Hazeltine National

Hazeltine National: The winner of the 2002 PGA at Hazeltine was the previously unheralded Rich Beem, who maintained his intensity and focus to fend of the late charging Tiger Woods.  Almost every participant in the event echoed their praises for the course and its setup. Such was not the case when the course hosted its first U.S. Open in 1970 just 8 years after Robert Trent Jones layout opened in 1962. Located on rolling farmland bordered by Lake Hazeltine in Chaska, Minnesota near Minneapolis, the course design was reviled by the players as too severe and unfair.  Tony Jacklin won the event by 7 strokes and was the only player to finish under par (-7).  That year the course was played at 7151 yards, par 72.  From 1987 to 1989 Rees Jones, one of the sons of R. T. Jones worked on revising the layout for the 1991 U.S. Open. He took out some of the blind shots, lessened the severity of some of the doglegs, changed the 16th from a par-3 to a par-4 and the 17th from a par-4 to a par-3. That year Payne Stewart defeated Scott Simpson in an 18 hole playoff after the two tied at 282, -6.  Despite severe weather and lightning that marred the event, this time the course received favorable reviews of admiration.  Still, the course was further altered by Rees Jones in 1997, adding new tees for length and revising some of the bunkering. With the alterations and added length, mostly to the par-5's, and the maturation of the trees, Hazeltine National has become a great test of golf and will host the Ryder Cup in 2016.

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Artists' Golf is a conceptual work of art Copyright 1995 - 2008 by David B. Lewis and all original paintings, drawings and art works are Copyright by David B. Lewis. All rights reserved.  Maps of existing courses are original artistic interpretations and impressions from a variety of sources and are not intended to be accurate renderings or representations of the actual courses.  They indicate my interest and study and are intended purely for the pleasure and information of the viewers and are not for sale or profit.