Hacienda's Golf Blog

As we watch this week on TV as the 100th PGA Championship is held at Baltusrol, we commemorate not only its century celebration, but Hacienda Golf Club’s as well. 100 years ago, The first PGA Championship was played at Siwanoy Country Club in Bronxville, New York, and the PGA of America was formed. 96 years ago, Hacienda Golf Club was founded by Alphonso Bell and 200 other investors in the Hacienda Land Company for $250 per share. Aside from their age, the PGA of America and Hacienda Golf Club have a lot in common. Both were established by a few good men with a passion for the game and championship golf.

Over the years, Southern California golf courses have proven themselves exemplary terrain for pursuit of the Grand Pastime of golf. Generations of players have found both relaxation and challenge in the diverse rolling landscapes.

Even since Old Tom Morris won the first Open Championship in 1861, the game of golf has evolved tremendously, and so have the venues on which the game is played. Back then, Morris shot 163 over three 12-hole rounds at the Prestwick Golf Club, which to this day still holds up to the modern game.

Golf courses have not always had 18 holes. The St. Andrews Golf Links occupy a narrow strip of land along the sea, and as early as the 15th century, golfers at St. Andrews established a trench through the undulating terrain, playing to holes whose locations were dictated by topography. The course that emerged featured 11 holes, laid out end to end from the clubhouse to the far end of the property. A golfer would play the holes “out,” turned around, and then played the holes “in,” for a total of 22 holes.

If it’s true that you get what you pay for, some 2.1 million golfers must be getting something extremely worthwhile. That’s how many individuals belong to private golf clubs, according to data from the National Golf Foundation.

Making the decision to join a championship-level golf club is an easy one, but it's certainly one you won't regret. There are so many benefits of becoming a member that they are impossible to measure, but as time goes by, the value of a membership as it relates to your quality of life will become more and more obvious. Here are just a few ways a membership at a championship-level club can enhance your life.

A round of golf is never the same twice. Each course has its own character, design, flow and is full of nuances. Some courses are more appealing than others. Just as each course is different, so it is possible for entire regions to distinguish themselves, to carve out a unique space in the golfing world.

Nowhere is this truer than in Southern California. Bounded north to south by Los Angeles and San Diego, east to west by ocean and desert, this remarkable zone brings depth of play, unique settings and a variety of golfing experiences unlike any other.

According to a recent poll of nearly 2,000 people who became members of a golf club in the past year, the primary factor in that decision was the club’s friendly and welcoming atmosphere.

Now, these results come with some caveats, to be sure.

The poll targeted players new to the game of golf.

And a majority of respondents were women, who particularly fancied the club’s social program, whereas men valued the opportunity to get a handicap and play in competitions.

When joining a golf club one expects certain things: A chance to play on a top-notch course, high-end amenities, an opportunity to improve one’s game. But there are other benefits that may not immediately come to mind, including a chance to broaden one’s social and business circle. Golf is fundamentally a social game, an activity to share with others. Networking is a natural part of that experience.