Cherry Hills Country Club

William Flynn's 1922 course in suburban Denver, where Arnold Palmer drove the 1st green to win the 1960 U.S. Open; restored by Tom Doak in 2009.

Cherry Hills was founded in 1922 with a William Flynn design on the south side of Denver, at roughly 5,300 feet above sea level, where the ball carries noticeably farther than at sea level. It became one of the first Western clubs to land major championships, starting with the 1938 U.S. Open, and has since hosted three U.S. Opens, two PGA Championships, three U.S. Amateurs and a U.S. Women's Open.

The course is best known for the 1960 U.S. Open. After failing in three earlier attempts that week, Arnold Palmer drove the green at the short par-4 1st in the final round and went on to win his only U.S. Open. Tom Doak's eight-month restoration, finished in 2009, rebuilt the green complexes, added tees and bunkers, and replaced the irrigation system while keeping Flynn's routing.

The round opens with a real chance at birdie and grows harder as it goes, with water becoming a factor late. The closing hole is named for President Eisenhower, a longtime member, and plays along a lake on the left that shapes both the drive and the approach. The club also has a nine-hole par-3 course. Its championship record continued with the 2014 BMW Championship and the 2023 U.S. Amateur.

Holes to know

1

Par 4

A short, downhill opener; Palmer drove the green here in the final round of the 1960 U.S. Open on his way to a 65 and the title.

18

The Eisenhower-named finishing hole, with a lake running down the left side that shapes the tee shot.

Championships

• U.S. Open 1938, 1960, 1978
• PGA Championship 1941, 1985
• U.S. Amateur 1990, 2012, 2023
• U.S. Senior Open 1993
• U.S. Women's Open 2005
• U.S. Senior Amateur 1976
• BMW Championship 2014

Design history

• 2008–09: Tom Doak restoration, rebuilding green complexes, tees and bunkers (reopened spring 2009)