Major golf championships are nothing new at Oak Hill Country Club. The Donald Ross gem in upstate New York already has hosted three U.S. Opens (1956, 1968, 1989), three PGA Championships (1980, 2003, 2013) and the 1995 Ryder Cup.
And yet the PGA Championship’s return to Rochester feels like a debut.
Part of that is because of the fabled East Course. Oak Hill kept getting so far away from its Ross design roots — the club dates to 1901 — that it finally took on a restoration project so thorough, it’s a wonder any of the 32 golfers who have played it in the past two PGA Championships held there will recognize the place.
Three of the current holes were not there when the PGA Championship was most recently at Oak Hill. Trees were removed, creating more vistas and recovery options. The bunkers are steep and penal, similar to what Ross had in mind.
And part of the newness to this PGA Championship is the calendar.