The Upgraded Valhalla Course - A New Era Dawns

Golf is a sport which involves precision planning of events, and fans of the game often look forward to tournaments which lie rather far in the future. When fans flock to Louisville, Kentucky for the 2014 PGA Championship, the recently upgraded course at Valhalla Golf Club is sure to provide a week of intense excitement. Here is a preview of the improvements that have been made to this recently re-launched grand dame of golf course.

The remodelling of Valhalla was undertaken under the supervision of golfing legend Jack Nicklaus. The multiple major winner and record-setter, who is a sought-after golf course designer around the world, told reporters that the big changes at Valhalla were necessary because "golf equipment has changed dramatically and players have changed how they play the game dramatically." With this in mind, Nicklaus has overseen the following changes at Valhalla:

The course at Valhalla features 18 newly-constructed greens, each with a cutting-edge irrigation system, built to USGA standards. With many tournaments coming down to players' putting skills, the new greens will challenge the world's finest golfers where the short game is concerned.

In a massive overhaul of Valhalla. Nicklaus did not just change greens and bunkers, but also change the type of grass which makes up the golf course itself. Heat-tolerant bent grass now forms the green carpet at Valhalla, allowing the course to stay in excellent condition in a variety of seasons and weather conditions.

Fans who tune in to the 2014 PGA Championship will notice major changes to holes 2, 3, 7, 9, 14 and 15 respectively. The green at hole 2 has been shifted leftwards, with the approachability of the hole being improved in the process. The greenside bunker at the third hole has been reduced in size, while two fairway bunkers have been added to hole 7. Holes 9, 14, and 15 have been similarly modified to challenge the world's best players when they descend on Louisville in 2014.