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By John Maginnes
PGATOUR.com Contributor

Some places just feel right. Quail Hollow is one of those places. The locker room in the plantation-style clubhouse is the perfect blend of comfort and style. Try the crab soup; it is the best in the world.

Vijay Singh is one of only a few players honored at Quail Hollow. (Richard Schultz/WireImage)

With the success of the Wachovia Championship, the fact that Quail Hollow has hosted numerous PGA TOUR events through its storied history sometimes gets lost. Back in 1968, the King won the first Kemper Open played at Quail, and Arnold Palmer leads a impressive list of champions who have walked the rolling hills of south Charlotte. Tom Weiskopf won here twice. Raymond Floyd hoisted the Kemper trophy behind the grand clubhouse as well during the Kemper Open's open run at Quail Hollow from 1968 to 1979.

From 1980 to 1989, Quail Hollow hosted the World Senior Invitational. The Sarge, Orville Moody, won here. So did the Black Knight, Gary Player.

Quail Hollow, like all great golf clubs, reveres its history. There is a special spot between the ninth and tenth 10th fairways that commemorates all the great champions who have passed the difficult test.

Champions Park is a rock structure set in a semi-circle in a grove of trees. On the left side of the structure are the names of those who won the Kemper. On the right side are the names of the World Senior Invitational champs.

In the middle is a massive fireplace with oak logs in bins on both sides. On the chimney that rises some 20 feet above the hearth are the names of David Toms and Joey Sindelar on the left, honoring their Wachovia Championship victories. On the right, Vijay Singh and Jim Furyk's victories are also commemorated by small plaques. Fire has burned in the fireplace on Friday and Saturday.

A stone building at the other end of the clearing serves as the halfway house most weeks. This week it is a concession stand, a great spot for fresh-popped popcorn and lemonade. Outdoor tables are spaced between the house and the hearth so people can enjoy lunch or a libation in the shade of the oaks and pines.

Most players in the Wachovia Championship will never see Champions Park; it would take an incredibly errant drive off the tee on nine or 10 for it to come into play. As the players make their way up the fairways on the two holes that surround the park, it is likely that they never see it. They're obscured by the gallery and are focused on the task at hand.

This event already has created a reputation for excellence, and every year it builds tradition and history. With a field only surpassed by THE PLAYERS and the majors, the Wachovia Championship is a tournament that every player would love to add to his resume.

With each victory, a name will be added to the wall of champions, and that wall will stand long after the cheers die down and the fire goes out. Even if the players never noticed the park, they all want their name on that chimney.

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