As I've learned more about golf course architecture, I've become fascinated with mid-20th century design. Robert Trent Jones, Sr. was the most influential golf course architect of the post-World War II era up through the 1980s. He was most widely known as the "Open Doctor" for his work altering Golden Age courses to fit the... Continue Reading →
Over the last week there have been a lot of visitors to the website as a result of searching for things like "golf course closed" in Google. Many people have landed on our "Here today, gone tomorrow" post about permanently closed courses from the fall. Since that's not quite the information most people are looking... Continue Reading →
Philadelphia boasts golf courses designed by most of the great Golden Age architects. We have numerous contributions from Donald Ross, William Flynn and A.W. Tillinghast. However, there's only one surviving local course with the design influence of either Perry Maxwell or Alister MacKenzie - JC Melrose Country Club in Cheltenham, PA - and it's open... Continue Reading →
In the borough of Langhorne, in lower Bucks County, sits the oldest public golf course in the Philadelphia region. Built in 1913, Middletown Country Club has retained a lot of old-school charm despite several changes over the years. Like many municipal courses, Middletown certainly needs some TLC (tree management), but provides fun and affordable golf... Continue Reading →
Conditions are a big factor in how Americans judge a golf course. While the quality of the playing surface is certainly important to a golfer's experience, this has taken on too much importance in considering how "good" a golf course is. Why is it this way? The largest influence is certainly what we see weekly... Continue Reading →
If you follow the Schuylkill River out 50 miles or so from 30th Street Station - past Conshohocken, King of Prussia and Pottstown - you'll come to the 5th largest city in Pennsylvania. Most familiar to Philadelphians based on it's railroad history (like the Terminal Market and the property in Monopoly) and minor-league baseball team, the... Continue Reading →
The Warm-Up I've played Jeffersonville Golf Club off and on over the last decade. It's close to my office but not the easiest place to get to and from. The course was "nice" but a bit overgrown often crowded. Last spring I came back and was amazed by the improvements being made. Lots of trees... Continue Reading →
One of the great things about being a golfer is dragging your clubs around the globe to experience all the different types of golf the world offers. Philadelphia golf is an opposite of Florida, which is very different from the deserts of Southern California and Arizona, which is nothing like Scotland. The Getaway section will... Continue Reading →
Golf courses don't always have to be long to be good. Paxon Hollow is a fun, old Philadelphia golf course with excellent green complexes and a lot of variety.
Donald Ross was perhaps the most prolific of Golden Age golf course architects, producing over 400 courses in 40 years. While only a few courses are seen as elite (Pinehurst #2, Seminole and locally Aronimink), nearly every Ross course is excellent due to inspired routing, interesting green complexes and solid design principles. In most cities... Continue Reading →
The Cobbs Creek Olde Course is the crown jewel of Philadelphia's public golf options. Though rough around the edges, the historic courses are fun and affordable.
PhilaGolf is a website that explores the Philadelphia golfing scene. While primarily focused on reviewing public golfing options, we will explore many golf-related topics. I love playing golf. It’s a sport that combines social, athletic, competitive and natural experiences. I’m a 16 handicap and have three sons (14, 10 and 5), so time and money... Continue Reading →
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