Gleneagles: Home of the Old and the New
Despite the Gleneagles Hotel celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, the PGA Centenary Course is one of the more modern additions to the Scottish golfing landscape. Designed by Jack Nicklaus, the championship layout opened in 1993 and was originally called the Monarch’s Course. At the time, Nicklaus described it as “the finest parcel of land in the world I have ever been given to work with”.
Created specifically to host big tournaments, the PGA Centenary Course has achieved this, playing home to the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles since 1999 (incidentally, Diageo, the owners of the Johnnie Walker brand are also owners of Gleneagles). The King’s Course, one of the two other James Braid-designed layouts on the estate, is no stranger to tournament golf either, having previously hosted the Scottish Open from 1987 to 1994.
Where the Ryder Cup Could be Decided
The 16th hole on the Centenary Course could be the big turning point for quite a few matches over the three days as players decide whether or not to take on this long par-5 in two. The wide fairway is dissected by a fairway bunker some 285 yards from the back tee, which will force players to lay up should they find the sand. Avoid it and a lengthy second shot is on the cards to find the long, thin green in two. Take this route and the player will need to cross a water hazard before finding the heavily contoured green. An eagle here would be priceless.
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