Far Hills, N.J. (Feb. 7) – The United States Golf Association announced today that Lancaster (Pa.) Country Club has been selected as the site for the 2015 U.S. Women’s Open Championship. The dates of the championship will be July 9-12, 2015.
“Lancaster Country Club is a great, treasured layout,” said Jerry Hostetter, club president. “It’s a hidden gem that will show very well nationally and internationally. We have overwhelming support within the club, and hosting the U.S. Women’s Open is a great opportunity for the community.”
Designed by architect William Flynn, the Old Course at Lancaster Country Club (www.lancastercc.com) opened in 1920. A course revision to bring it very near to the original Flynn layout was completed in 2007, under the guidance of Ron Forse.
Lancaster Country Club was a local qualifying site for the 2008 U.S. Women’s Open and also hosted the 2002 and 2007 Pennsylvania Opens, the 1990 and 2005 Pennsylvania Women’s Amateurs and seven Pennsylvania State Amateur championships.
An interesting historical note about the club involves the 1948 Pennsylvania Amateur, when Lancaster member Billy Haverstick defeated 19-year-old Arnold Palmer, 3 and 2, en route to winning the title at his home club. Also, 2003 U.S. Open champion Jim Furyk grew up playing golf for nearby Manheim Township High School, which used Lancaster as its home course.
Known for its generally rolling topography, Lancaster C.C. is intersected by the Conestoga River, which comes into play on seven holes. Highly contoured greens, canting fairways and a mixture of elevation changes are hallmarks of the course design.
The 2015 U.S. Women’s Open will be the ninth occurrence of the championship to be played in Pennsylvania. In July, Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem will serve as the site of the U.S. Women’s Open; the 2010 championship will be played at Oakmont Country Club.
Previously, the U.S. Women’s Open has been played at these other Pennsylvania sites: Bala Country Club in Philadelphia (1952); Churchill Valley Country Club in Pittsburgh (1959); Moselem Springs Golf Club in Fleetwood (1968); The Kahkwa Club in Erie (1971); Rolling Green Golf Club in Springfield (1976); and Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont (1992).
The commonwealth of Pennsylvania has hosted 77 previous USGA championships and will also be the site of the 2009 Walker Cup Match at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, from Sept. 12-13.
First played in 1946, the U.S. Women’s Open is open to any female professional and to female amateurs with USGA Handicap Indexes not exceeding 4.4.
About the USGA
The USGA is the national governing body of golf in the USA 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 $63 million over 12 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
