Last week I attended the PGA Chamionship at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, MN. It was a lot of fun. We walked the entire course on a warm, sunny day and saw many of the world’s finest golf players like Tiger Woods, Steve Stricker and more. There were also many up and comers like Rory McIlroy and the Japanese sensation, Ryo Ishikawa who at age 17, found himself surrounded by the Japanese press where ever he went.

Most importantly though, there was plenty of attention being paid to some rather famous fellow Joneses that I wanted to mention. They have been responsible for the design and enhancement of this great golf course. These are Robert Trent Jones and his son, Rees Jones.

Robert Trent Jones (not related to the infamous Bobby Jones) created the original course layout for the Hazeltine National Golf Club course which opened in 1962. Over time, Robert Trent Jones continued to modify many of the original holes in order to adapt it to the needs of major championship play.

His son Rees Jones, also a very well known golf course architect, was called upon to continue his father’s work on the course in advance of the 1991 U.S. Open Championship. The 1991 U.S. Open was won by Payne Stewart. For the 2009 PGA Championship, the Hazeltine National Golf course was the longest course in golf major history and played host to almost all of the top 100 golf players in the world.

Robert Trent Jones was born in England, but moved to the U.S., with his parents, at the ripe old age of 5. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1987. He passed away on June 14, 2000.