Squires GC(G. Fazio) in Ambler, PA

[Steve_ Shaffer]

I recently played Squires for the first time. This is a men only club with a 1962 George Fazio course famous for being the first course where Tom Fazio started his career as a helper for his uncle. It's a "manly" course- 6904y from the tips with a 73.1/138 rating/slope. Over the years, Tom Fazio was brought back to rework the course and recently, Tom's son, Logan, did some more work there. The course has some demanding par4s-the 482y 9th stands out- and the greens are very challenging. The course was in excellent condition despite our wet summer. The club has a newer clubhouse that is low key and well done. I like the logo:



Here is the club history:

http://www.gapgolf.org/clubs.asp?cid=113

[Joel_Stewart]

I played there once many years ago.  It has some of the biggest gambling games in the country.

As you said its men only.   When I played it 25 years ago, you walked off the 1st tee and their was a ladies tee.  The grass on the tee had never been mowed.  Is that still there?

[Steve_ Shaffer]

No women are allowed on the premises. No women employees either.

Whatever forward tees are there now are referred to as "senior tees"- 5715y @67.7/120.

Yes, the gambling games there are notorious. Car keys and deeds have been used to pay off losses as the stories have been told.

There is some very heavy metal in the parking lot.

[TEPaul]

One time while playing Squires the group in front of us was a bunch of old '60s rockers. I remember Frankie Avalon and Fabian but I forget who the other two were who were equally significant '60s rockers----or as they say today "Soft Rock." 

[Joe Bausch]

One time while playing Squires the group in front of us was a bunch of old '60s rockers. I remember Frankie Avalon and Fabian but I forget who the other two were who were equally significant '60s rockers----or as they say today "Soft Rock." 

Were the other members of the foursome Tina Turner and Joni Mitchell?   

[TEPaul]

"Were the other members of the foursome Tina Turner and Joni Mitchell?     "


Did I NOT say "soft rockers?"

Many, many years ago I had the great fortune to see Tina Turner (with Ike) play the roadhouse in Kentucky where it all started for them and let me tell you there is nothing "soft rock" about her-----that Tina Turner could most definitely wind it up! Tina made Patti LaBelle and her crew who could certanly get it moving too look like a bunch of Girl Scouts! You will never really understand SWEAT if you've never seen Tina Turner play a hot Kentucky roadhouse!!
 
 

[JMEvensky]

Many, many years ago I had the great fortune to see Tina Turner (with Ike) play the roadhouse in Kentucky where it all started for them and let me tell you there is nothing "soft rock" about her-----that Tina Turner could most definitely wind it up! Tina made Patti LaBelle and her crew who could certanly get it moving too look like a bunch of Girl Scouts! You will never really understand SWEAT if you've never seen Tina Turner play a hot Kentucky roadhouse!!
 
 

It's stuff like this that's the reason you need to blow off all the Merion crap.Who else could put Tina Turner and Tom Fazio in the same discussion?

I'm offering serious folding money for a picture of you and Tina Turner onstage getting your respective grooves on.

[TEPaul]

Joe:

In my life and travels I've seen some pretty amazing acts in some pretty diverse places. My top 5-6 are:

1. Tina Turner in that roadhouse
2. Dina Ross and the Supremes at a Detroit deb party on a stage where my girlfriend and I were so close a half an arm reach and you could touch her.
3. Louis Armstrong in Daytona Beach back in the 1950s.
4. Smoky and the Miracles at the Brooklyn Fox where they turned all the lights out because Smoky and the Miracles had twinkle lights up and down their legs and arms.
5. Shirley and the Shirelles at a Southampton deb party.
6. America on an island in San Diego. I didn't even know who they were and I learned right there my little blond wife totally idolized them way back when. She was completely transported. They wrapped it all up with "Sister Golden Hair" and of course she always thought they must have written that for her when she went to school in California way back then when she followed them around. As they were leaving the stage after that final song she was so overcome she was looking at the ground and didn't even see the guitarist turn around and come to the front of the stage and fling his pick right at her. It hit her in the chest and I picked it up and gave it to her. We got robbed about five years ago and she lost most of her jewelry but the thing she was most upset about was losing that pick!

[Rick Sides]

I talked to a guy that once played there and he said there really is no dress code; he said people were playing in t-shirts. I guess its kind of a laid back approach.

[Wayne Freeman]

I too played there several years ago and agree with the overall assessment of being pretty good with some excellent par 4's.  What's reallly cool about it is the atmosphere.  And there was no dress code when I was there.  Reportedly members were known to play sans clothes on a regular basis.  And I think fees and expenses are just all added up and divided by the number of members

[Tim Pitner]

Reportedly members were known to play sans clothes on a regular basis. 

That's not the sort of men's club I'm interested in joining. 

[Dan Herrmann]

Tim, "not that there's anything wrong with it"

[Tim Pitner]

Tim, "not that there's anything wrong with it"

Of course not, Dan. 

[Jason Walker]

Why play golf with no clothes?  Because you can...

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Breaking news...

There is one woman employee now at Squires- the bookkeeper.

The old practice of no dues and not capitalizing expenses has been changed to a dues structure instead of the old method of members pay an equal share of expenses.

When we stopped at the new halfway house one of my group asked the forecaddie where the mens room was located. His response was to just pick a tree.

Nothwitstanding all this information, Squires is a neat place with a good, well maintained and challenging golf course. Some may not care for the back and forth routing but I didn't mind it. It's a good "walk in the park."

[Dave Givnish]

I played Squires the first time in the early '80's when Whitemarsh Valley got flooded - as it often did then.  The image of two guys with beer keg abs walking down the fairway in boxer shorts and golf shoes is still burned in my mind.

Seriously, the first time that I played Whisper Rock Upper (Tom Fazio) and saw the back and forth of the par 4's on the back nine, I couldn't help but think of Squires (George Fazio).  It's a shame that I didn't remember who designed Squires until this thread.