It's no question that true lovers of the game of golf are drawn to Hazeltine National. Along with its championship history over the years, Hazeltine also has the unique distinction of having two USGA Presidents call it their home club.

Today’s players who strive to compete on a course that can test champions, even on their best days, would have found a kindred spirit in our founder, Totton (Tot) Peavey Heffelfinger (1899-1987). Heffelfinger, like his Peavey family relatives who started and ran many successful businesses, was a visionary. He saw the future of golf and took deliberate steps to safeguard it. 

In 1955, shortly after serving as the youngest President ever for the USGA from 1952-1953, Heffelfinger warned that "the time to build more golf courses is now before the problems of land become too great." Heffelfinger was a member of The Minikahda Club in Minneapolis at the time he was serving as President of the USGA. Minikahda was going to be negatively impacted by freeway development and this inspired Heffelfinger to have the Twin Cities’ surrounding land scouted by airplane for suitable locations for a championship-level course to be built. 

However, when Minikahda rejected Heffelfinger’s suggestion of adding a second course to the club outside the city, he decided to plow ahead anyway with an entirely independent venture. He negotiated with local farms to buy up the necessary land and engaged legendary course architect Robert Trent Jones to design his vision on the shores of Lake Hazeltine in 1959. 

Heffelfinger said it was his goal for the club to be the “Augusta National of the North” when Hazeltine opened to members in 1962. Now, more than sixty years and countless historical golf moments later, we tip our cap to his foresight.

Although Heffelfinger remained a member of The Minikahda Club (as well as St. Andrews in Scotland and Cypress Point in Florida), his passion for his home course continued for the rest of his life. He built his home along Hazeltine’s 10th hole and used his clout with the USGA to help attract its first major events. 

A Second USGA President

Golf’s serendipitous nature comes into play in the timeline here. The first major championship Hazeltine would host came in 1966 in the form of the U.S. Women’s Open. That happened to be the same year Reed K. Mackenzie joined the club. 

“I remember seeing Mickey Wright, probably the greatest women golfer of all time play here,” says Mackenzie. “I remember a young golfer named Judy Torluemke who had a full turn, a full swing, and struck the ball beautifully. She later married and is now known as Judy Rankin, not only a great professional but a great announcer and a great spokesperson for women’s golf.”

Mackenzie himself grew to become just as much a fixture of Hazeltine as championship golf events. He won the club championship four times and got involved with the USGA’s Junior Amateur Championship Committee in 1977. Then, starting in 1978, he helped officiate every  U.S. Open for 28 straight years. In the midst of that, he served as Hazeltine’s Club President from 1981-1984 and the President of the Minnesota Golf Association (MGA) from 1988-1990. Mackenzie has been a rules official for over 100 USGA championships. He even served as General Chairman for the U.S. Open when it was played at Hazeltine in 1991.

He then joined the USGA’s Executive Committee, serving as Treasurer, Secretary, and Vice President before being elected USGA President in 2002 and reelected in 2003. Leading the USGA requires strong organizational skills, along with a deep love for the game. Mackenzie oversaw both the professional staff and the 1,400 volunteers nationwide who serve on more than 30 different USGA committees.

After his term as USGA President, Mackenzie was inducted into the MGA-PGA Hall of Fame in 2004. He remains a member of Hazeltine to this day.

The thread that connects Heffelfinger to Mackenzie interweaves with many magical golf moments at Hazeltine and we can’t wait to see what comes next as we prepare to host the 2024 U.S. Amateur Championship, the 2026 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, and the 2029 Ryder Cup.