The northern Jersey town of Springfield has the feel of a typical upscale, leafy, east coast bedroom community with impressive homes, well-manicured lawns, and quiet neighborhoods.
But tucked into 474 acres in the northwestern part of town, off of Shunpike Road, stands one of the iconic sporting venues in the world, the Baltusrol Golf Club.
The club was founded in 1895 and famed golf architect A.W. Tillinghast completed his "Dual Courses" project in 1922 which he built two championship courses side by side and boosted Baltusrol's status in the golf world. It has hosted 16 major championships, including the U.S. Open, the U.S. Amateur the U.S. Women's Open and the PGA Championship.
This July, the eyes of the golf world will again be on Baltusrol as it hosts the 98th PGA Championship on its Lower Course, the traditional fourth and final major of the season which has a field including 136 top pro stars and 20 club professionals, whose slots are determined by a separate tournament.
Having held the PGA in 2005 to rave reviews from players and spectators alike despite some stormy weather that pushed the tourney's completion to Monday, the club was primed to hold the event again.
"The championship we helped host in that year was a huge success, especially in light of the planning time frame which was not as long as it usually is," says Rick Jenkins, a longtime Baltusrol member and the 98th PGA Championship General Chairman.
From the PGA's perspective, returning to Baltusrol was a no-brainer. "Baltusrol Golf Club is just a treasure in the history of the game of golf at the highest level and the membership is willing to make the commitment and to share that with everybody else," notes Ryan Cannon of the PGA of America, who is serving as the Championship Director of the 2016 PGA for the organization.
Having been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2005 and recently gaining National Historic Landmark status, the club boasts a rich tradition.
The stately clubhouse, a Tudor revival style stone and stucco structure designed to emulate a British manor, brings that history to life.
"It is very historic in its own right as well as a living museum," adds Jenkins.
For Scott Bertoli, the Princeton Day School boys' hockey coach and avid golfer who has played four rounds on the Lower Course, walking through the clubhouse took him back into the lore of the game.
"I really appreciate the history of a place like that; I think the locker room at Baltusrol and the hallway that leads down to the locker room is really, really neat in that they have pictures of all the champions from all of the big events," says Bertoli.
The 7,400-yard layout of the Lower Course, which is normally par 72 but is reduced to 70 for majors, also made a big impression on Bertoli.
"I just remember it being long," said Bertoli with a knowing laugh, noting that he has played such other famed courses as Pine Valley, Merion, Pebble Beach, Congressional, and Oakland Hills.
Pursuant to a master plan adopted after the 2005 PGA, which was won by Phil Mickelson with a four-under 276, a number of changes were made to the course to make it even more challenging, including the deepening of bunkers, stretching two par 4s, Nos. 13 and 15, by 25 yards and re-styling No. 18 to convert a creek into a pond, making it a significant water hazard.
"We have done master plans periodically throughout our history but probably the biggest one we have done and have ever undertaken was right after the '05 championship and it was really implemented between 2008 and 2012," explains Jenkins, adding the club's range and practice facilities have also been upgraded.
A serious challenge involved in hosting the PGA revolves around the logistics of transportation, crowd control, and security, dealing with the hordes of people descending on the normally sleepy neighborhood.
"I think you learn a lot from every event and the championship is a constant evolution and improvement on itself," says Jenkins.
As a result, nearly 500 members of Baltusrol and 3,500 members of the community are involved in the effort for the 2016 event, which will take place from July 25-31, with practice rounds the first three days and the tournament slated to begin on July 28.
Viewing the PGA of America as a partner with Baltursol, Cannon appreciates what club brings to the table, both as a venue and in terms of its enthusiasm for the event.
"Across the board, it really is an ideal host venue for a championship of this significance," asserts Cannon, noting that one can go the website, PGAChampionship.com for information regarding volunteer opportunities and tickets, including a package which allows juniors 17 and under to be admitted free into the Championship grounds when accompanied by a ticketed adult.
And this July another proud chapter will undoubtedly be added to that heritage.