Any info on LedgeRock (Rees Jones - PA)?

[Dan Herrmann]

Any info on the golf course at LedgeRock GC (Rees Jones - PA) which opened in 2006.  The pictures on the website look a bit like Tattersall (oops -"Broad Run"), which isn't necessarly a good thing.

They're in Mohnton, PA, not too far from my club, French Creek.  It's strange, because I've never heard any of my friends at FC even mention it.

It's rated at 73.9/143 from the tips, which seems pretty tough.    They even had a single team in the GAP matches this year in a group with Stonwall, Whitford, and Huntsville.

[Mike_Cirba]

Dan,

My brother played it and liked it, although he said that it's very difficult and thought the 18th hole didn't work well.

I'm hoping to get out there before too long.

[Powell Arms]

My son just played a GAP match against a couple of pre-juniors 10 and under) from LedgeRock.  I undertsand thay are now at around 100 members.  I find it pretty impressive that they have made a concerted effort to get out for GAP team matchs and junior events.

I have heard a little bit about the course, all positive.  Granted, that was in the context of where to play in Reading as a home course.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

MBCirba,
We expect your full report.......

[Powell Arms]

What were the positves, beyond the conditioning?  Of all of the items below, the fact that you cannot carry your bag is the worst, in my opinion.  I just went to their website to read it directly.  

A great question about their target audience.  It sounds like the course is only playable by a low handicap, long hitter, and that golfer is not allowed to walk.  I guess it comes back to lack of competition in the immdeiate area which allows the club to do as it pleases - not to say that the choices arent curious.

Powell (For you and you alone since you asked)

Conditioning is fantastic.  If you want honesty read on, if not stop now.

Here's some negatives, Powell, and I defend Rees a whole lot more than most on here. A lot of Rees cliches are true here:

-Poorly routed (not necessarily a weakness of his) too much backtracking. "Broad Run" is better in this regard, seriously
-Too many forced carries (wetlands, valleys, etc) of significant length making it nightmarish for women, kids, mid handicappers and even low handicappers having a bad day (forget the high handicapper!)
-Repetition in design - bunkers, fw bunkers, surrounds, greens, holes, etc., etc., etc. (apologies to The King of Siam)
-Elevation changes in green complexes that make bunker shots ridiculously demanding for all but the very skilled player
-17-18 is one of the worst finishes I have seen escept for the views. MC offered another's comment on #18, yes it's horrid, but #17 is worse.
-It is indeed, hard, I don't mind hard, but it eliminated a nuber of potential members.
-I don't think it was a good property for a golf course.

I cannot figure out who their target is.  It is not only non-walking, their website proffers a "no bag carry" policy.  Forget walking and carrying, you are not even allowed to carry your bag to the practice range, modernism carred to its illogical conclusion. Good players (usually want to walk - compare this with Merion where ALL MEMBERS can always carry!!) don't want that. It is not a course for old men, women, kids and most middle-aged men.

I turned down a re-play with a gca member.  I don't do that too often. Maybe he'll post.

[Dan Herrmann]

Mike - let me know when you're going to pop over there - I'd love to join you, if for no other reason than to look around.

It's amazing that it's so close to us (you're in Birdsboro, right).  If I recall correctly, the folks at Wren Dale in Hershey were thinking that LedgeRock was a reason they had trouble attracting members.   Seeing that LedgeRock is out by us, I can't imagine how they'd think that.

(till today I honestly thought they were somewhere south of Harrisburg)