One of my fave holes this season: the Findlay alps at Lebanon CC

[Joe Bausch]

Recently I had the good fortune to play Lebanon Country Club in Lebanon County, PA with fellow GCAer Mike Trenham and now saner Mike Cirba.  It is a private club that opened 9 holes I believe in 1920, then a second nine was added in 1931.  Both were designed by Alex Findlay.  I've played a handful courses of his and was very anxious to see LCC.  I don't know the details of the architectural evolution of the course, but I do know Forse and Nagle have been consulting architects there for years.  Perhaps Jim can weigh in here.

BTW, Ron Forse's first solo course, Royal Oaks, is a public course across the street from LCC and makes for a nice warm-up round before LCC. TomD gave Royal Oaks a 3 in the Confidential Guide; no mention was made of Lebanon CC and I think he might have found it very interesting (did you visit it Tom when you saw RO?).

I thought I would present one of many really neat holes at Lebanon, and the 11th was probably my favorite.  I call it the "Findlay Alps".  Coincidentally, the 11th hole at the nearby Reading CC I also call a Findlay alps hole, but it is a hard dogleg left, with a big rocky mound blocking the view of the green.

The Lebanon alps hole is an uphill drive on a 407 yard par 4, then a typically completely blind second shot over the hill to a green maybe 125 yards from the crest.  Here is a Google aerial of the hole:



The green is at top of the figure (the 10th green at the bottom right), with the tree-lined course boundary (OB) road on the left.

Tee shot view, where the fairway narrows at the crest (by the rock formations) to about 25 yards; my guess would be minimum the last bare tree of those along the right should be removed to improve the playability:



With leaves on the trees, the effective width may be much less than 25 yards.

A view as you begin the walk up the hill, not a steep grade, but constant:



I think removal of many of those trees along the right edge above would improve the hole; it is the number 1 stroke hole, and probably well deserved.

A view back to the tees (with the green of the nice par 5 10th in view):



If somebody is gutsy with the driver, a big drive with a little cut can scale the hill (about 280 yard carry) to leave a downhill approach shot:

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From just short of the green:



There are no sand bunkers on the hole, but plenty of humps and hollows and grass bunkers.

From short and right of the green:



From left of the green looking back up the hill; the front of the green kicks shots forward, so no front right pins here:



From near the back of the green:



From long and right of the built-up green:



After just one play this par 4 has become one of my favorites in the area.  I'll do a complete photo tour of the course at some point in the future.

[Rory Connaughton]

Joe

  Thanks for posting. Lebanon is an incredibly sporty course with some fantastic greens and interesting topography.  At the pace they are rolling in the fall they provide an incredible challenge once the green is reached.

11 is one of a great stretch of holes (11-17).  I actually think the green becomes visible at about 140-150.  The tee shot is daunting because it requires about 270 of effective carry distance to reach the top of the hill and have a clean look. As you note, it is o the narrowest section of fairway.  I do think the hole would be improved if some of the trees right of the fairway would be thinned.  the ground right of the fairway is incredibly rocky and provides its own unique set of challenges without the golfer being blocked out. With OB left it sure is a demanding tee shot.

The green is one of the most interesting on the course. Even if you have a blind approach, if you commit to playing short and allowing the kick plate to work for you, you can get the ball to funnel nicely to a middle or right flag.

12 is a terrific par three that requires a draw to hold the line into the cross wind that blows from left of the green. The green slopes left to right.  Of course the stone wall that surrounds the entire course is hard left about 8 paces off the green so the shot must start at or near the bunkers right.

13 plays into a valley similar to 4 at Lancaster though the approach is played over water to a tiny  tiered green that may be only 20 paces deep with slopes that make missing long a sure three if not 4 putt (when he greens are at pace).

15 is a terrific par 5 with a semi blind tee shot into a valley.  The angle of the shot is interesting.The more blinness the golfer is prepared to tolerate the more ground will be covered and he more likely the golfer is to get he benefit of a speed slot.  The green is significantly uphill and severely pitched. Anything not below the hole is an adventure so before going for it in two, the golfer needs to consider whether they can land a three or 4 wood softly or risk being deep and dead.

16 is a strong longish 4 with some road hole elements and a vicious green.

The golf culture at Lebanon seems to be quite good.  Mike Swisher, an excellent teacher, was here for 40 years and developed some great players. Pa Amateur events read like a who's who of Lebanon at one time.

Lebanon is not he strongest course in the region but it may be one of he most fun and anyone visiting central PA would be well served to attempt to get a game there.

I would be curious to know what others who have played he course think.

[Mike_Trenham]

LCC looks like an interesting study in course evolution with the two nines.  You may be able to learn about the evolution of Findley's design style, for example the greens on the front resembled Reading CC which was built in the same time frame.

The front nine is on much different land than the back.  Also the back nine looks pretty rocky and may have been costly too build all that rock for the walls on the boundary probably came from the construction of the holes on the western part of the property.

We were also curious if #12 may at one point in it's evolution had been a short par four rather than a par three.
 
While not super firm and fast the fairways in Amazing shape.

I liked the semi-skyline green on #4.