I seem to remember having this "conversation" with another Flynn-O-phile sometime in the past. I get it. I get this in relation to courses like Merion, Gulph Mills, T-F, Rolling Green, etc. While I don't know T-F and Gulph Mills, I have played the others (in addition to a number of other local Flynns and Tillinghast) and realize that Aronimink is VERY unique in the GAP. As it's been said here, it's big... it's burly... it's long... it's fairly straight (that's what the girl at the picnic said)... yada, yada, yada. It's sui generis among Golden Age designs in Philadelphia. That doesn't mean it's boring!!!
I was back recently and a chance to play AGC and Merion on back-to-back days. First let me say that the East course is my all-time favorite. But, AGC is absolutely the 3rd course in the GAP (after PVGC and MGC), and if it were anywhere else - inlcuding the Met - it would be among the top there also.
As for invdividual holes, there are certainly a number of short ones as mentioned... 2, 6, 7, 13. In fact, I was talking to some fellow members when I was back and they claim that they've told that #3 will play the easiest during Tiger's tourney. I don't doubt that as they all have the length to blow it past the FW bunker on the left. But, for us mortals choices have to be made... the landing area of the tee shot is blinded by a FW bunker short right, that's not even in play for my father. So the play is to hit it over that bunker with a little draw, or maybe lay-up short of the left bunker with a 3W. Then the approach is blind to one of a number of great greens!
There are a couple places that I wish we’d play the tees up just a bit from time-to-time (but then again I only get back to play it 2x a year so maybe I’m missing something): #2 (which I seem to recall playing up one teebox in years past which forces a decision about how much of the dogleg left, and the guarding bunkers, to bite off) and #6 (260 to fly the bunkers is a bit much for most folks).
The other “complaint” was a relative sameness to the par 3’s, which I don’t get except for the two on the back can sometimes pay the same yardage:
#5 – 144 yds – 7-9 iron depending upon where the pin is and the wind, which seems to always be a factor
#8 – 208 yds (downhill) – 3-4 iron; 5W.
#14 – 183 yds – 4-6 iron depending upon where the pin is on this very big green
#17 – 185 yds – 5 iron center of green… take the pond left out of play.
Other than the shore, and Scrapple, whiling away summer afternoons at AGC is one of the few things I'd trade in SF for a move back to Philly.