The Kroger Queen City Championship is set to kick off its third edition on Thursday. Last year, it was hosted at the Kenwood Country Club. However, the location will not be the same this year due to an ongoing renovation project. Dan Plunkett, the chief executive officer of the club, confirmed this and stated, “Kenwood Country Club was honored to host the inaugural two years of the Kroger Queen City Classic presented by P&G. We take pride in the role we played in getting the LPGA back to Cincinnati.”

This year, the 144-player field LPGA Tournament will be hosted at TPC River’s Bend in Virginia. Here is everything you need to know about next weekend’s new championship venue.

Arnold Palmer: The Mastermind of the TPC River’s Bend

TPC River’s Bend is a private golf club located in Maineville, Ohio, about 25 miles northeast of Cincinnati. The course was designed by one of the greatest golfers, Arnold Palmer, along with Ed Seay, and is still regarded as one of the “Top-10 Best New Private Clubs in the US” by Golf Digest. The par-72 course extends to approximately 7,180 yards with a 12-acre PGA Tour-caliber practice facility.

This gives the players a great advantage for the practice round. It not only has several tees but also a short game practice area where they can chip and putt. Additionally, the course stretches through mature hardwoods, creeks, and waterfalls, with gentle elevation changes. It was first opened in 2001 and has now signed up to become the official host of the 2024 Kroger Queen City Championship on the LPGA Tour.

Just like all the other TPC Golf courses, TPC River’s Bend was strictly built for strong tournaments. This will not only be entertaining for spectators to watch but will also make it exceptionally challenging for the players. To play this course, it is important to bring your best game, otherwise, you will struggle and might end up losing your bombs too.

What makes the TPC River’s Bend so challenging?

TPC River’s Bend has several obstacles, from lateral stream hazards and sand traps to sprinkler heads hidden in the tall native tree grasses. These often interfere with the players’ aiming and putting. However, what makes it truly challenging are the native grass areas and Arnold Palmer’s addition of narrow greens on the difficult par 4s. The par 4s, in particular, give players a hard time. You need just the right accuracy to hit your bombs into the holes.

Additionally, the greens are not soft at all, and you will need a great deal of luck to hold the greens, even with a well-struck iron shot. To add to the difficulty, winds blowing in from the surrounding rivers on most of the holes tend to divert the direction of the bombs, despite several attempts to keep them on track. All these features add to the beauty and challenge of the golf course. What are your thoughts on the new venue of the 2024 Kroger Queen City Championship? Let us know in the comments section below!