Sahalee Country Club

Sahalee Country Club
Club information
Sahalee Country Club is located in the United States
Sahalee Country Club
Location in the United States
Sahalee Country Club is located in Washington (state)
Sahalee Country Club
Location in Washington (state)
Coordinates47°38′06″N 122°03′25″W / 47.635°N 122.057°W / 47.635; -122.057
Location21200 NE Sahalee CC Drive
Sammamish, Washington, U.S.
Elevation590 feet (180 m)
Established1969, 55 years ago
TypePrivate
Total holes27
Events hostedSahalee Players Championship
GTE Northwest Classic (1986)
1998 PGA Championship
2002 WGC-NEC Invitational
2010 U.S. Senior Open
2016 KPMG Women's PGA Championship
2024 KPMG Women's PGA Championship
GreensPoa annua
FairwaysPerennial ryegrass;
Poa Annua [1]
WebsiteSahalee.com
South & North Combined
(Championship Course)
Designed byTed Robinson, renovated by Rees Jones in 1996
Par72
Length7,003 yards (6,404 m)[2]
Course rating74.6
Slope rating139[3]
East & South Combined
Designed byTed Robinson,
renovated by Rees Jones
in 1996 (South) & 1998 (East)
Par72
Length6,952 yards (6,357 m)[2]
Course rating74.6
Slope rating139[4]
North & East Combined
Designed byTed Robinson,
renovated by Rees Jones
in 1996 (North) & 1998 (East)
Par72
Length6,966 yards (6,370 m)[2]
Course rating74.6
Slope rating139[5]

The Sahalee Country Club is a private golf course and country club in the northwest United States, located in Sammamish, Washington, a suburb east of Seattle. In the Chinookan language, Sahalee means "high heavenly ground."[6] The 27-hole course is located on a heavily forested plateau immediately east of Lake Sammamish.

Sahalee is best known as the site of the PGA Championship in 1998, the first of Vijay Singh's three major titles. It was also the host of the WGC-NEC Invitational in 2002, won by Craig Parry. The course's original architect was Ted Robinson; in preparation for the PGA Championship, Rees Jones renovated the course in 1996, 1997, and 1998. The course has been listed on Golf Digest's Top 100 Courses list for over twenty years, and is the host of the Sahalee Players Championship, a top amateur tournament in the region. It also was the site of the inaugural GTE Northwest Classic in 1986, a former senior tour event.[7]

After the success of the 1998 PGA Championship, Sahalee was selected in 1999 to host the championship again in 2010. That decision was reversed by the PGA of America in January 2005, when the 2010 event was abruptly moved to Whistling Straits in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, which had recently hosted the very profitable 2004 edition and set new attendance records. The PGA of America stated that it was concerned about the possibility of reduced financial support in the Pacific Northwest; it was scheduled to be held less than six months after the conclusion of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, BC.[8][9]

In February 2007, the USGA selected Sahalee to host the U.S. Senior Open in 2010, held from July 29 to August 1.[10] Bernhard Langer of Germany shot eight under par and won by three strokes over local favorite Fred Couples,[11] Couples, originally from Seattle, was in his first full season on the Champions Tour.

In June 2016, Sahalee hosted its first women's major, the Women's PGA Championship; Brooke Henderson defeated top-ranked Lydia Ko on the first hole of a playoff.[12][13] In June 2024, Sahalee again hosted the Women's PGA Championship.

  1. ^ "Sahalee Country Club" (PDF). PGA Tour Media. GCSAA Tournament Fact Sheet. July 2010. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c "Golf: scorecard". Sahalee Country Club. Archived from the original on July 23, 2012. Retrieved July 27, 2012.
  3. ^ "Course Rating and Slope Database™: Sahalee CC, S/N". USGA. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  4. ^ "Course Rating and Slope Database™: Sahalee CC, E/S". USGA. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  5. ^ "Course Rating and Slope Database™: Sahalee CC, N/E". USGA. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  6. ^ Sahalee Country Club Archived 2010-07-19 at the Wayback Machine - Club History
  7. ^ "Bruce Crampton edges January for GTE seniors championship". Gainesville Sun. Florida. Associated Press. August 18, 1986. p. 3B.
  8. ^ Newnham, Blaine (February 26, 2006). "Sahalee deserving of more championships". The Seattle Times. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
  9. ^ Newnham, Blaine (January 27, 2005). "PGA owes Sahalee new date". The Seattle Times. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
  10. ^ U.S. Senior Open
  11. ^ USSeniorOpen.com - 2010 final leaderboard - accessed 2011-07-21
  12. ^ Rogers, Amy (June 12, 2016). "Patience pays off for Brooke Henderson: Captures first major title". LPGA. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
  13. ^ "Brooke Henderson wins women's PGA Championship in sudden-death playoff". CBC Sports. Associated Press. June 12, 2016. Retrieved June 15, 2016.