PITTSFORD, N.Y. — The 2023 PGA Championship is just the latest in a long line of major gold tournaments hosted by Pittsford’s iconic Oak Hill Country Club. That kind of history deserves its own space on the course. 

Dozens of golf moments and personal contributions to both the game and the club are recognized on Oak Hill’s Hill of Fame. Hundreds of plaques hang on trees around the course, a tribute to men, women and moments.

“I love coming out here,” said Fred Beltz, Oak’s Hill historian. “I mean, the history of everyone that’s here, the history of the course. The vistas that you see are just incredible.”

Beltz is an encyclopedia of Oak Hill memories and monuments. The club was founded as a country club in 1901 on land that is now the University of Rochester. It has been here in Pittsford since the 1920s and was added to the National Register of Historic Places just last month.  

“There is a lot of significant history on the Hill of Fame,” said Beltz. 

Plaques on trees recognize winners of major tournaments. There are also those who made great contributions to the club, like Dr. John R. Williams — responsible for planting the Oak trees that line the course. When he did it, Beltz says they stopped counting at 30,000.

“Dr. Williams always felt that a tree was a better memorial than a piece of granite or a piece of steel," he said.

Fans attending the PGA Championship can learn about the history through the plaques. They’ll also notice a lot of changes since the last PGA was held here, in 2013. Numerous trees were removed during a 2019 restoration of the course, meaning several plaques also had to be moved. 

Many remain in significant spots, like the plaque on the 18th hole of the last round of the 2003 PGA, where Shaun Micheel — the world’s 169th-ranked golfer at the time — hit a seven iron from 174 yards to within inches of the hole to clinching his only major.

“I think one of the best parts of the course, of being a member, is being able to bring people who love golf and love the history of golf out to share with them,” said Beltz.