Dan, From GolfPhilly.com:
F.D.R. Golf Club
The origins of the course are somewhat hazy, but it appears F.D.R. Golf Club was built as a WPA project, and construction may have started as early as 1933; certainly it was finished no later than 1940 and most likely several years earlier. According to several sources, the land was set aside to build twenty-seven holes, which would have been an incredible undertaking considering the time and circumstances, but only eighteen were constructed. The course was originally known s League Island Golf Club and was shortly renamed after President Franklin Delano Roosevelt..
What is known is that the routing has been changed several times; in its early days, the course played some 200 yards longer than it does now. One-source credits Ed Clarey with the design, but this is not known with certainty.
Today, FDR plays to 6,004 yards from the back tees, with a par of 69. From the middle tees it is listed at 5,720 yards and from the front, 5,406 yards. The course ratings for men are 68.7 and 69,7 and the slope ratings 110 and 113. From the forward markers, the course rating is 69.9 for women, with a slope of 115.
Over the last few years several upgrades have been made to FDR and the other City Courses. The main thrust of renovations to F.D.R. Golf Club have been directed towards drainage efforts since roughly two-thirds of the property is below sea level. Canals leading from the old Philadelphia Naval Shipyard run through the club, and despite a system of floodgates, the course has been prone to flooding in the past, most notably during last Septemberís hurricane. The floodgates have been renovated in the past several month and the problem has been corrected. Overall the course has benefited from the recent renovations and the course is in very good shape and is touted for its finely groomed greens.
There are some interesting holes at F.D.R. and the routing pattern has changed from the original layout, but the course is very beginner friendly. The landing areas are very open and generous and the greens allow for bump and run approaches. The layouts primary defense is the prevailing winds, which seems to change drastically over the course of a round and the canal that winds through the course and comes into play on ten holes. Golfers are also rewarded with spectacular views of Center City Philadelphia to the north.
And, just to piss Sully off, a photo of Steve's Prince of Steaks cheesesteak: