Baltusrol Golf Club (Upper)

Overview: Baltusrol’s Upper Course covers 18 holes and plays to par 72 from the championship markers listed at 7,348 yards. A.W. Tillinghast routed it across the slopes and lower ground of Baltusrol Mountain, giving the course a different emphasis from the more famous Lower Course while retaining the family resemblance of the paired designs. Elevation change, bold green contours and carefully placed bunkers define the Upper’s test. The two courses sit within a mature parkland setting in Springfield, but the Upper’s mountainside holes provide some of the most distinctive land movement in the property.

History: Baltusrol was established in 1895 and originally played over a rudimentary nine-hole layout before the Old Course of 1895. In 1918, Tillinghast proposed replacing the existing arrangement with two new courses built side by side. Construction began in 1919, and the Upper and Lower courses opened in 1922 as the architect’s pioneering Dual Courses project. The work later became a National Historic Landmark and has hosted major championships including U.S. Opens, PGA Championships and the 2023 Women’s PGA Championship. Modern restoration and tournament work have lengthened the courses while preserving the original architectural structure.

Did You Know? The Upper and Lower were conceived as a matched pair rather than as a main course and an afterthought. Tillinghast wanted both layouts to be equally worthy of preference, and the two-course project became one of the defining achievements of his career.