Empty Leg Flights for PGA Championship
30 flights available from $3335 — Rotating venue, typically May
Available flights for PGA Championship
PGA Championship
The PGA Championship runs the second week of May at rotating venues selected by the PGA of America. Unlike the Masters (Augusta National, every year) or the US Open (USGA rotation), the PGA Championship moves among private clubs without a fixed schedule. Recent venues include Kiawah Island Ocean Course (2021), Southern Hills in Tulsa (2022), Oak Hill in Rochester (2023), Valhalla in Louisville (2024), and Quail Hollow in Charlotte (2025).
The rotating venue creates variable private aviation logistics. The host city changes each year, and so does the airport infrastructure, ramp capacity, and ground transport options. Kiawah is served by Charleston Executive (KJZI); Valhalla by Louisville Muhammad Ali International (KSDF); Quail Hollow by Concord-Padgett (KJQF) or Charlotte Douglas (KCLT); Oak Hill by Rochester (KROC). Knowing the host course and its gateway airports before planning is the first step.
Private aviation demand at the PGA Championship is strong but runs second to the Masters in terms of concentration. The corporate entertainment market for golf's second major is significant -- Fortune 500 sponsors, equipment manufacturers, and professional services firms all entertain clients at the PGA -- and that corporate hospitality layer drives predictable charter activity regardless of which venue the championship uses.
When the venue moves to a city with smaller GA infrastructure (Rochester, Tulsa), ramp pressure is more acute than at Charlotte or Louisville. The host city's baseline airport capacity affects empty leg availability more at the PGA Championship than at events with fixed venues.
Where to land for PGA Championship
Airport selection for the PGA Championship depends entirely on the host venue. The pattern from recent championships:
Charlotte / Quail Hollow: Concord-Padgett Regional (KJQF), 15 miles from the club, is the GA-focused option. Charlotte Douglas (KCLT) handles larger aircraft and international arrivals but is farther from the course and mixes with heavy commercial traffic.
Louisville / Valhalla: Louisville Muhammad Ali International (KSDF), 10 miles from the club. Signature and other FBOs operate there. Bowman Field (KLOU) is closer to the club but handles only smaller aircraft.
Kiawah / Ocean Course: Charleston Executive (KJZI) is 15 miles from Kiawah. KCHS (Charleston International) handles larger aircraft. The Ocean Course itself has no airport on the island.
Tulsa / Southern Hills: Tulsa International (KTUL) is the primary gateway, 12 miles from the club. Richard Lloyd Jones Jr. Airport (KRVS) in Tulsa handles lighter aircraft closer to the south side of the city.
Rochester / Oak Hill: Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International (KROC) is the gateway. KROC is a smaller commercial airport with limited GA ramp capacity -- Rochester editions of the PGA Championship produce more ramp pressure relative to airport size than larger-city editions.
When to book empty legs for PGA Championship
The PGA Championship runs Thursday through Sunday, with Wednesday practice rounds drawing some corporate hospitality. The arrival window concentrates Tuesday evening through Thursday morning, with departures peaking Sunday night after the final round.
Empty legs toward the host city appear in the two weeks before the event from major origin cities. The specific corridors that light up depend on the host venue location: a Kentucky venue draws from the Southeast and Northeast; a Charlotte venue from the Northeast, Midwest, and Texas.
Post-championship Sunday evening and Monday morning produce the most consistent outbound empty leg supply. Operators who flew in corporate groups need to reposition to home bases quickly after the weekend. Those Sunday-night legs from the host airport to New York, Chicago, and Atlanta appear at below-market rates in the 12-24 hours after the final putt.
When the venue is in a smaller market (Rochester, Tulsa), the compressed ramp situation means booking earlier is more important. Those cities have less excess capacity than Charlotte or Louisville, and late-arriving operators without pre-arranged ramp space face more difficulty.
What it costs to fly private to PGA Championship
Current empty legs arriving near Rotating venue, typically May range from $1,380 to $18,243, with an average around $6,902. By aircraft size: super-midsize jets at $2,704-$18,243, light jets at $1,380-$2,366, midsize jets at $1,677-$6,500.
Among the routes with current inventory: from Dallas, TX at $1,380-$18,243; from Toronto, ON at $13,100; from Fairhope, AL at $2,366. These prices change as operators update their schedules, so the specific routes and rates shift from week to week.
Of the 45 active legs in our system heading toward this area, 11 have published prices. The rest require contacting the operator for a quote. Empty legs without a listed price are often negotiable, especially closer to the departure date.
Get alerts for PGA Championship
Create a free account and set up alerts. We'll notify you the moment a matching empty leg appears.
Create Free Alerts