(renamed) Glen Mills: a photo tour

[Joe Bausch]

Hmm, where could this be you say?  At the Bobby Weed designed Glen Mills in the suburbs of Philadelphia.  This course has received plenty of ink, but I can't really find much discussion of it here in the archives.  Perhaps I'm not using the search function very well.

Anyways, this course is a blast to play and has lots of movement.  Here is the routing:



Weed's interpretation of a Redan is the par 3 14th, just 161 yards from the tips. 









The 15th is a par 5 playing about 520 yards from the tips.  The aggressive line off the tee is to the right of the cell phone tower and just along the edge of the bunker.



Although hard to see in these 800 pixel wide photos, you can see my drive almost perfectly placed (up close to the carts in the photo):



Which leaves a view like this downhill to the green (my 2nd shot was about 225 yards out):



The more conservative route is to play your 2nd shot down to this area:



The view from short of the Biarritz green:



From the front of the green:



From left of the green viewing back up the FW:



A nice view showing the green:



If you haven't played Glen Mills and you live in the area, why not?   

And if you are traveling to or thru the area and are looking for a fun, public course, I recommend it highly. 

EDIT:  A more recent photo album of Glen Mills is here:

http://www80.homepage.villanova.edu/joseph.bausch/images/albums/GlenMills/index.html

[Wade Whitehead]

Glen Mills is absolutely fantastic.  However, the 14th has never clicked as a redan in my mind; it seems to demand an aerial shot and the green just isn't very big.  Having only been there twice, perhaps I've played tee/pin combinations that did not permit the left-to-right runner that I think redans (like Old White #8, for example) incline.

I've enjoyed comparing, favorably, Mr. Weed's work at Glen Mills with The Olde Farm, which is another gem for sure.  I look forward to browsing your Glen Mills gallery.

WW

[Mike Hendren]

Joe,  great pictures.

I think it's a stretch to call the 14th a Redan given the modest length, uphill nature and lack of cant in the fairway short-right of the green.  The 15th, however is indeed all that and I had the privilege of watching THE Redanman make eagle there.  

I thought the first to be one of the best opening holes I've played and perhaps my favorite. To align the approach down the heart of the green one really needs to challenge the right hand fairway bunkers - not easily done with the opening swing of the day.  I also liked the 10th green though by default most tee shots migrate to the right edge of that green.

Mike

[Joe Bausch]

Here are some pics of the fantastic par 4 opening hole:















Then it seems the most logical way to get out to the property for the back nine was to have this downhill par 3 as the 10th:

[Karl Bernetich]

There was a lot of discussion before.
Something about "Half a Loaf Better than None" or something like that.
I never understood the reference ...

[Michael Dugger]

That is one fine looking Bobby Weed course.  I'm impressed

[Anthony Gray]

  Looks like a blast. Thanks Joe.

  Anthony

[mike_malone]

 Glen Mills is fun and never tiring. 
   I even sent Weed my ideas to improve #11 and #17. Move the #11 tee to the hill above #17 green then play down the present #17 fairway to #11 green as a par 5, removing a few trees. Then place #17 tee above #11 green and play down the present #11 fairway which can be made into a bottle hole. Then play across the creek to #17 green. The greens would only need to be expanded a bit into the hills.

    This improves the routing by getting a par 5 early in the back nine. It is more favorable for the average golfers' slice off of the tee. It eliminates the forced carry over the rocks from the present #17 tee. (I would consider that area for a 19th hole par 3).

   I can't believe they haven't done it yet.    I would refuse any design credit . It would just improve the course.


   I believe the new shot to #17 would be one of the most beautiful on the course.


    You could place a forward tee for #17 so that one could try to drive the green.



    GM is often discussed when we have topics on five par threes on a course. GM has the second best set of 5 par threes in Delaware County.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Mike,

What was Weed's response?

This reminds me to play Glen Mills, at least Monday to Wednesdays from 7-11am when the senior rate is only $55

[mike_malone]

  Steve,


    I sent it to their website and they never even acknowledged receiving it. Can you believe that?

[Adam_Messix]

Thanks Joe for putting up those pictures of Glen Mills. I've had the chance to play there once and was really impressed with the course.

A lot of kudos go to Superitendent John Vogts for keeping the course in fabulous condition. 

[Ron Csigo]

I played Glen Mills after playing Inniscrone in the morning.  What a fantastic 36 holes of golf in one day  Would like to get back and play both again this summer.

Thanks for the pictures Joe.  The course appears to be in flawless condition.

[Matt Kardash]

I think this is one of the most visually appealiing courses ive ever seen on this website. Looks fun too.

[Richard Hetzel]

That is one fine looking Bobby Weed course.  I'm impressed

As am I.

[mike_malone]

 Could the visual appeal be a function of the economical bunkering?

[Joe Bausch]

Would those that like the way the course looks like it as much if I had said at the beginning the full name is the mouthful The Golf Course at Glen Mills?    

[Bradley Anderson]

Beautiful and very cool.

[Carl Johnson]

Although many of you must be familiar with the Glen Mills School and the short history of its golf course, others might find the research results interesting.  Here's a brief article to get you started: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0HFI/is_10_52/ai_78802790/.  Glen Mills is the oldest boys reform school in the country, founded by the Quakers in the early 19th century.  My personal involvement with the school goes back to the 1950's, not as a student (inmate), but as a visiting athlete in basketball and track, more successfully in the latter.  My one trip as a visiting player for a basketball game in 1958 was the first and only time for me that the spectators were ushered in and out of the gym by armed guards.  Today the guards are not armed, according the the school's website.  Moreover, from what I could see of the "campus" from the golf course when I played the course four years ago, the look is much less prison-like than fifty years ago.  By the way, as you'd expect, no alcoholic beverages served at the course.

[Joe Bausch]

Perhaps photos of a couple of more holes at GM are in order.  You saw how open the first hole is, and #2 and #3 are similar.  Both are par 4s that dogleg a bit left.

No 2 (431 yards from the back tee)

The first time you play here it isn't obvious at all that the best line off the tee seems to be awfully far to the left, essentially over the left of the white tee markers ahead. 



A more conservative line on the drive going more to the right both lengthens the hole and leaves an obstructed view for the 2nd shot by these bunkers short of the green:



Here's the ideal line from the left part of the FW looking back to the tees:



From short and left of the green:



From right of the green:



From over the green:



No. 3 (394 yards)

Here again the preferred line off the tee is just to the right of those bunkers:



Here is a better look at those bunkers that pinch the FW from the left:



A good tee shot leaves a view like this for the 2nd:



The 2nd green is well bunkered short and right:



From over the green: