Waynesborough Country Club

I got the opportunity to play Waynesborough last week. I qualified for and competed in the Philadelphia Middle-Amateur which was hosted at this enjoyable venue. Initially the event was scheduled to be held at Manufactures GC, which I know I enjoy quite a bit, but the changed opened my eyes to local hidden gem. Waynesborough certainly impressed from all angles. It doesn’t quite rival Huntingdon Valley or Llanerch from an ambiance perspective, but the golf course is a legitimate test and the clubhouse and hospitality were sensational.

The golf course certainly showed its teeth over the two-day tournament. Only two players finished the event under-par. I was not one of them. There are very few holes on the golf course that present true birdie opportunities, while there are several holes that are some of the toughest in Philadelphia. The par-3 17th measures a ridiculous 252 yards from the back tee box and offers a great look at the undulating green. If you find a way to make par on this hole, you are gaining shots on the field. The 9th hole is also a great one. Measuring 450 yards, the second shot plays back uphill directly toward the clubhouse. Lounge chairs surround the green atop the hill creating a great environment to make the turn. Typically there are members out on the chairs enjoying a beverage or simply watching some golf. A truly fun hole to play.

The clubhouse is big. Almost too big. I walked in for the first time and it took me at least five minutes to find the locker room. When I finally did I was very pleased with I found. The locker room attendant couldn’t do enough for me. He offered me a guest locker, to get me a drink and to clean my shoes after the round. These are all small things but certainly go a long way toward making feeling someone feel welcome at a place they’ve never been before.

The food was well above average. I enjoyed the french dip for lunch and finished every bit of it, although I was starving. All in all, Waynesborough was fun place to be able to play and while I wouldn’t be itching to go back in the immediate future, I can appreciate the quality of the all of the amenities of the club. Waynesborough scores a 4.2/5.

Llanerch Country Club

 Llanerch (pronounced Lan-Arch) was a real treat to play. I was able to play there last month in the Drexel Athletic Club outing and I seriously underestimated the facilities. I had not been there in three years or so but the changes that they have made in the timespan have transitioned the club into one of the elite in Philadelphia.

Llanerch is rich in history having hosted the 1958 PGA Championship. It has also hosted several high-level amateur events including the Philadelphia Amateur and qualifying for the U.S Amateur. There’s simply no other way to put it; the golf course is hard. The tee shots are tight and challenging, the approach shots require precision and the greens are small, firm, fast and severely sloped. The course has it all. The real treat on this course is the unique 18th hole. Measuring under 300 yards as a par-4, the tantalizing 18th tempts you to attempt to drive the green however the smart play is to layup with an iron to leave yourself a full shot into a green that slopes more than any other on the golf course and looks about as big as your kitchen table. Making a par on the 18th is a job well done despite the fact that it looks like a birdie hole on the scorecard.

The golf course is only the beginning to this masterpiece of a property. The clubhouse was completely redone in 2012 and is now one of the premiere clubhouses in the region. What separates this clubhouse from most, if not all other clubhouses is the outdoor, multi-story patio overlooking the 18th green. This setup is what every golf course should strive for. A three-story outdoor deck feels like it basically hangs over the 18th green. It creates an incredible atmosphere to play your final hole in. People are on the patio having dinner or enjoying a cocktail after their round as you walk up the scenic final hole.

The locker room is outstanding as well. The showers rival that of Huntingdon Valley’s. They are spectacular. There really isn’t a bad word I can say about Llanerch. I don’t enjoy it quite as much as I do Merion, because I don’t enjoy anywhere as much as Merion, but this is right there with the next best clubs. Llanerch is on par with HVCC and the other elite clubs in the area. Llanerch earns the impressive score of 4.7/5.

Blue Bell Country Club

In my 3rd country club, I had the opportunity to play Blue Bell Country Club in Montgomery County. Simply put, it just isn’t in the same universe as Merion or Huntingdon Valley. While I enjoyed the day and the golf course is decent, it is a far cry from an elite facility. The golf course is built around a Toll Brothers housing community with over 700 units. The houses breathe down on the golf course creating very few scenic vistas. Unfortunate because if the houses were not present, the golf course itself would be much more enjoyable to play as the layout is certainly above average.

The clubhouse is nice looking, but has no differentiating factors or quality. Like the rest of the grounds, it is plain. The food inside after the round was average and the locker room was confusing and only had two undersized shower stalls. It was a disappointing clubhouse setup. The service was mid-level and my chicken wings were undercooked, which is a big no-no. However, the facility is only semi-private therefore my expectations for it were not as high as the other clubs I visited.

As I mentioned before, the golf course has a very solid layout. An Arnold Palmer design, no two holes are very much alike and it keeps you guessing throughout your round. My favorite hole on the course is the downhill Par-3 10th. Playing about 200 yards, it presents one of the only downhill tee shots with any kind of vista. A challenging shot, but certainly a welcoming one to hit thanks to the view. Blue Bell Country Club has it’s share of positives and negatives but as far as a grade goes, it receives a 3.5/5. Not bad for a semi-private track.

Huntingdon Valley Country Club

My next adventure took me to Huntingdon Valley Country Club. This William Flynn designed golf course just minutes outside the city limits in an absolute treat. The walk in has a ‘wow factor’ that is perhaps unrivaled around the region. As you walk from the parking lot toward the clubhouse, you overlook a great valley that displays all of the elevation change that the golf course has to offer.

Despite the transcendent views and tremendous hospitality, the quality of the golf course is this club’s greatest asset. “Everything breaks toward the valley”, is the general rule of thumb commonly known on the grounds and I found that out the hard way. The golf course is challenging, rewarding, penal, fair and pure. No two holes on the course are the same, and it has a tremendous finishing stretch. The par-5 15th hole, is a lengthy test, but if played correctly is a scoring opportunity. The 17th is an extremely difficult, downhill par 3 with a creek running down the entire left-hand side of the green. The 18th hole is the signature hole on the golf course. I have included a view from to 18th fairway toward the 18th green below. The hole measures roughly 460 yards and the second shot plays tremendously uphill to a 3-tier green that is severely sloped. It is most certainly one of the most difficult holes around.

The locker room is fantastic as well. It has a rustic feel, almost as if there should be air conditioning inside. The showers, while not quite the quality of Merion’s, are terrific. Water pours out of the ceiling with perfect pressure. The only thing lacking in comparison to Merion is the ambiance. The showers are plain looking and have no unique features outside of the ideal water pressure. All in all, the locker room is certainly an upside to the club.

HVCC is most definitely a top five golf club in Philadelphia. While not mentioned with the elites such as Merion, Pine Valley and Aronimink, HVCC leads the pack in the second tier without question. You aren’t going to find a more enjoyable golf course to play, and would be a fantastic course to play everyday.

Merion Golf Club

My inaugural post appropriately comes from Philadelphia’s top rated golf course. Perennially ranked as one of the top 10 golf courses in the country, Merion boasts everything that a golfer would want from a venue. History, ambiance, hospitality, a great locker room and most importantly, a world-class

golf course.

From the moment you turn into Merion Golf Club off of Ardmore Avenue you know you are at a special place. As you drive in, the famous par-3 13th is immediately to your right and the 1st fairway is to your left. You follow the winding driveway back into the parking lot where you are met by the caddy master who gets you set up for your day. The first tee shot is one of my all-time favorite opening shots. The patio, and those enjoying breakfast or lunch on it, breathe down your neck creating a pressure-filled, nerve-racking opening tee ball. Once you’re off and running, your experience only gets better throughout your day. Walking the same grounds as some of the game’s greats like Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, just adds to the mystique of this special piece of property. Merion is widely referred to as the greatest golf course in the world per acre as it sits on a much smaller plot of land than most other championship venues. The golf course itself is extremely challenging, but offers a great mix of holes that increase in difficulty leading up to the world-renowned 18th. As you can see in the picture below, there is a plaque in the middle of the 18th fairway designating the exact spot that Ben Hogan hit a famous one-iron in the 1950 US Open to secure his victory.

After the round, I was fortunate to be able to enjoy the amenities that Merion’s clubhouse have to offer. The service and hospitality was first-class throughout my experience. Perhaps the best part of the experience was the showers in the locker room. Many may find it weird that I am here talking in such detail about the showers, but to many a good shower is a key component to a complete golf club experience. The Merion showers did not disappoint. The waterfall shower heads unleash great water pressure from straight above you creating a very enjoyable experience.

Overall Merion receives my highest grade as a facility of 5/5. While many do not get the opportunity to pay Merion a visit as it is very exclusive, if presented with an invite you must accept. It is an experience that will last a lifetime.