Photo tour of Hershey, PA: Hershey Links/East/West (update: links fixed!)

[Joe Bausch]

I was in Hershey last week and had a chance to play some golf.  I began by touring Hershey Links (nee Wren Dale Golf Club) at twilight on a Monday afternoon for 59 bucks.  This is the 3rd Hurdzan/Fry course I've played (the others being Militia Hills at Philly Cricket and the public Pilgrims Oak in Peach Bottom, PA) and it might be the best of the three.

Here is the routing, which I think is very good as some severe areas are dealt with well:



HL begins with a dogleg right par 5 with a semi-blind tee shot.











The 2nd is a short par 4 with a semi-blind tee shot when playing from the tips:









The 3rd is a slight dogleg-left par 4 with a distinctive bunker fronting green:









The first par 3 at HL is the 4th of the downhill variety:









The 5th is another par 4 where the tee shot is challenging to find the correct line to a diagonal fairway, and a 2nd shot over some junk:









The 6th hole is a slight downhill par 4 with another partially blind tee shot:







The No. 1 handicap hole is the 7th, an uphill par 4 that played very long this day into the wind, which I think is the prevailing wind:







A breather par 3 8th is next:







The 9th is a downhill par 5 that plays more like a long par 4, IMO:









The back nine begins with a par 4 and a semi-blind tee shot as the hole goes downhill at the end:









I really like the par 3 11th, the best par 3 on the course, IMO.  There is a ravine to be carried, but they've made the shot for the dub not too long and from an easier angle, but from the tips the shot is quite daunting:









The par 4 12th doglegs left and the better line is left in the FW:









A short slightly uphill par 3 is next (#13):





Another dogleg-left par 4 awaits at the 14th:









The 15th is a shortish par 4 where the FW runs out:









Now a very long par 5 is next at the 16th where a drive must carry some junk, then the same on the shot to the green:









The 17th is a par 4 with a fairly demanding 2nd shot in:







Finally, the home hole is a slightly uphill par 5 where I think your better players will be looking for birdie:









If you would like to see a photo album containing all 154 pics go here:

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

Later this week I'll present a photo tour of both the East and West courses at the Hershey Country Club.  Stay tuned. 

[Rory Connaughton]

Joe:

 Thanks for posting. Hershey Links is well worth the visit if you are in Central Pa.  In addition to presenting some terrific holes, the course is, in my experience, beautifully maintained.

[Dan Herrmann]

Joe - Great pictures.

Wren Dale was originally supposed to be private, but the economy and Ledgerock in Berks County probably put a kabosh on that.

But that's to the benefit of the golfing public.  I've always enjoyed this course, and think it's really good work by Hurdzan & Fry

[Chris Flamion]

I was thinking of taking a family trip out to Hershey next year.  So I have a few questions for you

I have 2 kids (8 and 10 next summer) did you see enough of the area to make a statement on just how kid friendly it is?

I know there are an abundance of courses in the area, anything suitable for a very high handicap lady to play?

Would you go back?

Thanks for answering my silly questions.  The course looks great and thanks for the pics

[Rory Connaughton]

Chris:

  Hershey is very kid friendly.  Hershey Park is a terrific amusement park and Spring Creek which is one of the 4 courses associated with the country Club of Hershey (East West, Hershey Links are the others) is very playable for all levels.

[Joe Bausch]

I was thinking of taking a family trip out to Hershey next year.  So I have a few questions for you

I have 2 kids (8 and 10 next summer) did you see enough of the area to make a statement on just how kid friendly it is?

I know there are an abundance of courses in the area, anything suitable for a very high handicap lady to play?

Would you go back?

Thanks for answering my silly questions.  The course looks great and thanks for the pics

Chris, Hershey is very kid friendly as Rory noted.  It is a real family destination site with Hershey Park being the main draw.

Of the three courses I played, I would think that Hershey CC West might be the most friendly to a high handicap golfer.

Would I go back?  Yeah, I would.  I wish the Hershey Hotel was a bit less pricey as the amenities are pretty standard.  My wife and I made a similar trip last fall to Bedford Springs and we both liked the accommodations at Bedford better.  And she liked the spa at Bedford more as well.

[Eric Strulowitz]

Joe,

Those abre beautiful pictures, thanks for sharing.  The course seems to be fairly wide open, friendly to the high handicapper, yet not without challenge.   I have family in Philly area, now I will have to find an excuse to go to Hershey!

Eric Strulowiz

[Chris Flamion]

I have yet to hear anything bad about it, but wanted to get an opinion from someone as golf nuts as I am.

Thanks guys looks like it is time to start going ahead with the planning.

[Joe Bausch]

The clubhouse at Hershey Links is fairly new and apparently modeled after some clubhouse across the pond.  I was not a big fan of the architecture from the outside, however, the clubhouse on the inside is just gorgeous.  Hershey has opened the Highlands Grille inside and my wife and I ate dinner there twice.  It is maybe 3-4 miles away from the Hershey Hotel and park and offers really good value and has a very affordable wine list.

For the fancy eats there is the Circular Dining room at the Hershey Hotel.  It is semi-formal with a coat required for gentlemen.  We ate there once and enjoyed it as well, but it is not cheap.  The service is outstanding (you know, there is the bread guy, water guy, sommelier, fork guy, napkin guy, etc).

[Karl Kocher]

Hershey is a great place to go visit and play.  I used to play in a tournament with my father for 10 years at the Hershey Parkview course.  They got rid of this course a few years ago but it by far had the best, most difficult first hole on its original design that I think I have ever played for a opener.  The old clubhouse still stands right next to Hershey park and you may be able to catch a glipse of the old 1st and 18th (ungroomed) right next to this large grey stone building....two GREAT holes.  

[Jim_Kennedy]

Joe,
Are the mowing lines shown in your photos as noticeable when playing? The bucolic nature of the site seems to call for something less formal.

Looks like a nice for an afternoon's  game of golf.

[Jason Topp]

Looks fun.  These greens look much less severe than on the limited number of Hurzdan/Fry courses I have played.  Actually, they remind me a lot of a Art Hills course I like.

[Joe Bausch]

Joe,
Are the mowing lines shown in your photos as noticeable when playing? The bucolic nature of the site seems to call for something less formal.

Funny the things people notice that sort of zoom right past me!  Yeah, those mowing lines were fairly prominent in many places.

[Chris_Blakely]

Hershey is a great place to go visit and play.  I used to play in a tournament with my father for 10 years at the Hershey Parkview course.  They got rid of this course a few years ago but it by far had the best, most difficult first hole on its original design that I think I have ever played for a opener.  The old clubhouse still stands right next to Hershey park and you may be able to catch a glipse of the old 1st and 18th (ungroomed) right next to this large grey stone building....two GREAT holes.  

Karl,

Second that on the Herschey CC - Parkview course.  The green on the old 1st hole was wild - huge built up complex.  If memory serves me correctly, there was an all uphill par 3 on the back 9 that was a diffucult and fun hole!!  It was sad to find out that they closed the course several years ago and it is now an overflow parking lot.

Chris

[Jim_Kennedy]

Joe,
A rather dizzying array  , but there are quite a few good looking holes.

The front nine looks much more interesting than the back. Is that so?

[Joe Bausch]

The front nine looks much more interesting than the back. Is that so?

I guess I would give a slight nod to the front nine b/c of the strength of the par 4s.  But, gosh, the par 3 11th is probably the best 1 shotter and the monstrous 16th might be the best par 5.

[Rory Connaughton]

Jim:

  I think its close. There are some great elevation changes on the back and very challenging approaches.

[Jim_Kennedy]

Joe,
I probably should have said more interesting, not much more. 

I think I was swayed by that good looking stretch of #'s 1,2,3,4,5,6,&9.

[Tim Gavrich]

Very nice photo tour; the golf course looks pristine.  As it turns out, the first tournament of the W&L Fall golf season is at Hershey Links and the East course.  Also, those two courses will be hosting the D-III National Championship this year, so I will be forwarding this to my coach.

Did the golf course play pretty firm and fast?  I love how some of the greens are "fairway extensions," rather than being really built-up.

[Joe Bausch]

Did the golf course play pretty firm and fast?

It had rained much over the weekend so it was not firm and fast.  I was hoping to speak to the super during my round, but I was not able to see him and have a short chat about course conditions and his philosophy on how it should play, etc, which I try to do when the opportunity presents itself. 

Rory, have you played there enough to know how they tend to have the course playing?

Tim:  I'll post the Hershey CC East photos soon, perhaps tomorrow if somehow things go real well (freshman orientation at my university is today and tomorrow and my duties start tomorrow so I could be silent for a while). 

[Charlie Goerges]

Duties, schmuties Joe! You should know as well as anyone that higher education is way overrated! 

[Rory Connaughton]

Joe:

 
  I have played it 4 times.  I think their preference is for firm conditions and some of the fairway runouts can get dicey when it is playing that way.  Unfortunately, the rain we have had in this region over the last 6 weeks has made firm conditions almost impossible.

[Andy Hughes]

Thanks Joe. Never knew there were so many nice courses in eastern PA. Why couldn't they have been there when I was a kid? 

[Derek Dirksen]

Very nice photo tour.

[Joe Bausch]

Ok, next up on the photo tour is the East course at Hershey Country Club.  I played this course mid-morning under very nice, albeit quite hot, conditions.  If you play either of the courses at Hershey, don't ask them if you can walk.  I've never had so many people get cranky about such a simple request (both courses look quite walkable).

The East course is considered the 'tournament layout' and was designed by George Fazio in 1970.  What I found very interesting about HCC_East was the number of uphill second shots.  And the greens are usually large, but subtly contoured.  It plays 7061 from the tips and feels even longer, IMO (74.5/136).

#1:  dogleg-right par 5 (500 yards) that plays quite uphill at the end.











#2:  par 3 (193 yards).









Just off the left of the green while I was putting this 'birdie' (red-tail hawk) caught himself a squirrel for lunch:



#3:  the No. 1 handicap hole, a long uphill par 4 (448 yards).









#4:  a par 4 (437 yards) with it having a slightly uphill 2nd shot.











#5:  a shorter uphill par 4 (356 yards).









#6:  a slight dogleg left par 5 (554 yards) that is pretty flat.











#7:  a fairly flat par 4 (458 yards).









#8:  a long par 3 (224 yards) that plays slightly downhill.







#9:  a dogleg-left par 4 (420 yards) to another elevated green.











#10:  a 393 yard par 4 begins the back nine.











#11:  a 420 yard par 4.









#12:  a dogleg-left par 4 (414 yards).









#13:  a par 3 (187 yards).







#14:  a down-then-up par 5 (540 yards).









#15:  the No. 2 handicap hole is a slight dogleg-right par 4 from the tips (467 yards).











#16:  a 215 yard par 3 from the tips.









#17:  a par 4 (379 yards).









#18:  a long par 4 (456 yards).











Overall, I liked this George Fazio course.  I've only played a couple of his courses (Downingtown and Kimberton), and HEast is probably the best of the three.