Far Hills, N.J. (Sept. 23, 2008) – The USGA Museum today opened The Pynes Putting Course, a 16,000-square-foot putting green that will allow visitors to test their skills using replicas of antique putters and balls from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The Pynes Putting Course will be open to visitors during regular Museum hours from early spring to late fall, weather permitting. The green fee is $5 with paid admission to the Museum and includes a souvenir square-mesh golf ball. Visitors will be able to use replicas of four classic putters ‑‑ such as Bob Jones’ famous Calamity Jane II ‑- to play the nine-hole course, which will be re-routed on a weekly basis.
Named for Evelyn and Percy Pyne, who lived on the grounds of the country estate that is now home to the United States Golf Association, The Pynes Putting Course was inspired by the world-renowned Himalayas putting green in St. Andrews, Scotland. That green, which has served as home to the Ladies’ Putting Club of St. Andrews since 1867, has long welcomed visitors from all over the globe.
“We hope that the experience of playing the putting course will increase visitors’ appreciation for golfers of the past and their skills,” said Rand Jerris, Director of the USGA Museum. “We hope there are some golfers who come and get hooked on the history of the game. It’s a place where families are welcome, and it may be the first time some visitors ever get to putt on a grass green.”
The green was designed by Philadelphia-based architect Gil Hanse, who also spent more than two days on a shaper to fashion the putting surface’s dramatic mounds and swales. USGA Green Section staffers Jim Moore and Dave Oatis oversaw the agronomic details of the green, which utilizes “Declaration,” a creeping bentgrass strain developed at Rutgers University with the assistance of USGA Green Section funding.
Paul Ramina, the Director of Grounds at nearby Hamilton Farm Golf Club in Gladstone, and Hamilton Farm superintendent Pat Husby also offered their services in training the USGA grounds staff on cutting-edge green maintenance.
The USGA Museum, located at 77 Liberty Corner Road in Far Hills, N.J., is home to the world’s premier collection of golf artifacts and memorabilia. The greatest champions and greatest moments in American golf history come alive in the Museum through entertaining and engaging exhibits. The Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. For more information, visit usgamuseum.com or call (908) 234-2300.
About the USGA
The USGA is the national governing body of golf in this country and Mexico, a combined territory that includes more than half the world’s golfers and golf courses.
The Association’s most visible role is played out each season in conducting 13 national championships, including the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open and U.S. Senior Open. Ten additional USGA national championships are exclusively for amateurs, and include the U.S. Amateur and the U.S. Women’s Amateur.
The USGA also writes the Rules of Golf, conducts equipment testing, provides expert course maintenance consultations, funds research for better turf and a better environment, maintains a Handicap System and administers an ongoing “For the Good of the Game” grants program, which has allocated more than $62 million over 11 years to successful programs that bring the game’s values to youths from disadvantaged backgrounds and people with disabilities. For more information about the USGA, visit www.usga.org.
Contact:
Dave Fanucchi (dfanucchi@usga.org)
Web Address: www.usga.org
USGA Phone: (908) 234-2300
