The post A ‘monumental’ coup: Inverness Club will get another U.S. Open appeared first on Golf.

The post A ‘monumental’ coup: Inverness Club will get another U.S. Open appeared first on Golf.

Cinderella stories are part of golf. Usually, though, they involve players, not places.

For years, Inverness Club — a six-time major championship venue and Donald Ross design in Toledo, Ohio — seemed an unlikely candidate to rejoin the modern U.S. Open rota. As the national championship increasingly gravitated toward a small circle of anchor sites and the modern game rendered many older courses obsolete for the best male players, Inverness came to be seen as a relic of an earlier era: a great design but not a national championship stage.

On Saturday, that changed.

The United States Golf Association, gathered in New York for its annual meetings, confirmed that Inverness will host the 2045 U.S. Open, the headliner in a trio of additional championships rounded out by the 2033 U.S. Girls’ Junior and the 2036 U.S. Women’s Amateur. The announcement had been anticipated after reporting by the Toledo Blade, which called the news a “monumental” coup, and a statement by Toledo mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz, who said the decision dispelled the “myth” that the Toledo market wasn’t strong enough to merit such an honor.

The 2045 championship will mark the fifth U.S. Open contested at Inverness and the 13th USGA championship held at the club overall. The course is already scheduled to host the 2027 U.S. Women’s Open and the 2029 U.S. Amateur, underscoring what has become a renewed partnership between the governing body and one of the Midwest’s most storied venues.

USGA CEO Mike Whan said in a statement that Inverness provides a championship setting consistent with the organization’s competitive standards, noting its history of staging events ranging from national opens to elite amateur competitions.

For Inverness, the award represents a striking championship revival.

The club first hosted the U.S. Open in 1920, when Ted Ray captured the title in an event notable for featuring the U.S. Open debut of Bobby Jones. Subsequent U.S. Opens, in 1931 and 1957, ended in playoffs, before Hale Irwin won at even par in 1979, two strokes ahead of Gary Player and Jerry Pate.

Despite that résumé — which also includes PGA Championships in 1986 and 1993 — Inverness gradually faded from the championship spotlight. As professional golf entered an era defined by distance and infrastructure demands, the course was regarded by some as too short to challenge modern players, while Toledo found itself competing for attention with nearby major-championship markets such as Detroit’s Oakland Hills Country Club and western Pennsylvania’s Oakmont Country Club.

Inverness’s prospects seemed to dim further when the USGA began emphasizing anchor venues for the U.S. Open — returning repeatedly to sites such as Pinehurst No. 2 and Pebble Beach Golf Links — with championships scheduled through 2044 already spoken for. Against mounting odds, though, Inverness pushed to reestablish itself as a championship stage.

Courses

Key to that effort was a 2017–2018 renovation by architect Andrew Green, who reworked the course to better reflect the strategic principles of Ross’s Golden Age design. The project reopened playing corridors, expanded greens, and reinstated design characteristics that had been altered during a 1970s overhaul undertaken ahead of the 1979 U.S. Open.

The changes helped reshape perceptions. Inverness hosted the 2019 U.S. Junior Amateur and the 2021 Solheim Cup. Then came the USGA’s decision to award the club the 2029 U.S. Amateur. There was growing indication that the course was back in the governing body’s sights.

The latest announcement extends that trajectory while also delivering a significant moment for Toledo, a Rust Belt city hit hard by a waning industrial economy and decades-long population decline.

Saturday’s news is also another notch in the golf belt for Ohio. Through 2025, the state has hosted 41 USGA championships overall, among the highest totals in the country.

The Inverness announcement came as part of a broader slate of future championship site selections unveiled by the USGA. National Golf Links of America on Long Island will host the 2040 Walker Cup, while Cypress Point Club in California is slated to stage the 2042 Curtis Cup and the 2048 Walker Cup. Seminole Golf Club in Florida was awarded the 2046 Curtis Cup and the 2052 Walker Cup.

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The post How this 6-time major championship host site regained its luster appeared first on Golf.

The post How this 6-time major championship host site regained its luster appeared first on Golf.

GOLF’s latest ranking of Top 100 Courses in the World features plenty of familiar names, from Augusta National and Pine Valley to Cypress Point and Pebble Beach. But tucked amid those icons are lesser-known layouts with compelling designs and rich histories of their own. In this ongoing series, we’ll introduce you to them.

The 1970s, the decade that gave us disco, also delivered a wave of prominent golf-course redesigns. One was an overhaul of Inverness in advance of the 1979 U.S. Open, conducted by Tom Fazio and his uncle, George Fazio. To help defend the storied Donald Ross design against the world’s best players, the Fazios added length, tightened corridors and altered the routing, including the introduction of three new holes. Mission accomplished, at least in terms of toughness. The changes, though, were polarizing. Critics saw them as incongruous with Ross’ work, a blemish on a gem.

Over time, the rankings came to reflect that sentiment. Inverness debuted at No. 54 on GOLF’s list in 1985. By 2017, it had slipped to No. 98.

Enter Andrew Green. In 2018, Green, a relatively unknown architect at the time, completed a restoration aimed at returning Inverness to its roots. As part of the project, Green reopened corridors, expanded greens and surrounds and revived the cadence of Ross’s routing, replacing three holes the Fazios built with three of his own — each meant to channel Ross. The result is a course with more width off the tee, more short-grass options around the greens and more strategic nuance.

You feel it throughout. The 6th and 7th, both stout par-4s, are imposing tests of power and precision. The 4th, 10th and 18th holes, for their part, present a variety of risk-reward decisions, tempting you to take on bunkers, creeks or awkward downhill and sidehill lies for a shorter approach. It’s no surprise many of the 2021 Solheim Cup matches were decided by how players managed these beautifully calibrated challenges.

For a course with four U.S. Opens, two PGA Championships and a Solheim Cup on its résumé, Inverness hardly needed validation. But Green’s restoration was a welcome refresher. The rankings reflect that sentiment, too, as Inverness has climbed back to No. 67. That feels about right. The course is a compelling test for members yet remains a worthy championship stage, just as Ross surely would have wanted. And another major is on the way. I’m excited to see Inverness back in the spotlight at the 2027 U.S. Women’s Open.

Dave Greiner is a course rater for GOLF and GOLF.com.

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The post Solheim Cup singles matches predictions! Previewing all 12 Monday match-ups appeared first on Golf.

The post Solheim Cup singles matches predictions! Previewing all 12 Monday match-ups appeared first on Golf.

Big momentum swings marked Day 2 at the 2021 Solheim Cup, which saw Team USA claw back from a deficit in the morning, then fall back slightly in the afternoon. Team Europe leads by two points heading into Monday’s singles matches, needing a tie in overall points to retain the cup. Here’s a snapshot of the 12 singles matches for the third and final day of play, including predictions for the outcome of each.

1. Anna Nordqvist (EUR) vs. Lexi Thompson (USA) — 12:05 p.m. EDT

Here we go again. A decision by both captains to break out the big guns early brings a reprise of a 2017 slugfest that many regard as the greatest singles match in Solheim Cup history. That back-and-forth contest ended in a tie. Each player is 2-and-1 heading into this Day 3 showdown. Something has to give. WINNER: Nordqvist

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2. Madelene Sagstrom (EUR) vs. Ally Ewing (USA) — 12:15 p.m. EDT

In her second Solheim Cup appearance, Ewing has been relatively quiet, picking up one point in three matches. Her Swedish opponent, meanwhile, has yet to win a match. But she did grab headlines Friday with a rules violation when she picked up Nelly Korda’s ball prematurely as it hung on the lip in foursomes. The move cost Sagstrom’s team the hole in a match they wound up losing by one. WINNER: Ewing

3. Leona Maguire (EUR) vs. Jennifer Kupcho (USA) — 12:25 p.m. EDT

If any match can equal the high expectations of the Nordqvist/Thompson opener, it’s this meeting of Solheim Cup rookies, both of whom have played like icy veterans in showings that have put them in the running for MVP. Kupcho is 3-0, while Maguire, having played in all four sessions, is an impressive 3-0-1. WINNER: Halve

4. Georgia Hall (EUR) vs. Nelly Korda (USA) — 12:35 p.m. EDT

At 25, Hall has seasoning beyond her years in the Solheim, having played (and shined) in two prior iterations of the event. She’ll need to draw on that experience — and her recent solid form — to have a go at Korda, whose dominant season, highlighted by a major title and an Olympic gold medal, have vaulted her to the top-ranking in the world. WINNER: Hall

5. Celine Boutier (EUR) vs. Mina Hiragae (USA) — 12:45 p.m. EDT

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A Solheim Cup rookie, Hiragae lost her opening match on Friday but bounced back on Saturday afternoon, making five front-nine birdies to lead her team to a 3-and-1 fourball win. On the losing end of that match was the Frenchwoman, Boutier, who’ll be looking for her first full point of this year’s event. WINNER: Hiragae

6. Nanna Koerstz Madsen (EUR) vs. Austin Ernst (USA) — 12:55 p.m. EDT

A two-time winner on the LPGA Tour this year, Ernst has also notched two points in three matches this week. She’ll be up against a Solheim Cup rookie in Koerstz Madsen, a powerful player who averages 275 yards off the tee. WINNER: Ernst

7. Matilda Castren (EUR) vs. Lizette Salas (USA) — 1:05 p.m. EDT

Earlier this season, Castren became the first Finn to ever win on the LPGA Tour. But this year also marks her first Solheim Cup appearance, and she’s sure to have her hands full with the clutch-putting Salas, a short hitter with a big heart. WINNER: Salas

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8. Carlota Ciganda (EUR) vs. Brittany Altomare (USA) — 1:15 p.m. (EDT)

A match of contrasting demeanors finds the understated Altomare, one of Captain Patty Hurst’s three hand-picked additions, against the emotive Ciganda, who calls the Solheim Cup her favorite week in golf. In her first Solheim appearance, in 2019, Altomare won her singles match in a runaway, 5 and 4, over Jodi Ewart Shadoff. WINNER: Ciganda

9. Sophia Popov (EUR) vs. Megan Khang (USA) — 1:25 p.m. EDT

One of the great recent stories in women’s golf, Popov came out of nowhere to win the 2020 AIG Women’s Open and has shown little let up since. A Solheim Cup rookie, she’ll face a model of precision in the 23-year-old Khang, one of the straightest hitters on the LPGA Tour. WINNER: Popov

10. Mel Reid (EUR) vs. Yealimi Noh (USA) — 1:35 p.m. EDT

It’s rookie vs. veteran in the third-to-last match, which pits Noh, 20, the youngest player on either team, against the famously clutch, fist-pumping Reid, 33, who has been very much on-brand with her play thus far this week. WINNER: Noh

11. Charley Hull (EUR) vs. Jessica Korda (USA) — 1:45 p.m. EDT

Overshadowed of late by her kid sister, Nelly, Korda remains a force to be reckoned with. She’ll be the bookmakers’ favorite against Hull, who, at 25, has tons of Solheim Cup seasoning but has struggled this year and has lost both of her matches this week. WINNER: Korda

12. Emily K. Pedersen (EUR) vs. Danielle Kang (USA) — 1:55 p.m. EDT

“You’re trying to take souls. Just crush the other team. That’s the fun of it,” Kang said in advance of the 2019 Solheim Cup, summing up the mindset she brings to the event. Hold onto your seat if the cup comes down to this final match, as the soul Kang will be trying to crush is that of the resurgent Pederson, a former Ladies European Tour rookie of the year. WINNER: Pedersen

Ed. note: Should these predictions bear out, the U.S. would win 6.5 points on Monday to claim 13.5 points overall — or one point shy of the total they need to reclaim the cup. Yep, here’s hoping our prognostications are wrong!

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The post One hundred years later, this aspect of Donald Ross’ Inverness design is impressive as ever appeared first on Golf.

The post One hundred years later, this aspect of Donald Ross’ Inverness design is impressive as ever appeared first on Golf.

If one of the tenets of great golf design is variability throughout a course, then the two holes you see in the photo above seem to be begging for help.

The 1st and 10th holes at Inverness Club, site of this week’s Solheim Cup, look like twins from the sky. Ross’ first layout of the course called for the 1st to run 365 yards and the 10th 346 yards. They even share a tee box, which is a beloved architecture trait, even if it does little to denounce their similarities. Making the turn at Inverness basically calls for a similar tee shot to your first of the day — your choice of club might differ by one. Like many parallel holes, these two share bunkers in the rough that lays between them. Each fairway is about 30 paces wide. Closer to the green, there are secondary portions of each fairway, both stretching about 50 yards long, and then another 25-yard interstitial before the green.

From a drone’s perspective, it’s difficult to imagine two holes pitched next to each other that could look more similar than these. But down on the ground, things are much different. Peep our video below for a good look.

As the Fried Egg laid out on YouTube, there’s actually some benefit to getting to the lower section of the 10th fairway. The closer to the hole, the better off you are — almost always, and especially for middle and back pins. As long as you hit the fairway, of course.

That doesn’t check out for the 1st. This hole plays slightly longer, so the lower section only comes into play on lay-ups from the rough or bunkers. From there awaits an elevated approach to a green with a false front, which can play all sorts of tricks on the spin control players try to dial in with their wedges. So playing from the upper fairway is ideal on 1, and going long into the green isn’t nearly as much of a penalty. On the 10th, fescue surrounds the back of the green, injecting all kinds of variability into what should feel like a more comfortable approach.

That little creek in front of the 10th sure looks insignificant. Two steps and a leap and you can clear the hazard in your FootJoys. From the fairway, it looks even less menacing, in part because it’s a full 15 yards short of any pinnable position on the green. Anything that lands in the creek is indeed a poor shot. But complex club choice and a poor shot? That’s how you bring the creek into play. The hole will play anywhere from 330 to 387 yards during the Solheim Cup, which just means we’ll see plenty of layup shots into the fairway. No harm done, so long as the bunkers are missed. But with hummocks left and right of the green, fescue long, a downhill shot from 125 yards to the smallest putting surface on the property … sending a pitching wedge into the sky is less comfortable than normal. Suddenly that creek is in prime position to gobble up any shots struck with indecision.

Funnily enough, the most obvious difference between these two holes is that creek. The trench just stops abruptly as it approaches the 1st hole. It takes a break, flowing underground, and is evident again on the other side of the hole, snaking its way through the adjacent neighborhood. Alrighty then — hazard on the 10th, not on the 1st. Did Donald Ross get tired of digging? Perhaps the extremely elevated, blind pitch up to the green is enough difficulty as is. It’s pretty great we’re asking these questions 100 years later.

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The post Inside Inverness Club: Tour the newly renovated Solheim Cup host appeared first on Golf.

The post Inside Inverness Club: Tour the newly renovated Solheim Cup host appeared first on Golf.

We take you inside Inverness Club, the host site of the 2021 Solheim Cup, a century-old Donald Ross track that was recently renovated to wide acclaim.

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The post Course Rater Confidential: Breaking down Ohio’s best private and public courses appeared first on Golf.

The post Course Rater Confidential: Breaking down Ohio’s best private and public courses appeared first on Golf.

GOLF’s Top 100 course panelists are among the most respected and well-traveled course evaluators in the game. They’re also keen to share their opinions. In this GOLF.com series, we’ll unlock their unvarnished views on all questions course-related. The goal is not only to entertain you but also to give you a better understanding of how to understand and appreciate golf course architecture. You can see GOLF’s latest Top 100 Courses in the World ranking here, and meet all of our Top 100 panelists here.

For the second time in two weeks, the PGA Tour is at the same course, Jack Nicklaus’ Muirfield Village. You know what that means: we are talking about golf in the Buckeye state. Camargo Club is currently the highest-rated Ohio course on GOLF Magazine’s list of Top 100 Courses in the World. Agree? If so, why? If not, please tell us which Ohio course belongs above it.

Tyler Rae, panelist since 2019; has played 98 of the World Top 100: Camargo Club is the best in Ohio by a landslide because there are no weak holes. The property is rugged and natural but still maintains that old-world, Roaring ’20s feel. A throwback and a wonderful walk. The neighborhood surroundings are gorgeous and antiquated as well.

Michael Pelliccione, panelist since 2020; has played 60 of the World Top 100: Ohio has a lot of great golf courses but Camargo Club is without a doubt the best in the state. It is one of Seth Raynor’s finest designs built on an incredible piece of property, which is rather rugged with rolling terrains that suit Raynor’s style. It’s not uncommon to hear the best set of par-3s in the country can be found here. Little has changed at Camargo throughout the years, which gives it that old school vibe the second you step foot on the property. One other course worth mentioning is The Golf Club in New Albany. The Golf Club was from Pete Dye’s early works and some would argue his best. A modern golf course that has a minimalist feel to it (with an outstanding locker room that’s perfect for a post-round drink).

Thomas Brown, panelist since 2015; has played 95 of the World Top 100: Muirfield Village is certainly a better golf course to conduct a stroke-play championship or Ryder Cup. The dedication Jack Nicklaus and his family have made to the Columbus area over the years deserves its own special recognition. However, Pete Dye was said to have Camargo in his top five in the world. Tom Doak’s Renaissance Golf Design started work on the property in 2000, reversing some of the bunker styling made by Robert von Hagge in the 1980s and taking the design back to Raynor’s intent. Camargo’s variety of holes and memorability is the best in the region. One final note of praise is for Camargo’s superintendent Doug Norwell and his team. The firmness of turf and discernible transitions from the rough into native grass areas is well done.

Tim Gallant, panelist since 2019; has played 62 of the World Top 100: I’ve got to agree with my fellow panelists. In my mind, what makes Camargo so good is that it takes some of the standard Raynor holes that we know, and combines them with the unique features of the site to create holes that feel original. That said, I think the work that Inverness and Andrew Green have done in Toledo is absolutely fantastic. If I were on the USGA committee, I would vote to bring a U.S. Open to the course.

Travel

What’s the best public course in Ohio?

Rae: Manakiki Golf Course just outside of Cleveland; run by the Cleveland Metro Parks division. If you haven’t seen it, you should. The land is incredibly rolling and would be top 10 in the state if funding weren’t an issue.

Pelliccione: Fowler’s Mill Golf Course in Chesterland, located just 30 minutes from downtown Cleveland. This early Pete Dye design is often considered the best public golf course in the state. Outstanding piece of property that offers a great layout with a bunch of fun golf holes. Hard to top a Pete Dye design that’s open to the public, so be sure to check out Fowler’s Mill.

Brown: Mill Creek in Ostrander is the childhood home course of Champion Golfer of the Year Ben Curtis. Ben’s father, Bob Curtis, is still the superintendent cutting the greens at Mill Creek.

Gallant: I certainly need to see more public golf courses in Ohio, but why not list a publicly accessible facility to stop at while you play these wonderful courses? I’m talking about the famous Pine Club. Great steaks, cash only. A throwback that can be found a stone’s throw from Moraine Country Club!

What’s your favorite Ohio sleeper golf course, and why?

Rae: Hyde Park Country Club. Simply a divine routing with a very underrated set of Ross greens that have fun internal contours. The property and land are spectacular. No one talks about Hyde Park. No one!

Pelliccione: Kirtland Country Club in Willoughby is one of the best golf courses that people outside the state likely haven’t heard of. This C.H. Alison design tells a tale of two nines. The front nine is a relatively flat piece of property while the back is far more dramatic. The course itself is beautiful, with varied terrain that includes a winding stream and elevated tee boxes throughout. Pace of play is important here so be sure to play fast!

Brown: Ridiculous answer but Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio. Inverness has a long history with the USGA and PGA. Donald Ross’ work at Inverness in 1916 is regarded as the most significant period in the Inverness design. Over the last few years, Inverness took a chance on golf architect Andrew Green with a major restoration back to Ross. Two weeks from now, the LPGA will visit Inverness for the first time, giving us a first look at Green’s restoration work on television.

What’s the Ohio course you have not seen but are most interested in playing?

Rae: Elyria Country Club. I’ve heard it is an untouched 1920s William Flynn in an idyllic river valley setting.

Pelliccione: Moraine Country Club in Dayton has been on my bucket list for years now. Moraine is almost unrecognizable today after the incredible restoration/renovation work done by Keith Foster and his staff.

Brown: Cincinnati’s Kenwood Country Club (Kendale Course). Jason Straka from Fry/Straka Global Golf Course Design has been spending a lot of time at Kenwood renovating the Kendale Course. The Bill Diddel design has an interesting history with the USGA and Western Open dating back to the 1930s. I have been following the construction and grow-in conditions on social media over the past year. Through my computer screen from afar, it looks like a high-potential project.

Gallant: Kirtland, Canterbury and Brookside are all high on my list of places I’d love to see next time I’m in Ohio. I believe Scioto has officially hired Green to do a renovation/restoration, so I would love to see the course once he’s finished.

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The post Iconic Venues | The Hinkle Tree at Inverness appeared first on Golf.

The post Iconic Venues | The Hinkle Tree at Inverness appeared first on Golf.

Former USGA Executive Director, David Fay, recounts the story of how the famous Hinkle Tree was planted at Inverness during the 1979 U.S. Open.

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The post Iconic Venues | Hale Irwin on Inverness appeared first on Golf.

The post Iconic Venues | Hale Irwin on Inverness appeared first on Golf.

Irwin shares what he loves most about the golf course where he won the second of his three U.S. Open titles.

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