18 best Delaware Co PA golf holes: 1973 Delaware County Times

[Joe Bausch]

Many old newspapers from Delaware County are digitized and available here:

http://delawarecolib.newspaperarchive.com/Default.aspx

At that site I've been able to document/confirm all kinds of early golf courses in this county in southeastern PA that includes clubs like Aronimink, Rolling Green, and Merion.

Using the above site I got a lead on a series of articles from the summer of 1973 where the sports editor of the DelCo Times, Gene Gomalka, presented his version of the 18 best golf holes in the county (the first three are digitized at that library site, but the other 15 were obtained from microfilm).  Most of these are fun reads, and the drawings at about my level of artistic ability.  

I found it neat that he chose to present as the first in the series the 5th hole from Clayton Park, a little 1600 yard layout still in existence (and the only hole of the eighteen articles I've not played).  I really thought that was a nice touch (the penultimate and ultimate holes covered in the series are both from Merion East, which you'll have to wait for!).

Here's the first in the series (sorry, but the blue slider bar is needed).

[Mike Cirba]

Joe,

That's a great one, thanks!

I've played Clayton Park, and for the longest time the architect was a mystery to me.   It was only years later that I found that the course was an effort by the famous team of Walter Weaver and the first pro at the course, Al Bradley, opening in 1963.

[Joe Bausch]

2nd in this series is the 10th hole at Springhaven.

[Joe Bausch]

Some pics of the 10th at Springhaven (taken earlier this year):

[Mark McKeever]

The shadow tends to flatten out what is actaully a really cool green on 10 at Springhaven.

Mark

[Bob Harris]

The course was re-routed a few years ago.  The hole described in the 1973 article is now the 11th hole.

[Joe Bausch]

The course was re-routed a few years ago.  The hole described in the 1973 article is now the 11th hole.

Oops, my bad.

Here are a few pics of the matching hole now (#11 at Springhaven):

[Joe Bausch]

3rd in the series from 1973 was then the 10th hole at the public Springfield Country Club (my home course for many years back in the late 90's).  It is now the first hole.  And talk about a small world, I'm pretty sure the Larry Riviello talked about in the article is the father of a student that graduated from our Department about 8 years ago.

[Joe Bausch]

This is the current No 1 handicap hole and a pretty tough way to start a round.  It is a slight dogleg left and evergreen trees down the left prevents seeing the green.



Play it safe and say 225 yards off the tee to leave this view in from 175:



From just short of the green which the much of the front left is really not pinnable if the greens are running anything quick:



From left of the green:



The gully is what makes this hole a course clogger to start the round.   

[Mike Cirba]

Joe,

In my opinion, the old 1st hole (today's #10) is a much more interesting and better hole.

[Joe Bausch]

Joe,

In my opinion, the old 1st hole (today's #10) is a much more interesting and better hole.

Agreed.  Although in the last few years on #10 they grow really high grass on the side of the hill left... so many players think they've played a shot a little left but okay, only to walk down to not find the ball in weeds.

[Joe Bausch]

4th in the series of the best 18 holes in DelCo (from the sports editor Gene Gomolka in 1973) is the 7th hole at Llanerch.

[Joe Bausch]

I don't think the 7th hole at Llanerch has changed significantly since the article.  Here are some pics of this hole (most taken late last Nov, the 4th one from the summer of 2008):

[mike_malone]

 So far these are some nice choices. I must confess that I haven't been to Clayton yet.

[Joe Bausch]

So far these are some nice choices. I must confess that I haven't been to Clayton yet.

Cirba and I have played it and may do a write-up on this course.  If we follow through, it will be memorable.

[Joe Bausch]

Next up in the series is a hole from Edgmont CC (where pro Ed Dougherty used to call home and may still in fact).  For those of you that have played Edgmont, I'm thinking you would not have picked this hole, the 90° dogleg left par 5 7th! 

I've played this course many times but not for about 10 years now, so I don't have any pics of this 'memorable' hole.   

[Joe Bausch]

Springfield gets two holes on the best 18 list, just like Merion East.   

This par 3 no longer exists.  I'm not so sure it was that good, but I played it many times before a course change basically reversed the hole.  It was hard, that is for sure.  Sorry, no pics of the original.

[Joe Bausch]

The seventh hole in this series is the par 4 13th from Rolling Green:

[Joe Bausch]

A few pics of the 13th at Rolling Green.

Blind tee shot:



Approach shot:



From just short of the green:

[mike_malone]

 I was shocked to see #13 because outsiders miss the sublety and it isn't visually striking.. Then I read the article and see that the super picked it. It is the hardest hole because there is no easy putt after a tough approach. My favorite is #15. The usual suspects are #9 and #14.

[Joe Bausch]

8th in the series is the 18th at Paxon Hollow, the  place where fellow a GCAer is pro.

[Joe Bausch]

Some pics of the 18th at Paxon Hollow:

From the tee:



View back to the drive landing area where the creek is very much in play:



3rd shot view:



From just short of the green:



From the overlooking patio behind the green:

[mike_malone]

 Imagine trees removed left of the creek on #18 at Paxon in the driving area so that one can choose the left option. Then imagine a gigantic bunker in the hillside on the left about 100 yards from the green; something like Big Bertha at Royal Portrush or the huge one at Sandwich.

   BTW   I have some great ideas for Paxon. Dan loves to hear them

[D_Malley]

i thought we might make this list. 
mike, i really do like hearing your ideas for PH, but i think i may defer to Jim Wagner.
even though i spent many a late night with Jim back in my younger days and may of questioned his judgement a few times.

by the way i know 18 is the toughest hole at PH, but what do you think is the best hole?

[Kyle Harris]

i thought we might make this list. 
mike, i really do like hearing your ideas for PH, but i think i may defer to Jim Wagner.
even though i spent many a late night with Jim back in my younger days and may of questioned his judgement a few times.

by the way i know 18 is the toughest hole at PH, but what do you think is the best hole?

My candidates:

1, 5, 8, 11, 13, 15, 18