Cherry Hills Will Host the 2023 U.S. Amateur

The oldest USGA Championship returns to Colorado

By Jon Rizzi

February has been very good to amateur golf in Colorado.

On February 21, ten days after announcing Eisenhower Golf Club would host the 2020 Girls’ Junior, the USGA named Cherry Hills Country Club as the site of the 2023 U.S. Amateur.

It will mark the third time the club has hosted the event.

In 1990, 20-year-old Phil Mickelson of Arizona State University captured the Havemeyer Trophy with a 5 and 4 final-round victory over Manny Zerman.

At the 2012 event, Steven Fox made an 18-foot birdie putt on the 37th hole to defeat Michael Weaver and cap a memorable 2012 U.S. Amateur final.

It’s too soon to know what budding phenoms will be in the 2023 field, but the 2012 field did feature current PGA Tour pros Daniel Berger, Bryson DeChambeau, Hideki Matsuyama, Xander Schauffele, Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas.

Cherry on Top

The Amateur will take place one year after Cherry Hills celebrates its 100th Anniversary.

The William Flynn-designed course has previously hosted nine USGA championships—tops among Colorado courses. In addition to the 1990 and 2012 Amateurs, it has hosted hosted the 1938, 1960 and 1978 U.S. Opens; 2005 U.S. Women’s Open; 1993 U.S. Senior Open; 1976 U.S. Senior Amateur; and 1983 U.S. Mid-Amateur.

Only The Broadmoor, which celebrated its centennial by staging the 2018 U.S. Senior Open, comes close. Its ninth USGA championship will be the 2025 U.S. Senior Open.

Making History

Cherry Hills isn’t the only historic club to stage an upcoming edition of the USGA’s oldest championship. Other future U.S. Amateur sites announced last week include Oakmont Country Club (2021), Ridgewood Country Club (2022), Hazeltine National Golf Club (2024), The Olympic Club (2025) and Merion Golf Club (2026).

The current average age of these clubs is 96 years. The 2026 Amateur will be a record 20th USGA Championship for Merion.

The 119th U.S. Amateur will be played Aug. 12-18, 2019 at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club in North Carolina, while the 2020 championship will take place at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, in Oregon, Aug. 10-16.

The next USGA championship to be played in Colorado, the 39th U.S. Mid-Amateur, will take place September 14-19 at Colorado Golf Club in Parker and CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora.