Newtown Square, a leafy community west of Philadelphia, is located in a golf-rich region within easy striking distance of several famous courses, including Merion, Pine Valley and the Philadelphia Cricket Club. Then there is the layout in Newtown Square itself: Aronimink, where the practice rounds are taking place in front of 2026 PGA Championship. While the pros do their homework, here’s a study guide for the viewing public, with 10 things about the club that every fan should know.
1. What’s in a name
Aronimink is named after a chief of the Lenape, the indigenous people who inhabited the region long before golf. Legend has it that the boss once resided in a farmhouse that later served as the club’s original clubhouse.
2. Third time’s the charm
Like many storied clubs, Aronimink didn’t always call its current address home. Founded in 1896 as the Belmont Golf Association – itself a branch of the Belmont Cricket Club – the membership eventually purchased 300 acres in Newtown Square, after two relocations, where the club remains today.
3. An Original Ross
Opened on Memorial Day, 1928, the course was designed by the most prolific architect of his era, Donald Rosswho brought his full package of tools to hand: bold, crowning greens that punish inaccuracies, fairways with reverse camber, demanding and varied approaches, and a fairway that makes the most of old Pennsylvania farmland.
4. A caddy who made history
John McDermott was an Aronimink caddy, but he is best remembered for what he accomplished on the other side of the bag. The Philadelphia native became the first American-born golfer to win US Openclaiming the title in consecutive years, in 1911 and 1912. He was 19 when he won the first of these, the youngest player ever to win the championship. More than a century later, that record still stands.
5. “Better Than I Knew”
Two decades after Aronimink opened, Ross offered a flattering assessment of his work. “I thought of making this my masterpiece,” he said, “but I didn’t realize until today that I built it better than I knew.” Ross, it should be noted, can be liberal with such language. He gave the same “masterpiece” designation to Dunedin, a municipal course he designed in Florida, and considered it his “crowning achievement” as Pinehurst no. 2. At some point, somewhere, he was being hyperbolic. But it doesn’t matter. By any label, Aronimink has proven himself a worthy stage presence.
6. A summary of the championship
Aronimink has hosted an impressive list of elite events: the 1962 PGA Championship, the 1977 US Amateur Championship, the 2003 Senior PGA Championship, the 2010 and 2011 AT&T Nationals and the 2018 BMW Championship. When the 2020 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship was held here, the club became the first venue ever to host all three major championships in succession of the PGA of America.
7. Return to Glory
Since its birth, Aronimink has been altered on numerous occasions, most notably a 2017 restoration by Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner, who relied on aerial photos of the original course. As part of their work, the architects revived over 100 bunkers that graced the course on opening day.
8. History of the hole
Ross gave each of Aronimink’s 18 holes an indigenous name, connecting the course to the land’s deepest past. The course was 6,600 yards at the opening – long by the standards of the time – and stretches to approximately 7,400 for this week’s championship, with 174 bunkers arranged in groups that are as visually appealing as they are strategic. Every shot counts here, but a few holes figure to be highlights of the contest, among them a par-4 first hole that’s more of a blowout than a friendly handshake; the par-3 5th, its island green surrounded by bunkers; the short par-4 13th, which tempts players into aggression they may regret; and the bruising 18th, an uphill par 4 with a new back tee that extends the hole to 490 yards.
9. Gary Player’s $13,000 Payday
When Gary Player won the 1962 PGA Championship at Aronimink, defeating Bob Goalby by a single stroke, he collected a $13,000 winner’s check, the largest purse in tour history at that point. The first-place prize in 2026 will exceed $3 million, which means the box in the winning purse will make about 20 times what the player drew.
10. A major championship draw
Aronimink was slated to host the 1993 PGA Championship, but the club chose to withdraw rather than become a flashpoint in the growing controversy over discriminatory membership practices at private clubs. At the time of this decision, in 1990, Aronimink had no black members. The 1993 PGA Championship ended up being hosted in Inverness.
