Shoal Creek Club

Shoal Creek Club is an invitation-only private golf club in the southeastern United States, located in Shelby County, Alabama, southeast of Birmingham. Opened 44 years ago in 1977, the course was designed by Jack Nicklaus and is rated as the top golf course in the state.[3] Shoal Creek is consistently listed as one of America's top courses, most recently being ranked #50 in Golf Digest and #70 in Golf Week.[4][5]

Shoal Creek Club
Club information
Coordinates33.438°N 86.612°W / 33.438; -86.612
Location100 New Williamsburg Drive
Shoal Creek, Alabama, U.S.
Elevation760 feet (230 m)
Established1977, 44 years ago
TypePrivate
Total holes18
Websitewww.shoalcreekclub.com
Designed byJack Nicklaus
Par72
Length7,400 yd (6,767 m)[1]
Course rating76.2
Slope rating145 [1][2]

Tournaments

Shoal Creek has played host to numerous PGA, USGA, and NCAA events, including the PGA Championship (1984, 1990), the U.S. Amateur (1986), and the U.S. Junior Amateur (2008). It hosted the Regions Tradition, a senior major for five years (2011–2015), until its move to Greystone Country Club, a few minutes down the road.[6] Shoal Creek hosted the U.S. Women's Open in 2018.[6]

In addition, the course has been the site of USGA qualifiers for the U.S. Amateur, U.S. Mid-Amateur, and U.S. Junior Amateur, as well as the Southern Golf Association Championship. Other tournaments hosted there include the 1978 Southeastern Conference Championship, the Jerry Pate Intercollegiate Tournament (1992–1996), the Women's Alabama Golf Association Junior Championship (1992), the Birmingham Golf Association Junior Championship (2001), and its own Shoal Creek Senior Invitational since 1998.

Course

There are several sets of tees; the back tees (5 star) are at 7,400 yards (6,767 m)
with a course rating of 76.2 and a slope rating of 145.[1][2]

HoleYardsPar  HoleYardsPar
14054104304
24154115255
35305125204
44804132153
52203143904
65405154254
74704162153
81653175505
94554184504
Out3,68036In3,72036
Source:[1]Total7,40072

Membership

Up until 1990, Shoal Creek had no African-American members. A firestorm began when club founder Hall Thompson commented that the club would not be pressured to accept African-American members, stating "this is our home, and we pick and choose who we want."[7] These comments, made prior to the 1990 PGA Championship, made the tournament front-page news as civil rights groups such as the Southern Christian Leadership Conference threatened to protest the event and sponsors pulled advertising from the tournament. The PGA considered moving the tournament away from Shoal Creek, but in the end reached a compromise with the club: local insurance executive Louis J. Willie was invited by the mayor of Birmingham to become an honorary member with full membership to come after the waiting-list period of any membership application.[8] Willie was also the first black member of the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham, The Downtown Club and The Club, all civic and social clubs.[9]

This incident forced everyone associated with golf – clubs, the PGA, and the USGA – to look at minority access in the sport. The PGA and USGA changed rules regarding course selection, requiring clubs that hosted events to meet inclusive membership requirements.[10][11]

In 1994, four years after the 1990 incident, Willie remained the only black member of Shoal Creek.[12] However, in October of that year, sensational young golfer Tiger Woods won the individual intercollegiate championship by two strokes and led Stanford to team victory in the Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate tournament held at Shoal Creek. At this time, Shoal Creek founder Hall Thompson said of Woods, "You're a great player, I'm proud of you. You're superb."[13] Shoal Creek did not host any major golf event until 2008, when the club hosted the U.S. Junior Amateur.[14]

In regards to membership, Shoal Creek has welcomed African-Americans, two women, and Jews as members.[15] In September 2009, Condoleezza Rice, the former United States Secretary of State under President George W. Bush became a full member of Shoal Creek. To date, only two women have been allowed to join. Rice is originally from the Birmingham, Alabama area. In addition to joining Shoal Creek, Rice became a member of Greystone Golf & Country Club. On August 20, 2012, Rice was one of the first two women admitted to Augusta National Golf Club.

References
  1. "Scorecard". Shoal Creek Club. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
  2. "Course Rating and Slope Database - Shoal Creek Club". USGA. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
  3. "Best in State Rankings: 2005–2006". Golf Digest. May 2005. Archived from the original on May 9, 2006.
  4. "America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses/2007–08". Golf Digest. January 7, 2009. Archived from the original on January 18, 2010. Retrieved January 2, 2011.
  5. "Golf Course Rating and Rankings – 2007". Archived from the original on June 22, 2008. Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  6. "U.S. Women's Open to be played at Shoal Creek in Alabama in 2018". PGA of America. Associated Press. Retrieved May 30, 2014.
  7. Bastable, Alan (July 27, 2008). "The Return of Shoal Creek - Tours & News". Golf.com. Retrieved January 2, 2011.
  8. Diaz, Jaime (August 1, 1990). "Shoal Creek Club Agrees To Begin Admitting Blacks". The New York Times. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
  9. "Why Louis Willie Climbed Over Racial Barrier – Birmingham Club's First Black Member Wanted To Defuse Pga Protest". Seattle Times. Associated Press. August 1, 1990. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
  10. Thomas Jr., Robert (June 6, 1991). "Aftermath of Shoal Creek: The Greens Are Still White". The New York Times. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
  11. Lieber, Jill (April 9, 2003). "Golf's Host Clubs Have Open-And-Shut Policies On Discrimination". USA Today.
  12. "Four Years Later, Shoal Creek Same – Minority Club Members Hard To Find". Seattle Times. Associated Press. August 29, 1994. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
  13. "Woods' Play Makes Point In Black And White". Seattle Times. October 26, 1994. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
  14. Thompson, Ian (January 20, 2006). "Shoal Creek to Host U.S. Junior in 2008". The Birmingham News.
  15. Perrin, Mike (July 20, 2008). "Shoal Creek wants more championship events". The Birmingham News. Archived from the original on June 9, 2011. Retrieved January 2, 2011.
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