The History of the AAC

Bobby Jones regarded AAC as his home course

Atlanta Athletic Club (AAC) will always be synonymous with the great Bobby Jones.

The golfing legend will always be remembered as the man who built Augusta, home of The Masters.

But Jones, who won 13 Majors between 1923 and 1930, was also responsible for bringing Major golf to the AAC.

Jones wrote a letter shortly before his death to the USGA, asking if a Major could be played at his home course.

The 1976 US Open was duly staged at the Highlands Course, AAC.

Jerry Pate won the tournament in his first year as a professional, coincidentally becoming the youngest winner since Jones triumphed in 1923.

Larry Nelson won the USPGA at AAC in 1981

The 1981 USPGA was also held at AAC, Larry Nelson finishing four shots clear of Fuzzy Zoeller with Dan Phol third.

The top three were the only players to finish below par.

The USPGA will be the third major that the AAC, which is situated on Bobby Jones Drive, in Duluth, Georgia, has staged.

The course was extensively remodelled by Rees Jones in 1995, but the history of the club stretches back over numerous venues and 100 years.

The club was granted its charter in 1898 and began life as a tennis and athletics club.

In 1904 the organisation purchased a piece of land called East Lake and four years later the club opened its first golf course.

Transition

A second course was added on another site at Second Avenue and despite the clubhouse at East Lake twice being destroyed by fire, in 1914 and 1925, the club continued to grow.

A city-centre property was later purchased on Carnegie Way and a yacht club was developed.

However, the club suffered as Atlanta struggled economically in the post-war years and businesses that were important to its survival moved away.

Both East Lake and Carnegie Way were eventually sold and in 1967 AAC relocated to the 550 acre site in North Fulton County where this year's USPGA will take place.