Golf Social Media Loves Lists

Here's My Top 5 Courses I've Played in PA and a Story About #1 on My List

One of my favorite things to do lately is to post on X (formerly Twitter) to see what causes people to react. I only post about golf, and the golf community is an interesting lot. I don’t have the following of a golf influencer, but I have a good number of followers, and the numbers are growing rapidly. Golfers seem to like lists. Anything which involves favorite courses, architects, tour pros etc. seems to draw a lot of attention and response from the rabid golf community. Which has led me to this edition of the newsletter. I wanted to share my list of the top 5 courses I’ve played in my home state of PA.

My list consists of some courses some might not put in their top 5. I have played a lot of the great courses in golf rich Pennsylvania. Courses like Laurel Valley, Lancaster CC, Saucon Valley and a few others would be definite top 10. Some of my top 5 are very obvious choices. Some hold fond memories. So, here are my top 5 I’ve played in Pennsylvania.

#5 - Old Course at Bedford Springs

When I posted my list, this received a fairly negative reaction. Some people mentioned other courses in the state they felt were superior. Some I had played. Some I hadn’t. This pick is a nostalgia pick for me. I remember the course being run down and pretty much in ruin before Omni Hotels & Resorts purchased the property. Omni not only restored the grand, old hotel, they sunk a lot of money into the course to return it to its glory. The Old Course dates back to 1895. Originally designed by Spencer Oldham, it was later reconfigured and redesigned as a 9-hole layout by famed architect A.W Tillinghast in 1912. Tillinghast designs include Winged Foot and Baltusrol. In 1923, famed architect Donald Ross (my favorite architect) returned the course to an 18-hole layout. Ron Forse, a golf course renovation expert, was hired in 2005 to restore the classic course. Forse rebuilt the course using holes from each of the original three designers. Each hole has a name and description listed with architect responsible for its design. Not a long course (6785 from the back tees), it offers a tough but fair challenge for golfers of all abilities. Visit www.omnihotels.com/hotels/bedford for more info.

#4 - Moselem Springs

Located in Fleetwood, PA between Allentown and Reading, Moselem Springs is built on former farmland owned by Hawley Quier, the former publisher of the Reading Eagle newspaper. Designed by George Fazio whose courses include Butler National and Hershey CC East course, was a former PGA Tour player turned course designer. Fazio hailed from Philadelphia and transformed the farmland into a majestic par 70 masterpiece. Moselem Springs hosted the 1968 US Women’s Open and the 1996 and 2011 PA State Open. I was fortunate enough to play as a professional in the 1996 PA State Open and once again set foot on this terrific layout. The first time I played it was at the age of 12 while living in nearby Kutztown. A friend was a member, and I was able to play it several times before we moved away. It will always hold a special place in my heart. It is also a private course in which you can purchase a Stay and Play package. Visit www.moselemgolf.com for more info.

#3 - Aronomink

A Donald Ross classic, Aronomink is located in Newtown Square outside of Philadelphia. Built in 1926, Aronomink is one of the many great golf courses in the Philadelphia area. I have been fortunate to play it on more than one occasion. I was privileged to work for former head golf professional, Jim Masserio, when he was the head golf professional at Toftrees Resort in State College, PA. Everything about Aronomink says classic from the course to the Tudor style clubhouse. The first time I played the course, the group in front included Jay Sigel, the famed amateur who was a member. Sigel set the course record in his round (63 or 64, I can’t remember). I played pretty well and limped in with a 77. I was in disbelief how anyone could break par the way the course was playing. As a side note, the course record is currently 62 by Nick Watney and has been matched by Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Kevin Na and Tommy Fleetwood twice.

#2 Oakmont

The next two on my list were controversial based on my ranking. It is my personal preference. Oakmont, home of the “Church Pews” pictured above, is a beast of a course. Built in 1903, it is the only course designed by Henry Fownes. I played it right after Ernie Els won the 1994 US Open. It is the hardest course I have ever played. There is no let up anywhere. From the length to the speed of the greens to the thick rough to the number of bunkers, the members pride themselves on the difficulty of the course. I commented to the member how difficult the course was during the round, and I would like to play it again when it wasn’t still set up for the US Open. He laughed and told me they make the course easier for the US Open. If I wanted to see it play hard, I should come back and play it just before or right after the Member-Guest. Well, I did, and he wasn’t kidding. It was brutally hard. Oakmont would be #1 on most people’s list. I totally understand why. I just like the next course better. It’s difficult but more fun to play.

#1 Merion

Merion. Home of the famed wicker baskets which adorn the top of pins rather than traditional flags. Legend has it course designer Hugh Wilson noticed shepherds in the UK carried their lunches in wicker baskets at the end of their staffs. Wilson thought it would add difficulty to Merion as players would not be able to use the flags to gauge wind. And there’s Ben Hogan’s famous 1-iron forever immortalized in arguably the most famous golf photo of all-time. The East Course at Merion is a classic gem. It isn’t long in terms of a major championship venue stretching to 6,946 yards par 70. It has a great mix of long and short holes, including the not so easy par-3 13th which played to 115 yds. in the 2013 US Open. Ask Phil Mickelson what he thinks of the difficulty of the diminutive par-3. The course has streams which meander through various holes. Forced lay-ups and carries along with strategic doglegs make the course fun and difficult all in one. Naturally, the 18th is etched in history as pictured above because of the famous Hogan 1-iron. Part of the lore of the shot is the story which goes along with it. If you’d like to read more about the story behind the photo and the shot, subscribe to the paid portion of the newsletter.

Hope you enjoyed my top 5 I’ve played in Pennsylvania. It was not an easy list to compile as there great courses which didn’t make my top 5 as I mentioned earlier. Think about the top 5 you’ve played in your home or current state or locale. Feel free to leave your list in a comment.

For now, as always, be grateful when you play and be thankful for every shot. Now, go golf!