The PGA Of America Turns 100

Jan. 17, 1916: Creating the PGA of America

On this date 100 years ago, a lunch invitation to the Taplow Club in New York evolved into what's now known as the Professional Golfers Association of America.

Based on the PGA's own historical records, here's a summation of the events that led up to what took place on Jan. 17, 1916.

Rodman Wanamaker was an ardent golfer and heir to Wanamaker's, a well-known Philadelphia department store. In 1916, there were fewer than 50 golf courses nationwide and the majority of the clubs at that time refused to admit professionals.

But Wanamaker saw the public's growing enthusiasm for golf as the beginning of a national trend. He also saw a business opportunity: more golfers means more equipment, and if they bought that equipment at Wanamaker's, even better.

So what if there was a national organization of golf professionals, who could help promote interest in the game and grow the sport? On Jan. 17, 1916, Wanamaker invited a group of New York-area golf professionals, accompanied by several prominent amateur golfers, to a luncheon at the Taplow Club in New York's Martinique Hotel, on Broadway and West 32nd Street.

(PGA.com)