Charlotte has one of the best-known stops in professional golf. Every spring, the PGA Tour comes to Quail Hollow Club for the event now called the Truist Championship. The club has also hosted two PGA Championships and a Presidents Cup, which puts it among the most important tournament venues in the country.
Martin Sumichrast lives in Charlotte with his wife and four children, and PGA Tour events are among the live experiences the family makes time for. This guide covers Quail Hollow's history, its tournaments and what to know before attending.
Quail Hollow Club History
Quail Hollow Club is a private, member-owned club in the Quail Hollow neighborhood of Charlotte. Its origins go back to a meeting organized by James J. Harris in April 1959. The club was formally constituted in January 1960, the course opened in 1961 and the clubhouse followed in 1967.
George Cobb designed the original 18 holes. Arnold Palmer modified several holes in 1986, and Tom Fazio redesigned the course in 1997, 2003 and again from 2014 to 2016. At full length it plays well over 7,500 yards. Rory McIlroy holds the course record of 61, set in 2015.
Quail Hollow's tour history began long before the current event. The club hosted the Kemper Open 11 times, from 1969 through 1979.
Truist Championship at Quail Hollow
The modern PGA Tour event at Quail Hollow started in 2003, when David Toms won the inaugural tournament. The event has changed names several times as its title sponsor changed:
- 2003 to 2008: Wachovia Championship
- 2009 to 2010: Quail Hollow Championship
- 2011 to 2024: Wells Fargo Championship
- 2025 to present: Truist Championship
The tournament is played in May and is organized by Champions for Education, Inc. Most of its charitable proceeds benefit Teach for America.
Quail Hollow has hosted almost every edition, but the event moved three times when the club was busy with bigger championships. It went to Eagle Point Golf Club in Wilmington, North Carolina, in 2017 and to TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm in Maryland in 2022. In 2025, while Quail Hollow hosted the PGA Championship, the first Truist Championship was played at the Philadelphia Cricket Club, where Sepp Straka won.
The tournament returned to Charlotte in 2026 as a signature event, held May 7 to 10. Kristoffer Reitan of Norway won at 15 under par, two shots ahead of Rickie Fowler and Nicolai Højgaard, for his first PGA Tour victory.
No player has owned this event like Rory McIlroy. He has won it four times, in 2010, 2015, 2021 and 2024. His 21-under total in 2015 remains the tournament's record score to par. Max Homa has won it twice, in 2019 and 2022.
The Green Mile at Quail Hollow
Quail Hollow's closing stretch, holes 16 through 18, is known as the Green Mile. It is often ranked among the toughest finishes on the PGA Tour.
- No. 16 is a long par 4 that doglegs around a fairway bunker.
- No. 17 is a par 3 with water down the left and behind the green.
- No. 18 is a long par 4 with a creek running along the left side of the fairway.
The numbers back up the reputation. In 2024, the 18th averaged 4.500 strokes and was the hardest of all 900 holes played on the PGA Tour that season. At both the Truist Championship and the PGA Championship in recent years, the three holes ranked as the third, second and hardest holes on the course.
PGA Championship at Quail Hollow
Quail Hollow has hosted the PGA Championship, one of golf's four men's majors, twice.
2017 PGA Championship
The first came August 10 to 13, 2017. Justin Thomas won at 8 under par, two shots clear of Francesco Molinari, Patrick Reed and Louis Oosthuizen, for his first major title. The Green Mile played a big part that week. Ninety-one balls ended up in the water on the final three holes.
2025 PGA Championship
The PGA Championship returned May 15 to 18, 2025. Scottie Scheffler shot 69, 68, 65 and 71 to finish at 11-under 273 and win by five strokes. Harris English, Bryson DeChambeau and Davis Riley tied for second. It was Scheffler's first PGA Championship and the third major of his career. He birdied the 10th, 14th and 15th holes in the final round to pull away after Jon Rahm had briefly tied him on Sunday.
Between those two majors, Quail Hollow also hosted the 2022 Presidents Cup, the team competition between the United States and an International team.
Tips for Attending a PGA Tour Event at Quail Hollow
Policies are set each year, so check the official tournament site before going. Based on the Truist Championship's published fan information, here is what to expect:
- Buy tickets from official channels. Tickets are mobile only. The tournament says the only verified tickets are sold through TruistChampionship.com or its official Ticketmaster channels.
- Buy parking separately. Parking is not included with tickets. A separate parking pass is needed for each day of championship week and must be bought online in advance.
- Follow the bag rules. Opaque bags up to 6 by 6 by 6 inches and clear bags up to 12 by 6 by 12 inches are allowed.
- Bring an empty refillable cup. Reusable plastic or metal cups up to 32 ounces are permitted if they are empty at entry.
- Leave memorabilia at home. Pin flags, photos, trading cards, balls and other items for autographs are not allowed in.
- Plan time at the Green Mile. Holes 16, 17 and 18 are the hardest stretch on the course, which makes them a good place to watch late-round pressure play out.
Martin Sumichrast and Charlotte
For a Charlotte family, a world-class golf event across town is easy to fit into the calendar. PGA Tour events sit alongside Formula 1 races and concerts like Oasis's 2025 reunion tour as experiences Martin Sumichrast and his family make time for. Read more about life in Charlotte and beyond on the travel page.