In 1945, Byron Nelson won 11 consecutive tournaments on the PGA Tour, a record that still stands today. The ninth of those victories was the only major he won in that stretch, the PGA Championship at Moraine Country Club.
Fifteen years prior to Nelson’s PGA Championship, some of Ohio’s most prominent figures commissioned Scottish professional Alec “Nipper” Campbell to design Moraine Country Club on glacier-shaped farmland on the southside of Dayton. Campbell had a history as a professional at prominent clubs like The Country Club (Brookline) and Baltimore Country Club and was serving as the head pro at Miami Valley Golf Club in Dayton at the time. While Campbell has five top 10s in major championships to his name, his design work at Moraine is undoubtedly his crowning achievement as a golf course architect. By focusing his routing on the property’s series of dramatic formations, Campbell allowed the course to highlight its land and create a series of exceptional golf holes that are both strategic and playable.
More than 80 years after Campbell’s original design, architect Keith Foster was brought in to restore Moraine to its original brilliance. In working with then-Superintendent Jason Mahl and the Moraine staff, Foster’s extensive project removed hundreds of trees to properly show off the wonderful land movement and restored the greens to their original intent. In some cases, Foster had to rebuild greens that had been altered over the years, including the two par 3s on the back nine, Nos. 12 and 15. Today, the course features stunning views across the property and utilizes its topography to the fullest extent.
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Take Note…
The back back tee. While rolling a few putts at Moraine, you may notice a couple of tee markers on the northeast end of the putting green. A championship tee was added on the back of the putting green to add 40 yards to the opening hole. The tee shot plays directly over the putting green, making it impractical for busy days but a fun tee shot for member play and events like the Club Championship.
Course up the hill. Look up the hill from the fifth green at Moraine and you’ll often see golfers on the third tee of the South Course at NCR Country Club, another proud Dayton club that occupies the land just south and east of Moraine. It was founded by Stanley Allyn during his time as president of the National Cash Register Corporation. Following a successful PGA Championship at Moraine in 1945, Allyn worked to get a club built to benefit his company and NCR Country Club opened in 1954. NCR has two golf courses, both designed by Dick Wilson. The South Course, like Moraine, has hosted a PGA Championship, the 1969 edition won by Raymond Floyd. The championship pedigree of NCR overshadowed the architectural brilliance of Moraine for years. Recently, astute visitors are seeking out both Moraine and NCR for their itineraries.
11-hole playoff. The Western Amateur is known as one of the most grueling championships in golf due to its back-breaking format. The final two players play eight rounds of golf (four stroke play and four match play) over the span of four days. During the 2024 Western Amateur hosted at Moraine, the championship match between eventual winner Ian Gilligan and Jack Turner lasted 29 holes, adding an 11-hole playoff to an already demanding format
Fourteen Out of Bounds. Look up Moraine Country Club on Google Maps and you’ll see a “golf shop” titled Fourteen Out of Bounds to the west of the 14th hole. Visit their website and you’ll see it is a homeowner with a dummy business account to alert you that you have hit a ball in their backyard. They put free golf balls back by the fence for those who hit one O.B.
