The Institute Golf Club, an ultra exclusive golf course located in east Morgan Hill, is setting its sights on staging tournaments befitting its stunning layout, according to a press release from The Golf Wire.
Such public facing events would be a dramatic switch for a club that counts global sports superstars and Silicon Valley leaders among its membership of fewer than fifty, but for course owners the Fry family hosting marquee events is a natural next step, Golf Wire reported on July 1.
“The family business dominated my life but now this is my labor of love. The Institute has matured into something quite special and it’s the moment in our journey when we want the world’s best to enjoy this amazing place,” said Randy Fry.
The Fry family, patriarchs of the once popular Fry’s Electronics retail chain, built The Institute Gold Club in the mid-1990s. The 8,069-yard venue has been curated and updated with the family’s vision in mind to create one of the world’s most stunning golf courses where privacy, patience and restraint are the watchwords, The Golf Wire reported.
“We valued privacy and comfort for our members above all else and that will continue to be a guiding philosophy, but this course now merits a tournament spotlight and we are encouraged by the conversations we are having with various bodies that this dream can be a reality,” Fry added.
In the coming months, the club is looking to roll out an expanded membership, and discussions have started with governing bodies to host tournaments on its tree-lined layout.
Golf Wire reported that VOXA founder and two-time Major winner Suzann Pettersen played the course recently and was an immediate convert.
“I loved playing The Institute,” said the former Solheim Cup-winning player and captain. “Beautifully designed and great fun to play. It’s a very special place and my day there was an exceptional experience. There’s no question in my mind that one day it will be hosting some incredible tournaments.”
Club President Jeffrey Sanchez spent five years as tournament director running the Fry’s Open on the PGA Tour and is a credentialed Member of the PGA of America as well as a Certified Club Manager, according to The Golf Wire.
“It very much stands up to the litmus test of what is needed for a tournament venue. It feels ready in every sense,” Sanchez said. “We are working with Robert Trent Jones Jr. and his team to finesse parts of the course to an even higher level, and improvements are something Trent Jones Jr. and team are constantly considering.
“We never sit still, everything is geared to improving the member experiences and developing The Institute as an unforgettable facility.”
The club added a nine-hole par three short course in 2025 dubbed “Little I” while in the past year holes 2, 6, 9 and 10 have been reconstructed under the eye of Brad Owen and Adam Moeller, a former overseer of the USGA Championships.
The course is curated and maintained like any world-leading venue, except this one includes as a consultant Owen, a 38-year veteran of manicuring the hallowed contours of the Augusta National Golf Club.
“We want to protect and elevate the qualities that make The Institute special,” Sanchez added. “But we are gearing up for tournaments now and we’re excited about what the future holds.”
