CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The PGA Tour touches most of the better golf courses in the United States, but it doesn’t include the best. Shinnecock Hills, The Country Club, Merion, and Oakmont are not such venues.
To those courses’ credit, they have not entertained hosting PGA Tour events, they are open for business for a U.S. Open or PGA Championship, and they are major venues only.
Yet, both the USGA and the PGA of America have utilized Tour stops at Torrey Pines and this week at Quail Hollow to host their championships.
Quail hosted the 2017 PGA Championship to much fanfare, with Justin Thomas winning his first major title.
Before hosting its first major, Quail held 14 PGA Tour events, and most, if not all, the players in the 2017 PGA had played on Quail before.
The PGA of America’s return to Quail Hollow in 2025 is more than just about the golf course; it’s also about the revenue the course generates.
Its financial largess was clear from 2017, and from a business sense, it decided to return an easy one.
“I just want to touch on the business community here in Charlotte, they come out in droves here for major golf,” PGA of America CEO Derek Sprague said. “We’re seeing that here with our corporate sales have been off the charts here, which is excellent, and we’re going to have fairways filled with fans out there just watching the big-time golf here.”
All true, as Quail is a significant revenue generator for the PGA of America, but that does not mean that the product this week may not suffer.
As the leaderboard took shape during Thursday’s first round, the feel of a PGA Tour event versus a major was evident.
That PGA Tour sensation didn’t go away even as Scottie Scheffler was making a move up the leaderboard, because for every notable on the leaderboard, there were three unknowns.
Of course, there are exceptions, such as Pebble Beach Golf Links.
The PGA Tour plays at Pebble Beach in February, but the U.S. Open is played four months later in June on an entirely different golf course.
This year’s PGA Championship is played in the same month as the PGA Tour event, and, with some minimal exceptions, the setup, including a slightly longer rough, is fundamentally a Tour event setup.
It’s hard to ignore the financial benefits of playing in Charlotte, where the economic benefits are considerable, but when winning a major championship, the golf course is a significant factor.
This week’s winner will walk away with the trophy, but their win will be on a PGA Tour setup and not a major one, as they have decided to return to Quail due to the financial benefits.
Related: Matt Fitzpatrick Finding Some Redemption at PGA Championship
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