The PGA Championship 2024 will take place at Valhalla Golf Club between May 16 and 19. The last time the major was held on this course, Rory McIlroy won on a dramatic final day in 2014. Ten years after McIlroy’s last major victory, a lot has changed on the golf course. A look at the venue for the second major of the year.
PGA Championship 2024: The Return to Valhalla
Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, is a private golf club designed by Jack Nicklaus and opened in 1986. This year, as part of the PGA Championship 2024, the major will be held for the fourth time in the history of the golf club – most recently in 2014. Since then, the club has switched from bentgrass on the fairways and tees to a Zoysia variety This allows the grass to be cut shorter and the ball to roll better. Some tees have also been lengthened.
The first hole of the course is a par 4, stretches over almost 443 meters (484 yards) and has been extended by 35 meters (38 yards). Due to the bend to the left, players should be careful not to hit too close to the left side of the fairway. Since 2014, the second hole has also been a par 4 with a length of 457 meters (500 yards). It continues with a 190-meter (208-yard) par 3 that winds between the tee and the green and then curves around the right side of the green. The green is protected by a large bunker on the right and a smaller bunker on the left and behind the green. On the fourth hole, another par 4 with a length of 340 meters (372 yards) awaits, which is protected by a deep bunker on the left and a small bunker on the right. Two more par 4s await on the fifth and sixth holes, which stretch to 423 meters (463 yards) and 453 meters (495 yards). While hole five, which bends slightly to the right, is one of the most difficult holes on the course, the sixth hole offers a special highlight with Floyd’s Fork running through it. It continues with the par 5 of the seventh hole: at a length of 546 meters (597 yards), players have the option of playing to the left or right thanks to a split fairway. The shorter route is to the left, the safer one to the right. At 174 meters (190 yards), the eighth hole is the shortest hole on the course. It is guarded by a deep bunker in front of the green and a slippery catchment area behind it. The first nine holes end with a 379-meter (415-yard) par 4. The difficulty of this hole lies in the uphill approach to the clubhouse. One of the largest and deepest bunkers on the course is located directly to the right of the green.
What club would you pull on the 254-yard par-3 14th hole at Valhalla? ⛳️ pic.twitter.com/gsP8MXrVA9
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 10, 2024
With a length of 539 meters (590 yards), the second longest hole on the course opens the back nine as a par 4. Both the tenth hole and the 193-meter (211-yard) par 3 eleventh hole are largely unchanged. At 452 meters (494 yards), however, the twelfth hole has been lengthened by 25 meters (27 yards) compared to 2014. The green has one of the deepest bunkers on the course on the right and dense Kentucky bluegrass on the left. This is followed by the 321-meter (351-yard) par 4 13th hole, Valhalla’s signature hole and the shortest par 4 on the course. The tee shot has been set about 9 feet (2.7 meters) lower to allow for good visibility. The green is built almost 6 meters (20 ft) high on large boulders and surrounded by water. At a length of 232 meters (254 yards), the 14th hole is the longest par 3 on the course, which has been lengthened by around 34 meters (37 yards) since 2014. The three par 4s on holes 15 (398 meters/435 yards), 16 (465 meters/ 508 yards) and 17 (432 meters/ 472 yards) are largely unchanged. Finally, a par 5 with a length of 521 meters (570 yards) awaits on the 18th. The hole has been lengthened by 26 meters (28 yards) since 2014. A large bunker protects the left side of the fairway and the water on the right.