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PHILADELPHIA, May 11, 2026 – There is much debate about where and when the game of golf first gained popularity in the United States. Founding Father Benjamin Rush – a proud Philadelphian, signer of the Declaration of Independence and America’s most celebrated physician – mentioned golf in his 1772 Sermons to Gentlemen Upon Temperance and Exercise, saying: “Golf is an exercise which is much used by a gentleman in Scotland … a man would live 10 years the longer for using this exercise once or twice a week.” Did Rush heed his own advice? Well, the only evidence to point to is that he lived until the ripe age of 68.
2026 Major Golf Events in Philadelphia
- 108.º Campeonato de la PGA: May 11-17, 2026 (Aronimink Golf Club – Newtown Square, PA)
- 126th U.S. Amateur Championship: August 10-16, 2026 (Merion Golf Club – Ardmore, PA)
Philadelphia Golf History: Facts & Firsts
- Oldest country club in America: Club de críquet de Filadelfia, established in 1854; located in Chestnut Hill, their St. Martins course hosted the 1907 and 1910 U.S. Open.
- First American to win the U.S. Open: John J. McDermott, of Philadelphia. First learning golf as a caddie at Aronimink Golf Club, McDermott won the 1911 U.S. Open at age 19.
- Most USGA Championships in history: Founded in 1912, Merion Golf Club’s East Course has held a record 19 USGA championships, with plans to host the 2030 and 2040 U.S. Open.
- Oldest regional golf association in the U.S.: Founded in 1897, the Golf Association of Philadelphia continues to promote, protect and preserve the game of golf.
- First African-American to compete on PGA Tour: Charlie Sifford; after moving from Charlotte to Philly at age 17, Sifford joined the Tour in 1961 and honed his skills at Cobbs Creek Golf Club.
- First venue to host each of America’s three rotating major championships: Founded in 1896, Club de golf Aronimink has now hosted everything on the PGA Tour – PGA Championship, KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
Connecting the Dots: Local Ties
- Wanamaker Trophy: given to the winner of the PGA Championship, this trophy was the brainchild of Rodman Wanamaker – part of the family behind the Wanamaker department stores.
- The Philadelphia School: Philadelphia natives Hugh Wilson, A.W. Tillinghast, George Crump, and George Thomas are credited with architecting “ageless championship golf courses.”
- Bobby Jones: the most dominant amateur golfer in history started his record run of five U.S. Amateur championships by winning at Merion Golf Club in 1924.
- Pine Valley Golf Club: located in Camden, NJ, Pine Valley is routinely ranked as the No. 1 golf course in the world; look out for Hell’s Half Acre, golf’s largest bunker, spanning 100 yards.
- Jay Sigel: The native of Bryn Mawr, PA recorded a historic win in 1975 at Bidermann Golf Club in Delaware, carding a 3-under 137 to win the Philadelphia Open. He won it six times.
- Jim Furyk: arguably the area’s most successful professional golfer, the West Chester, PA native has notched 17 PGA Tour victories, including one major – 2003 U.S. Open championship. Recently, Furyk transitioned into a lead analyst role at Golf Channel.
- Cobbs Creek Golf Course: this newly-redesigned course in West Philly partnered with Tiger Woods’ TGR Foundation to provide golf education to inner-city youth; Cobbs Creek legend Charlie Sifford was a mentor to Woods, naming his son Charlie after the golfer.
- Here are five pitch angles for Cobbs Creek.
Where to Play: The Best Private Courses
- Club de golf Aronimink (Newtown Square, PA)
- Club de golf Merion (Ardmore, PA)
- Pine Valley Golf Club (Camden, NJ)
- Philadelphia Cricket Club: Wissahickon (Flourtown, PA)
- Huntingdon Valley Country Club (Huntingdon Valley, PA)
- Philadelphia Country Club: Spring Mill (Gladwyne, PA)
- Union League Golf Club: Torresdale (Philadelphia, PA)
- Whitemarsh Valley Country Club (Lafayette Hill, PA)
- Gulph Mills Golf Club (King of Prussia, PA)
- Stonewall: Old Course (Elverson, PA)
Acerca de Visit Philadelphia:
Visit Philadelphia® es nuestro nombre y nuestra misión. Como agencia oficial de promoción turística de la región, nos encargamos de construir la imagen del Gran Filadelfia, fomentar las visitas y dinamizar la economía. En el sitio web oficial para visitantes del Gran Filadelfia, visitphilly.com, visitors can explore things to do, upcoming events, itinerarios temáticos y paquetes hoteleros.
Fotografías y vídeos impactantes, mapas interactivos e información detallada para los visitantes hacen del sitio web un lugar privilegiado. effective trip-planning tool. Visitors can also find loads of inspiration on Visit Philly’s social media channels.
Nota para los editores: Para obtener fotos en alta resolución y material de archivo en alta definición de la zona metropolitana de Filadelfia, visite la sección «Fotos y videos» de visitphilly.com/mediacenter.
El trabajo de Visit Philadelphia cuenta con el apoyo de varios socios financiadores, entre ellos el Estado de Pensilvania. VisitPA.com.
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