The name of esteemed golf architect A.W. Tillinghast is well known around the PGA Tour. The U.S. Open has taken advantage of Tillinghast’s Winged Foot track in Mamaroneck, New York, no less than six times. Back in 1936, his upper Baltusrol course in Springfield, New Jersey, hosted the same event, and the lower course served as the venue for the 2023 KPMG Women’s PGA ahead of the 2029 PGA Championship. Meanwhile, Farmingdale, New York’s Bethpage Black has seen six events.
Less known is Tillinghast’s Wissahickon course at Philadelphia Cricket Club in Flourtown, Pennsylvania—which will provide the stage for this year’s Truist Championship May 5-11. It’s the first PGA Tour event for the club. “This is going to be a really special event,” says Joie Chitwood, the tournament’s executive director. “There’s such a passion for golf in the Philadelphia area. You take everything about Philly and then this special golf course—one plus one equals a lot more than two.”
Ten months of work have gone into preparing Philly Cricket for pros like Justin Thomas, Scottie Scheffler and defending champion Rory McIlroy. Typically, the tour requires extensive changes to a course’s layout—but not this time. “That’s very unusual,” says Tom Sheridan, the club’s president.
The course will be rerouted for the event to provide an enhanced experience for both players and fans. Hole 12 will serve as the first tee, and holes 7, 5, 6 and 4 will become 15 through 18. “These four holes really allow us to create the right energy and atmosphere for the finish of a professional golf tournament,” says Chitwood. “I love finishing on two long par fours. You don’t want to make it easy to win it. If someone has the lead, they’re going to have to earn it.”
Sheridan expects the track to present its own challenges. “There’s a lot of strategy involved in where they drive the ball, the angle they have into the green and obviously being in the fairway,” he says. “They’re going to have to hit it into the right places on these greens to have makeable birdie putts,” he says. “I think there will be less birdie opportunities out there. There are some tough par fours that are long and play into challenging greens. It’ll be very interesting to see how the pros manage those holes.”
The Truist Championship will be broadcast in over 200 countries. Five food vendors from around the region will be on site throughout the week, and hospitality suites will have iconic names like Boathouse Row, Valley and Forge, along with an Independence Square fan area. “We want to create that connection to Philly,” Chitwood says.
The Truist Championship is a prime opportunity for Philly Cricket to make its mark—and Chitwood is confident the course will live up to expectations. “You want a great stage, and you want athletes to perform at a level we can only dream about,” he says. “We’re going to have some fun.”
Visit truistchampionship.com.
