Written By: Greg Johnson
ANN ARBOR – Barton Hills Country Club will be the host site for the 8th U.S. Senior Women’s Open Championship in August of 2026, and for the third time test some of the world’s top golfers.
“To welcome the game’s most accomplished senior women golfers to our historic course is both a privilege and a testament to the club’s enduring commitment to excellence,” Mark Klinger, general manager and chief operating officer at Barton Hills, said in a recent United States Golf Association (USGA) press release.
“This championship is a celebration of skill, perseverance, and the indelible spirit of the game. We are proud to stand alongside the USGA in advancing the sport and providing a world-class stage where history will be made once again.”
It will be the third USGA championship hosted by Barton Hills, which annually hosts GAM tournaments and qualifiers, including last summer’s GAM Championship. Barton Hills previously hosted the 1998 U.S. Women’s Amateur won by Grace Park, and in 2008 hosted the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur won by Joan Higgins.
“Barton did such a great job with those championships, so the USGA is well aware of the course and the club, and of course we have some great members who really have promoted women’s golf, like Betty Richart,” said Suzy Green-Roebuck, a Barton Hills member and Michigan Golf Hall of Fame member who has played in five of the first six U.S. Senior Women’s Opens, including two top-10 finishes.
The club’s course is a favorite among Michigan’s top golfers and Golf Association of Michigan (GAM) members. Barton Hills has hosted three Michigan Women’s Amateur Championships (1968, 1995, 2006) and five Golf Association of Michigan Championships for men (1996, 2011, 2016, 2017, 2024), as well as several other tournaments and GAM and USGA qualifiers.
Chris Whitten, executive director of the GAM, said it is great to see the USGA come back to Michigan again, especially for this championship.
“I think it will be a great championship at Barton Hills,” he said. “The renovation work they have done in recent years has been phenomenal and we were fortunate to see that up close when we set up our GAM Championship last year. We had a great tournament, and we were able to find the best player that week, and we’re sure the USGA will have a similar experience.”
The 2025 U.S. Senior Women’s Open is scheduled for San Diego Country Club, in Chula Vista, Calif., Aug. 21-24.
