BMW Championship: Ranking the best courses in tournament history
![NEWTOWN SQUARE, PA - JULY 02: A general view of golfers and spectators as they walk down the fiarway towards the green on the eighth hole during the second round of the AT NEWTOWN SQUARE, PA - JULY 02: A general view of golfers and spectators as they walk down the fiarway towards the green on the eighth hole during the second round of the AT](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/0e7f9a0c30cd4052bf6c1ea35ee2092f1e3b586d1c6e19521d045450a01d08a4.jpg)
I’ll admit, creating this list was more difficult than I originally envisioned. Only two of the four FedEx Cup Playoffs events rotate courses. Both The Northern Trust and the BMW Championship provide great utility in that they generally hit areas of the country lacking an annual PGA Tour stop.
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Even with the advent of football season interfering, fan turnout for the BMW Championship is usually strong spanning from Colorado to Pennsylvania and the Midwest in between.
The BMW is somewhat of a proxy for the former Western Open, a staple on the schedule in Illinois through 2006. The Western Golf Association helps run the BMW and the tournament has leaned toward selecting courses in Illinois and surrounding states, including former Western Open site, Cog Hill.
Six of the seven courses that have played host to the BMW since its origination in 2008 are classic tracks that have been around longer than you and I. The key is that each have undergone renovations to keep pace with modern golf. Some have played better with tour pros and architect junkies than others.
It’s hard to poke too many flaws with any of these courses that any average Joe golfer would love to play. I’m not an expert in course design by any means, and there’s a lot more to hosting an event than the 18 holes, but I attempt to break down where the BMW Championship has been and where it’s going. Take a look: