Venues to Have Hosted, U.S. Open, U.S. Women's Open

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When the 80th U.S. Women’s Open Presented by Ally is conducted in late May at Erin Hills, the daily-fee facility in suburban Milwaukee, Wis., will become the 16th venue to have hosted a U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open. 

That illustrious list includes some of the most iconic courses in the country, including Oakmont Country Club, Pebble Beach Golf Links, Winged Foot Golf Club, Pinehurst No. 2, The Olympic Club and Newport Country Club, one of the USGA’s five founding clubs.

In the not-so-distant future, The Riviera Country Club, Inverness Club, The Los Angeles Country Club, Shinnecock Hills, Chicago Golf Club, Oakland Hills, Merion and The Country Club will join that fraternity.

Erin Hills hosted the 2017 U.S. Open won by Brooks Koepka, who would go on to successfully defend his title at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.

Here’s a look at the other 15 sites to have previously hosted both championships (listed alphabetically):

Atlanta Athletic Club (U.S. Open: 1976; U.S. Women’s Open: 1990)

Although founded in 1898, the club didn’t move to its current location in Johns Creek, Ga., until the late 1960s. The Riverside Course saw Jerry Pate capture the 1976 U.S. Open in dramatic fashion as the final qualifier laced a 5-iron, 191-yard approach shot from the rough to 3 feet, setting up a birdie and a two-stroke victory over Tom Weiskopf and Al Geiberger. John Mahaffey was in the hunt until the final hole when, playing alongside Pate, watched his approach from the rough find the penalty area fronting the green. Fourteen years later, defending champion Betsy King rallied to beat early frontrunner Patty Sheehan by a stroke on the club’s Riverside Course. Sheehan enjoyed as much as an 11-stroke lead, only to fade with weekend rounds of 75-76.

Baltimore Country Club (U.S. Open: 1899; U.S. Women’s Open: 1988)

The 5th U.S. Open and last in the 19th century saw Willie Smith, of Scotland, post a 72-hole score of 27-over 315 to win by 11 strokes. At the time, the margin of victory was a record. Smith was the only player to post four sub-80 rounds and didn’t record more than a 7 on any hole. In 1988, Liselotte Neumann became the first Swede to win the U.S. Women’s Open, and the second consecutive non-American following the playoff victory by England’s Laura Davies a year earlier. At 22, Neumann was the youngest professional to date to win, second in age only to amateur Catherine Lacoste, of France, who won just prior to her 22nd birthday in 1967.

Baltusrol Golf Club (U.S. Open: 1903, ’15, ’36, ’54, ’67, ’80, ’93; U.S. Women’s Open: 1961, ’85)

The classic A.W. Tillinghast designs of the Lower and Upper Courses have both witnessed history. Only Oakmont has hosted more U.S. Opens than Baltusrol, the site of two Jack Nicklaus victories in 1967 and 1980. Lee Janzen also outdueled Payne Stewart in 1993 for the first of his two titles. In 1980, Nicklaus and Japan’s Isao Aoki were paired for all four rounds, and each broke the previous 72-hole scoring record with Nicklaus prevailing by two strokes with an 8-under total of 272. Mickey Wright won the 1961 U.S. Women’s Open on the Lower Course for one of her record four titles. But in 1985, the club’s Upper Course saw Kathy Baker post 8-under 280 for a three-stroke win over Judy Clark.

Champions Golf Club (U.S. Open: 1969; U.S. Women’s Open: 2020)

Both championships held at the 36-hole facility founded by major champions Jackie Burke Jr. and Jimmy Demaret in suburban Houston, Texas, witnessed unheralded winners. Orville Moody came out of local and final qualifying to capture the U.S. Open by a stroke over Deane Beman, Bob Rosburg and Al Geiberger. It was Moody’s only PGA Tour victory. In 2020, the U.S. Women’s Open was moved to December due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and for the first time in championship history, two courses (Cypress Creek and Jackrabbit) were utilized for the first two rounds because of limited daylight. Cypress Creek hosted the final two rounds, where A Lim Kim became the latest champion from the Republic of Korea, outdueling Amy Olson and Jin Young Ko to register her first victory in the United States.

Cherry Hills Country Club (U.S. Open: 1938, ‘60, ’78; U.S. Women’s Open: 2005)

The past, present and future came together in the final round of the 1960 U.S. Open, where Ben Hogan, seeking a record fifth title, battled reigning U.S. Amateur champion and future 18-time major winner Jack Nicklaus and eventual winner Arnold Palmer. Palmer, looking for a second consecutive major after his Master triumph in April, entered the final round seven strokes back and was considered to be out of the hunt. Then he carded a 65 to edge Nicklaus by two strokes to begin what would become an epic rivalry over the next 20 years. Hogan was in contention until he found the penalty area fronting the par-5 17th green and settled for a share of ninth. Andy North would win the first of two U.S. Open titles 28 years later. Then in 2005, unheralded Korean Birdie Kim holed out from a greenside bunker on the 72nd hole to best amateurs Morgan Pressel and Brittany Lang by two strokes.

Colonial Country Club (U.S. Open: 1941; U.S. Women’s Open: 1991)

Because it has annually hosted a PGA Tour event since 1949, people often forget the Fort Woth, Texas, layout hosted the 1941 U.S. Open and the 1991 U.S. Women’s Open. Craig Wood, coming off his Masters triumph a few months earlier, claimed the U.S. Open by three strokes, thanks to a pair of 70s in the final two rounds. Meg Mallon would win the first of her two titles 50 years later by shooting a final-round 67 to edge Pat Bradley by two strokes.

Hazeltine National G.C. (U.S. Open: 1970, ‘91; U.S. Women’s Open: 1966, ’77)

The Chaska, Minn., venue, designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., received considerable criticism, mainly from Dave Hill during the 1970 U.S. Open, saying the only things missing were “80 acres of corn and some cows.” This came three years after Sandra Spuzich had won the U.S. Women’s Open there. England’s Tony Jacklin would win the 1970 championship. By the 1977 U.S. Women’s Open and later the 1991 U.S. Open, the criticism had severely subsided thanks to renovations by Jones Sr. and his son, Rees. Hollis Stacy claimed the ’77 Women’s Open for the first of her three titles. In 1991, Payne Stewart defeated 1987 champion Scott Simpson in an 18-hole playoff for the first of his two titles.

Interlachen Country Club (U.S. Open: 1930; U.S. Women’s Open: 2008)

History was made in 1930 when Bob Jones collected the third of his major titles en route to his Grand Slam. The Georgian claimed his fourth and final U.S. Open title with a two-stroke win over Macdonald Smith, holing a 40-foot birdie on the 72nd hole. Weeks later, he claimed the U.S. Amateur at Merion to complete the Slam (he had already won the British Open and British Amateur). In 2008, Inbee Park, just a few weeks from turning 20, became the youngest champion in U.S. Women’s Open history, joining the long list of Korean champions.

Newport Country Club (U.S. Open: 1895; U.S. Women’s Open: 2006)

To this date, Newport remains the only venue among the USGA’s five founding clubs to have hosted both championships, albeit 111 years apart. The inaugural U.S. Open was staged a day after the U.S. Amateur concluded, with Horace Rawlins taking home the $100 prize and gold medal. Purses were significantly higher in 2006 when Annika Sorenstam claimed her third and final U.S. Women’s Open title, defeating Pat Hurst in an 18-hole playoff. Her first-place check was $560,000.

Oakmont C.C. (U.S. Open: 1927, ’35, ’53, ’62, ’73, ’83, ’94, ’07, ’16; U.S. Women’s Open: 1992, ’10)

No club has hosted more U.S. Opens (nine) and few can match the legendary champions who have won on this western Pennsylvania gem, a list that includes Ben Hogan (1953), Jack Nicklaus (1962), Johnny Miller (1973), Larry Nelson (1983), Ernie Els (1994) and Dustin Johnson (2016). Nicklaus’ first professional win came at Oakmont, where he outdueled local favorite/legend Arnold Palmer in an 18-hole playoff. Hogan captured the last of his four Opens here in 1953, while Johnny Miller carded a final-round 63 in 1973, arguably the greatest final round in championship history. On the women’s side, Patty Sheehan (1992) and Paula Creamer emerged as winners, the former in a playoff over Juli Inkster.

The Olympic Club (U.S. Open: 1955, ’66, ’87, ’98, ’12; U.S. Women’s Open: 2021)

Of all the venues that have hosted both championships, Olympic is where the frontrunner/favorite somehow has succumbed to the chaser, and usually a surprise champion. No more so than the 1955 U.S. Open, where Ben Hogan was poised to win a record fifth title, only to see unheralded Iowan Jack Fleck catch him on the 72nd hole, and then prevail in the ensuing 18-hole playoff. Eleven years later, Arnold Palmer led Billy Casper by seven strokes entering the final nine holes, only to suffer a shocking collapse and lose to the 1959 champion in a Monday playoff. Tom Watson and Payne Stewart were also caught in 1987 and 1998, respectively, by Scott Simpson and Lee Janzen. In the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open, fan favorite Lexi Thompson was cruising to a first USWO title but collapsed over the final seven holes. Yuka Saso eventually defeated Nasa Hataoka in an aggregate playoff. 

Pebble Beach Golf Links (U.S. Open: 1972, ’82, ’92, ’00, ’10, ’19; U.S. Women’s Open: 2023)

Very few venues can mix breathtaking views with the challenge required to host U.S. Opens like Pebble Beach. And similar to Oakmont, the layout has produced legendary champions. Jack Nicklaus won in 1972 by nearly acing the par-3 17th hole with a 1-iron. Ten years later, Tom Watson’s memorable hole-out from gnarly greenside rough netted him the U.S. Open by two strokes over Nicklaus. Then in 2000, Tiger Woods produced one of the greatest feats in Open history, winning by a record 15 strokes. In 2023, Pebble Beach hosted its first U.S. Women’s Open, with Allisen Corpuz displaying remarkable poise to win her first major.

Pinehurst No. 2 (U.S. Open: 1999, ’05, ’14, ’24; U.S. Women’s Open: 2014)

This Donald Ross masterpiece in the North Carolina Sandhills made history in 2014 when it hosted back-to-back U.S. Opens, with Martin Kaymer and Michelle Wie West emerging victorious. It also was the site of two dramatic finishes: Payne Stewart holing a 15-foot par putt on the 72nd hole to outduel soon-to-be father Phil Mickelson in 1999, and then 25 years later Bryson DeChambeau, also a Southern Methodist University alum, getting up and down for par from a fairway bunker – the 55-yard shot on the 72nd hole stopped 4 feet from the flagstick – to edge Rory McIlroy by a stroke. In 2005, Michael Campbell held off world No 1 Tiger Woods for his lone major title.

Winged Foot Golf Club (U.S. Open: 1929, ’59, ’74, ’84, ’06, ’20; U.S. Women’s Open: 1957, ’72)

One interesting aspect of Winged Foot is the Mamaroneck, N.Y., club has two championship-level, 18-hole layouts (West and East), both designed by A.W. Tillinghast. The West has hosted all six U.S. Opens, including the 1929 affair won by Bob Jones in a playoff over Al Espinosa. Billy Casper and Hale Irwin followed, the latter in 1974 in what was coined by legendary sportswriter Dick Schaap, “The Massacre at Winged Foot,” due to the difficulty of the setup. USGA Championship Chair Sandy Tatum famously said of that championship, “We’re not trying to embarrass the best players in the world, we’re trying to identify them.” In 1984, Fuzzy Zoeller famously waved a white towel on the 72nd hole when Greg Norman holed a long par putt that he originally thought was for birdie. Zoeller won the ensuing 18-hole playoff. In 2006, a number of players, including six-time runner-up Phil Mickelson, suffered improbable meltdowns on the par-4 closing hole, enabling Geoff Ogilvy, of Australia, to emerge from the carnage as the champion. Both U.S. Women’s Opens at Winged Foot were contested on the East Course. Jacqueline Pung famously signed for an incorrect scorecard in the 1957 event, giving Betsy Rawls the title. Fifteen years later, Susie Maxwell Berning never bettered 71 in winning the second of her three titles by one stroke over Judy Rankin, Kathy Ahern and Pam Barnett. Berning opened the championship with a 79.

Worcester Country Club (U.S. Open: 1925; U.S. Women’s Open: 1960)

For more than a half-century, this Massachusetts venue was the only course to have hosted a U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open and Ryder Cup; it has since been joined by Hazeltine and Pinehurst No. 2 (and soon The Olympic Club). Willie Macfarlane won the 1925 U.S. Open two years before the inaugural Ryder Cup was staged here. Then in 1960, the legendary Betsy Rawls became the first player to win four U.S. Women’s Open titles (Mickey Wright would join her). Despite an ailing knee, she edged Joyce Ziske by a stroke.

David Shefter is a senior staff writer at the USGA. Email him at dshefter@usga.org