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.