Course record

Lower Course

The Lower opened in June 1922 as one half of Baltusrol’s Dual Courses project. A.W. Tillinghast designed and built it alongside the Upper, creating two separate courses within the same undertaking. Its restoration reopened in 2021 under Gil Hanse.¹³

Open the Club record

Holes: 18
Par: 72
Place: Springfield

Restoring the ground game

The restored details change how golfers move across the ground. At the third, lowering the tee recovered Tillinghast’s original uphill-and-over opening shot. At the fifth, three bunkers again cut across the fairway before an uphill approach to a green whose false front can reject a short shot.²

The seventh shows how a restoration can make a green smaller. Wings added before the 1954 U.S. Open were removed to recover its earlier shape and size. The Club’s course guide identifies it as the smallest green on the Lower, adding precision to a hole that offers a chance to reach in two.²

At the seventeenth, the restored Sahara bunker crosses the fairway and intervenes between the drive and the green. An inaccurate tee shot can force a lay-up before the sand. The eighteenth presents a different decision: challenging the water along the left creates an opportunity to reach its elevated green in two.²

Sources for this story 3 references

Sources for this history

Golf Courses Baltusrol Golf Club
Golf Courses and Two Championship Courses: early nine holes, Old Course, 1918-1922 construction and simultaneous dual-course project.
Consulted 2026-09-15
The Lower Course Baltusrol Golf Club
Hole descriptions 3, 5, 7, 17 and 18: restored tee, cross bunkers, green shape, Sahara and eighteenth-hole approach.
Consulted 2026-09-15
Baltusrol Golf Club: Facts and Information Baltusrol Golf Club
PDF pages 1-2: October 19, 1895 foundation; clubhouse; Lower reopened in 2021; Upper championships and May 2025 reopening.
Consulted 2026-09-15

Course design

1918–1922 Original design

A.W. Tillinghast

Open Architect record Baltusrol official course history
2020–2021 Restoration

Gil Hanse

Open Architect record Baltusrol official fact sheet

1961 U.S. Women's Open

Scorecard

Complete 18-hole record

Historical competitions may have used different tees or routing.

Course record

View full scorecard

Scroll sideways for more columns.

Tee register

Tee	Gender	Par	Rating	Slope	Front yards	Back yards	Total yards	Front par	Back par
Vi	Men	72	76.2	145	3,615	3,935	7,550	36	36
V	Men	72	74.4	141	3,435	3,700	7,135	36	36
Iv	Men	72	72.3	137	3,245	3,420	6,665	36	36
Iv/iii	Men	72	71.2	136	3,165	3,285	6,450	36	36
Iii · Women	Women	72	75.7	145	3,085	3,140	6,225	36	36
Iii · Men	Men	72	70.4	134	3,085	3,140	6,225	36	36
Ii/iii	Women	72	73.4	139	2,845	2,965	5,810	36	36
Iii/ii	Men	72	68.1	128	2,900	2,885	5,785	36	36
Ii · Men	Men	72	66.5	125	2,755	2,675	5,430	36	36
Ii · Women	Women	72	71.2	135	2,755	2,675	5,430	36	36
Ii/i	Women	72	70.3	129	2,635	2,570	5,205	36	36
I · Women	Women	72	69	127	2,515	2,485	5,000	36	36
I · Men	Men	72	64.4	120	2,515	2,485	5,000	36	36

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Out	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	In	Tot
Vi	495	375	510	200	425	485	495	420	210	3,615	460	435	235	470	425	460	240	655	555	3,935	7,550
V	485	365	470	180	400	465	485	380	205	3,435	440	425	215	425	405	415	210	625	540	3,700	7,135
Iv	475	360	435	155	370	415	480	360	195	3,245	430	395	180	400	385	380	180	550	520	3,420	6,665
Iv/iii	470	350	435	155	360	375	465	360	195	3,165	430	355	180	400	375	380	180	495	490	3,285	6,450
Iii · Women	470	350	400	135	360	375	465	350	180	3,085	380	355	155	360	375	370	160	495	490	3,140	6,225
Iii · Men	470	350	400	135	360	375	465	350	180	3,085	380	355	155	360	375	370	160	495	490	3,140	6,225
Ii/iii	470	290	325	135	315	320	465	345	180	2,845	320	345	155	360	375	335	160	425	490	2,965	5,810
Iii/ii	455	290	400	135	315	320	455	350	180	2,900	380	345	155	360	330	370	160	425	360	2,885	5,785
Ii · Men	455	290	325	115	315	320	455	345	135	2,755	320	345	145	305	330	335	110	425	360	2,675	5,430
Ii · Women	455	290	325	115	315	320	455	345	135	2,755	320	345	145	305	330	335	110	425	360	2,675	5,430
Ii/i	440	290	325	115	270	320	455	285	135	2,635	320	320	145	305	330	300	110	380	360	2,570	5,205
I · Women	440	290	325	75	270	320	385	285	125	2,515	320	320	95	305	295	300	110	380	360	2,485	5,000
I · Men	440	290	325	75	270	320	385	285	125	2,515	320	320	95	305	295	300	110	380	360	2,485	5,000
Par	5	4	4	3	4	4	5	4	3	36	4	4	3	4	4	4	3	5	5	36	72
Hcp	17	11	3	13	7	1	15	5	9		4	8	18	2	12	10	16	14	6

Front nine Holes 1-9

Tee or hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Out
Vi	495	375	510	200	425	485	495	420	210	3,615
V	485	365	470	180	400	465	485	380	205	3,435
Iv	475	360	435	155	370	415	480	360	195	3,245
Iv/iii	470	350	435	155	360	375	465	360	195	3,165
Iii · Women	470	350	400	135	360	375	465	350	180	3,085
Iii · Men	470	350	400	135	360	375	465	350	180	3,085
Ii/iii	470	290	325	135	315	320	465	345	180	2,845
Iii/ii	455	290	400	135	315	320	455	350	180	2,900
Ii · Men	455	290	325	115	315	320	455	345	135	2,755
Ii · Women	455	290	325	115	315	320	455	345	135	2,755
Ii/i	440	290	325	115	270	320	455	285	135	2,635
I · Women	440	290	325	75	270	320	385	285	125	2,515
I · Men	440	290	325	75	270	320	385	285	125	2,515
Par	5	4	4	3	4	4	5	4	3	36
Hcp	17	11	3	13	7	1	15	5	9

Back nine Holes 10-18

Tee or hole	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	In
Vi	460	435	235	470	425	460	240	655	555	3,935
V	440	425	215	425	405	415	210	625	540	3,700
Iv	430	395	180	400	385	380	180	550	520	3,420
Iv/iii	430	355	180	400	375	380	180	495	490	3,285
Iii · Women	380	355	155	360	375	370	160	495	490	3,140
Iii · Men	380	355	155	360	375	370	160	495	490	3,140
Ii/iii	320	345	155	360	375	335	160	425	490	2,965
Iii/ii	380	345	155	360	330	370	160	425	360	2,885
Ii · Men	320	345	145	305	330	335	110	425	360	2,675
Ii · Women	320	345	145	305	330	335	110	425	360	2,675
Ii/i	320	320	145	305	330	300	110	380	360	2,570
I · Women	320	320	95	305	295	300	110	380	360	2,485
I · Men	320	320	95	305	295	300	110	380	360	2,485
Par	4	4	3	4	4	4	3	5	5	36
Hcp	4	8	18	2	12	10	16	14	6

Lower Course

Restoring the ground game

Course design

A.W. Tillinghast

Gil Hanse

Hosted competitions

PGA Championship

U.S. Open

U.S. Women's Open

Scorecard

Tee register