David Berson, President & CEO of CBS Sports, was upfront about Aronimink Golf Club in the network's conference call to detail their coverage of the 2026 PGA Championship.“It has a lot of intrigue as a course that many fans may not be too familiar with,” he said by way of introducing what viewers would see.
The mystery is a plus and a minus. For many golf viewers, there’s no familiarity with Aronimink Golf Club. There’s no island green 17th or azalea-framed 12th at the course. But there’s also the chance to see a golden age Donald Ross golf course that probably hasn’t been messed up too much with “modern” design. One reason for that is Gil Hanse was brought in to be sure the Ross aspects were still there and to put them back if they were missing.
CBS’s Trevor Immelman has some history with the course. He lost a U.S. Juniors 1-down to Pepperdine’s Jason Allred in 1997. He said he’s just about over it.
“The 1-down loss, where I pulled my second shot into the left greenside bunker and wasn’t able to get it up and down, was a bitter pill to swallow, but I have great fond memories of that week,” he said.
The good feelings still resonate from the people he met during the tournament. In addition, Immelman played in the 2011 AT&T National at Aronimink, plus some golf outings.
“I love the elevation changes. I love the bunkering. I think there’s going to be some strategy involved for these players,” he said. “Green complexes are very, very interesting with runoffs and nice character like that. I’m sure we’re going to be showcasing the golf course and the design elements of it in a great fashion.”
It’s an old school, northeast style, golf course, from the first tee to the final green.
Dottie Pepper noted that there were several things that make it a good test for a major championship.
“I want to see variety of shot selection. I want to see players have to move it both ways off the tee. Shot value needs to matter,” she began. “I like to see par-3s that don’t all go in the same direction.”
Aronimink has that, she added. She’d also said she’d like to see the par-3s be at different distances and hopes that the 5th hole won’t be played all the way back.
“I know Gil [Hanse] would like to see it play as sort of 150 yards, but it’s 170 on the card,” Pepper explained.
All the other par-3s are well over 200 yards.
Pepper also likes the old Ross styles which were designed the way they were for drainage.
“You’ve got old pushed-up greens. You’ve got water involved in them. But I like to see shot values and making the player think. I think that’s what sets major championship golf apart,” she added. “The designer didn’t have a bomb-and-gouge sort of world that we live in.”
Immelman agreed with her on having a course that challenges and agreed it is important that the design makes golfers think about the options are on each shot. Some, he suggested, may have to hit less than driver off the tee.
“A Cam Young or a Rory with tons of power may be able to or want to go ahead and take a particular bunker on to try to carry off the tee shot,” he suggested. “I love that those options are presented, and questions are asked of the players. And I think the great courses sort of test every aspect. You’ve got to have some power but you’ve got to be able to harness it and keep it in play.”
Then there are the fast greens, deep bunkers, runoff areas, the usual suspects in championship play.
“Two things I’m really looking forward to with Aronimink in particular,” he continued. “Number one, the elevation changes in certain areas of the property I think are going to be a lot of fun to see, and that adds an extra dynamic of distance control. And then the bunkering I think is just absolutely marvelous.”
They are going to be what Immelman called a “true hazard.”
As far as CBS crew picking dark horses and middleweights to win, Jim Nantz went for Chris Gotterup in the middleweight and Scottie Scheffler in the heavyweight division. The rest of the crew noted that he had picked Gotterup as a dark horse at The Masters.
CBS is did a preview show for the PGA and the announcers made picks for that. It has not aired yet.
“I took my dark horse as someone who has had success there,” Pepper said. “Although I think the golf course playing what looks like a really dry forecast for basically the next 10 days might negate that, but Keegan Bradley turned his whole career around by winning at Aronimink last time he was there.”
Jim Nantz weighed in.
“Going to Augusta, Rory finishes first, Scottie is second. Harbourtown Golf Links, Fitzpatrick’s first, Scottie second. And then last week in Miami, you’ve got Cam Young winning, and Scottie second. So, it’s been those four, but the one constant in all of them has been Scottie,” he said. “It strikes me as a great ball-striker's course.”
Aronimink hasn’t been used for men’s professional golf since the 2018 BMW Championship, which was won by Keegan Bradley. Before that, in 2010 and 2011, it was the site of the AT&T National, hosted by Tiger Woods. The 2010 event was won by Justin Rose. At the 2011 event, Nick Watney took home the trophy.
The last men’s major played at Aronimink was 64 years ago with the 1962 PGA, back squarely in the age of persimmon woods, forged irons, and balata balls. Gary Player won the Wanamaker that week.
For those reasons, it’s a little difficult to predict who might have success. But practically speaking, it favors people who can putt on bent greens more than Bermuda ones.
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