As anticipation builds for the PGA Championship – May 14-17 at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Delaware County – there’s another big date on the local golfing calendar.
This Saturday, Jan. 17, will mark the 110th anniversary of the PGA of America’s founding.
And it was a Philadelphia businessman, Rodman Wanamaker, who worked for the family’s Wanamaker’s department store, who was a key figure behind the PGA of America.
On January 17, 1916, he hosted a meeting with 35 leaders that led to the organization’s creation.
His legacy continues today through the Wanamaker Trophy, awarded annually to the winner of the PGA Championship.
“It’s a nice little tie-in, for sure,” said Jeff Kiddie, Head Golf Professional at Aronimink Golf Club. “You can trace the Wanamaker roots to the PGA of America,”
Based on the PGA’s historical records, Rodman Wanamaker was an ardent golfer and heir to Wanamaker’s, the well-known Philadelphia department store. In 1914, there were just 41 golf courses nationwide, but by 1916, the sport was growing quickly. But the majority of the clubs at that time refused to admit professionals to their clubhouses.
Wanamaker saw the public’s growing enthusiasm for golf as the beginning of a national trend. He also saw a business opportunity: More golfers means more equipment, and if they bought that equipment at Wanamaker’s, even better.
On Jan. 17, 1916, Wanamaker invited a group of New York-area golf professionals, accompanied by several prominent amateur golfers, to a luncheon in the ninth-floor restaurant of the Wanamaker store in New York City.
The minutes of that first informal gathering still exist in hand-written form
Three months later, on April 10, 35 charter members met again to officially apply for membership into the fledgling PGA of America. Wanamaker donated $2,500 and a trophy toward the first PGA Championship, which was held later that fall at Siwanoy Country Club in Bronxville, New York.
A century later, the more than 28,000 members of the PGA of America continue to dedicate themselves to the same goals set forth by Wanamaker in that initial meeting — to promote and grow the game of golf.
Kiddie is happy that Aronimink will be part of a lot of sports activity in the Philadelphia area in 2026, as the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary. There will also be NCAA men’s basketball tournament games, World Cup soccer games and the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. And the PGA will be celebrating 110 years.
“It’s going to be a really cool year,” Kiddie said.
Kiddie said Aronimink closed on Nov. 3 to get ready for the big tournament.
“We’re in full prep mode,” he said. “Our main focus right now is the buildout that starts in a couple of weeks.”
Closing the golf club for seven months or so is quite a concession by members, offset by having their club in the international spotlight for a week.
“It’s a big point of pride hosting a major championship,” Kiddie said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime kind of event. We haven’t hosted a major since 1962.”
No other Philadelphia-area club has hosted the PGA Championship since the one at Aronimink in 1962, won by Gary Player.
CBS – which will broadcast the final two rounds of the PGA Championship – is already promoting the Masters (April 9-12) and will ramp up advertising during March Madness college basketball. After the Masters, the focus of the golf world will turn to the PGA Championship.
“It will be exciting when it kicks off. I’m excited for the members. It’s one of only four majors and one of only two you can get in the United States,” said Kiddie, explaining that the U.S. Open rotates sites while the Masters is always at Augusta National Golf Club and the British Open rotates generally in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The tournament will draw the best players in the world, including Bryson DeChambeau, reigning Masters champion Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler, the world No. 1-ranked golfer who won last year’s PGA Championship and British Open.
Spectators hoping to attend the tournament can purchase verified resale tickets through SeatGeek, the PGA of America’s official resale ticket provider.
For more information on the upcoming major, visit https://www.pgachampionship.com/2026 ••
