An abandoned golf course in Texas that once hosted the PGA Championship has become an unrecognisable, overgrown mess, with tangled weeds and decaying fairways replacing what was once a pristine 7,010-yard championship layout. The Pecan Valley Country Club in San Antonio, which opened in 1963, was designed by James Press Maxwell as a formidable test of golfing skill. Its crowning moment came in 1968 when it hosted the PGA Championship, where Julius Boros became the oldest major winner at age 48, a record that stood until Phil Mickelson's triumph in 2021. Boros edged out Arnold Palmer by a single stroke after Palmer missed a crucial par putt on the 18th hole.
The course also hosted the Texas Open and the 2001 U.S. Amateur Public Links. Despite a major renovation in 1998 led by golf course architect Bob Cupp, the club could not survive and officially closed in January 2012, making it the first major venue in modern history to be abandoned. Since then, nature has reclaimed the site, with clubhouse buildings lying derelict, shrubs and hedges overgrown onto footpaths, and some pathways blocked by branches, giving the area a jungle-like appearance. Only the bridges remain intact, with creeks flowing below.
Part of the former golf course has since been repurposed for a middle school and residential development. Additionally, an initiative called The Valor Club aims to renovate a 215-acre section of the golf course to create affordable housing for army veterans and their families, including a nine-hole adaptive golf course and a Paralympic training centre known as the Valordome, fostering a supportive and active community.
