Two summers ago, we endeavored to rank all 40 courses that have hosted multiple major championships since 1920 (outside the Masters and its forever home, Augusta National) in a matrix weighing course prestige against actual tournament results. You can see the results here, and the chart just below this paragraph, followed by a few cliff notes:
• On the extreme prestige low/results high side, you had Valhalla, which at that point had given us three tremendous majors (Tiger vs. Bob May in 2000, Rory McIlroy in 2014, and even the Mark Brooks/Kenny Perry playoff in ’96), but which was very new by course standards and mostly insulted by the course snobs. That has not changed—Valhalla took more flack during last year’s PGA for the low scores it yielded but delivered yet another banger with Xander Schauffele out-dueling Bryson DeChambeau. That’s why it was best in our results category, and third from last in prestige.
• On the flip side, with high prestige but dull results, the one that really stood out was Shinnecock Hills, ninth best in prestige but ranked 31st in results. Pinehurst scored relatively low in results too, and while that may have been slightly unfair at the time since it had the classic Payne Stewart win, it looks very unfair now after Rory vs. Bryson last year.
• The course with the best combination of prestige and results was Carnoustie, one of the great courses in the world and home of results like Ben Hogan winning his only Open and the Jean Van de Velde meltdown. It ranked third best in both categories.
• Here, two years later, we would bump Pinehurst up a few spots, and maybe give Troon a slight bump for the fun Open last summer, but otherwise we’re more or less content.
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HOWEVER! There is a new course in the mix officially, and that is Quail Hollow Club. Not only is it hosting its second major, but as host of the 2022 Presidents Cup, you could almost consider it a three-timer.
So where does it rank?
First, let’s talk prestige. No disrespect to the course, but it’s going to rank low in this regard. Opened in 1960, Quail is quite young by the standards of major championship venues, and while it has entered the discourse by virtue of hosting the Truist/Wells Fargo/Wachovia on the PGA Tour for many years, I’m not so sure it necessarily benefits from that the way a course like Pebble Beach or Torrey Pines would.
Why? Well, it’s not nearly as special, is it? The knock on Quail is that it’s long, straight and pretty boring, and if you do a little Googling, you’ll find that most architecture people are a lot less generous than those descriptors would have you believe. It’s not on the water, it’s not very scenic (beyond the strips of gaudy houses with about 18 architectural styles each that represent American nouveau riche at its most bombastic), there aren’t even many holes that stick in the memory. Combine that with its relative youth, and there’s not much more to say. Even where it’s hard, like on the “Green Mile” finish of Holes 16, 17 and 18, it’s hard in a very nuts-and-bolts way—it’s super long.
How about the results? Well, McIlroy’s won the PGA Tour event four times, because it suits his generational skill off the tee and with long irons, but three of the four were blowout wins so not necessarily high on drama. There are a few other fun champs like Jason Day and Rickie Fowler and Max Homa. At the only major it has hosted to date, Justin Thomas became more than just Jordan Spieth’s best friend by winning the 2017 PGA Championship, and the finish was decently dramatic. And as for the 2022 Presidents Cup, I’d call that one “fun,” but not hugely competitive.
So in terms of results, pound for pound I’d give it a B+, just slightly above average.
Where does it fit on the matrix? We’re going to come across as a bit harsh and we’re putting it fourth from last in prestige, just below Hazeltine National but above the newer Valhalla. And for results, everything is so new that we can’t go much higher … call it seventh from last, between Cherry Hills and Congressional, and only JT’s first career major gets it even that far.
This may all seem underwhelming, but keep in mind that history accumulates, particularly on the results side of the equation. What if Scottie Scheffler wins his first non-Masters major? What if Rory captures his second in a row, and generates huge buzz for Oakmont? It’s all on the table, and it doesn’t take much for a young course like this to grow in esteem. Stay tuned.
More on the PGA Championship 
Crunching the Numbers PGA Championship 2025: Why is Rory McIlroy so good at Quail Hollow? Here’s what the data says 
PGA Championship Preview The Rise of Rory Mania: A deep dive into McIlroy’s spectacular first PGA Tour win at Quail Hollow in 2010 and the expectations that followed 
Bon Appetit PGA Championship 2025: Xander Schauffele unveils classy menu for PGA Champions Dinner
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
