The LPGA Tour is playing the U. S. Women’s Open this week, the third major championship of the season, at Interlachen Country Club in Edina, Minnesota.  The championship is the longest running event on the LPGA Tour.  Cristie Kerr is the defending champion and has not won since her Open victory last year, her first major championship title.

The par-73, 6,789 yard course is one of the United States historic courses.  Starting with the Western Open in 1914, Interlachen has played host to several major golf tournaments.  The most famous event held here was the 1930 U. S. Open as part of Bobby Jones’ grand slam, winning the British Open, British Amateur and U. S. Amateur.  From the women’s golf perspective, Interlachen helped introduce Patty Berg, who as a 17-year-old lost in the 36-hole final of the 1935 Women’s National Amateur Golf Championship.  Other events held at Interlachen was the 1942 U.S. Open Championship (not played because of World War II), the 1986 USGA Senior Amateur Championship the 1993 Walker Cup Match.

Originally designed by William Watson, Interlachen was redesigned in 1919 by Donald Ross who completely redesigned the layout as it stands today, with minor exceptions.  Those exceptions are the first and third holes as Robert Trent Jones made some modifications from 1960 to 1963 to bring the holes into play.