Interlachen, which means “between lakes,” opened formally on July 29, 1911. Watson’s course was a solid effort, strong enough that Interlachen hosted the 1914 Western Open.

Ross then performed wonders at Interlachen. His original blueprints are framed on the walls of the clubhouse, along with a black-and-white photo of each hole as taken during the 1930 U.S. Open. It’s quite an exercise in golf course architecture to study these blueprints.

For instance, at the 9th hole, Ross instructed his shapers to “cut down the sharp ridge” down the fairway, “using material to fill in the left end of the lake, providing a fair green [fairway, that is] for short players.” Ross always considered golfers of all abilities—one reason why Interlachen remains a pleasure to play for all golfers.

The first hole is a par 5 that sweeps away from the clubhouse, which stands sentinel on a high point and can be seen from afar. The fairway gets progressively narrower as one approaches the green, a Ross trademark. He always liked to give a golfer the opportunity to swing away from the tee, and then test him on the approaches to the greens.

The course follows the fashion its opening holes suggest. The 530-yard 4th features a green on top of a hill across a valley, while the 175-yard 5th is a slightly downhill par 3 to a green surrounded by bunkers.

After several hours, you reach the 18th green, where Jones made his long putt to win the ’30 U.S. Open. It’s an image that lingers in a golfer’s mind, providing a warm reminder of a special place and time.

Par: 73
Yardage: 6,829
Year founded: 1911
Architects: Willie Watson, Donald Ross, Willie Park, Robert Trent Jones Sr.