Valhalla Golf Club - A Golf Course Created to Make History

[Maxine Donnell]

In Norse mythology, the souls of Viking warriors feasted with the gods
in the great hall of Valhalla. In the spirit of this legend, the
Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky was built to be a world-
class golf course meant for hosting major golf championships. In 1981
Dwight Gahm, a Louisville entrepreneur and golf lover, along with his
three sons Walt, Gordy and Phil, commissioned golf champion and course
designer Jack Nicklaus to design and build a private golf facility on
489 acres 20 miles east of Louisville. Nicklaus agreed and Valhalla
Golf Club opened its doors in 1986. The club was named one of the top
three new private golf courses in the United States in 1987 and twenty
years later continues to be a number one ranked golf course in
Kentucky and is considered one of "America's 100 Greatest Courses"
according to Golf Digest.
The Vision of Jack Nicklaus: The Golden Bear
Jack Nicklaus has left his mark on the sport of golf in many ways.
Between 1962 and 1986 Nicklaus amassed 18 professional majors during
his PGA Tour career. Then between 1990 and 1996 Nicklaus won eight of
the Champions Tour majors. He has also written golf instruction books,
oversees the Memorial Tournament and has been the architect of over
200 gold courses. The Valhalla golf course was a creative vision
unlike any other for Nicklaus. A wide variety of terrain, vegetation
and water gave way to wide, tree lined fairways and incredible holes.
The first nine holes at Valhalla offer a Scottish-links ambiance. The
wide fairways fit the natural lay of the land in a beautiful open
valley and are framed perfectly with Kentucky bluegrass. There are 42
sand bunkers throughout the course and the tiers of greens create
challenging hole locations. Valhalla par is 72 and players and
spectators alike enjoy 7,195 yards of golf from the longest gold tees.
The Valhalla Golf Club includes a 17,500 square foot clubhouse
designed in the traditional Louisville style, a mixture of Midwestern
and Southern accents. Visitors will also find a 45-foot Rolex clock
and a veranda overlooking the 18th green.
Valhalla's PGA History
The Valhalla Golf Club has been the home to many unforgettable golf
championships and is currently owned by the PGA of America. Since 1986
Valhalla has continued to evolve in order to attract golf's best
players to its 18 holes. The following timeline outlines the
relationship between Valhalla Golf Club and the PGA of America.
1993-PGA agrees to purchase 25% of Valhalla Golf Club
1996-Valhalla is the site for the 1996 PGA Championship
1996-PGA assumes 50% ownership of Valhalla and plans for 2000 PGA
Championship
2000-Valhalla is the host of the 200 PGA Championship
2000-The PGA purchases the remaining interest in Valhalla Golf Club
2002-The PGA Club Professional Championship played at Valhalla
2004-The Senior PGA Championship is played at Valhalla
2008-The 37th Ryder Cup Championship will be hosted by Valhalla
Valhalla and the 2008 Ryder Cup Competition
In preparation for the upcoming 2008 Ryder Cup Championship scheduled
for September 19-21, 2008, the PGA of America and course architect
Jack Nicklaus are partnering to make modifications at the Valhalla
Golf Club near Louisville. The planned modifications will enhance the
experience of club members and make the course even more challenging
to American and European team members. According to an article posted
on August 23, 2006 on the Nicklaus Design firm's web site, http://www.nicklaus.com,
Jack Nicklaus states, "For me personally, Valhalla is going to be a
big part of my legacy to the game and to players for generations after
I am gone. I take great pride in Valhalla and want it to be the best
it can be." The Valhalla Golf Club will have numerous renovations done
before the 2008 Ryder Cup, including green reconstruction, bunker
additions, foliage removal and refurbishment of the clubhouse.