Before the world’s best golfers tee it up at this week’s 2026 PGA Championship, it’s worth knowing what they’re stepping into. Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square is no ordinary major venue, according to a recent article by Josh Sens for Golf.com.
The club’s roots stretch back to 1896, when it was founded as the Belmont Golf Association. It wandered twice before finally putting down roots on its current 300-acre property in 1928.
The course was designed by Donald Ross, and many consider it among the legendary architect’s crowning achievements. Crowned greens, cunning bunkering, and a layout that provides a good challenge have given Aronimink a reputation that has only grown with time.
Even the club’s identity carries history. Its name honors a Lenape chief, a nod to the Indigenous heritage woven into the region’s past, and Ross extended that tribute by giving each hole its own Indigenous name.
Aronimink’s most famous former caddie, John McDermott, later went on to become the first American-born U.S. Open champion in 1911.
The club has never shied away from the big stage. It previously hosted the 1962 PGA Championship, where Gary Player claimed the Wanamaker Trophy, and welcomed the 2020 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
A sweeping 2017 restoration by Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner brought the course back closer to Ross’s original vision, resurrecting more than 100 bunkers in the process.
This week, Aronimink gets another chapter in its storied legacy. Read the complete article at Golf.com for everything you need to know about the host club for the 2026 PGA Championship.
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