 / 135

Upper course __________

Blue (Tillinghast) tees: par-72, 7,002 yards, 73.8 / 136

Green (Baltusrol) tees: par-72, 6,558 yards, 71.0 / 133

White (Club) tees: par-72, 6,232 yards, 69.9 / 130

Red (Curtis) tees: par-73, 5,819 yards, 75.1 / 136