[Brian Cenci]

What are the best options (public or private) near the Pittsburg area for golf (besides Oakmont of course)?  Is Churchill Valley C.C. any good?

-Brian Cenci

[George Pazin]

Bumping for John - he knows more about the privates than me.

The general consensus seems to be that Pittsburgh Field Club is the 2nd best course in the area (it was the second course during the '03 US Am), though that may have changed with the recent work at Fox Chapel. Either would be a delight for any golfer.

A couple other privates I've heard great things about are Allegheny CC and Longue Vue (I think that's how it's spelled).

John's home course is a lot of fun to play as well - see his My Home Course piece. In true gca purist fashion, I always play the old 9 holes much better than the new 9 holes.

I don't know anything about Churchill Valley, although I did hear that it hosted a pro event some 30ish years ago.

On the public side, I generally prefer Quicksilver (with a strong emotional attachment to my home muni, North Park). Birdsfoot is a new course that's pretty nice, and reasonably priced. Olde Stonewall is one of the most over-priced courses in the country.

[David Stamm]

I haven't played in Pitt., but a friend of mine played in the Am and said that Pitt. Field Club was great.

[Jay Flemma]

How far away is links of gettysburg?

[John_Cullum]

A good friend of mine was a member at Sewickley Heights and he says it's excellent. From the little I have seen discussing Sewickley on this site, it appears he is correct. I'd post a link, but the search engine fails me more often than not.

[Greg Tallman]

Brian,

I hate to provide a negative review but Churchill is not any where near the upper echelon of Pittsburgh area clubs...

Oakmont
Fox Chapel
Pittsburgh Field Club
Sewickley Heights

a few more solid courses but not Churchill, another one ot certainly miss is Treesdale.

Worth playing are
Nevillewood
Montour Heights (hey they are all hilly in the area but this one...)
Longue View

Laurel Valley just outside in Ligonier is a personal favorite.

A little up 79 near Butler is Kahkwa Club which is worth the trek.

[George Pazin]

I forgot about Sewickley Heights, it's quite nice. It hosted a Senior event a few years ago. Someone - I think maybe Tom Zeni - posted some photos last year of it.

Nevillewood was the site of the Mario Lemieux Celebrity Invitational for its 4 or 5 year existence. It looked pretty nice for a housing development course.

[Brian Cenci]

I'm currently looking at Fox Chapel, Pittsburg Field or Quicksilver....although, someone told me Fox Chapel wasn't all that good....is it?

-Brian

[Evan_Smith]

Brian
  If you're looking for something cheap and very entertaining try North Park.  It's a County run course that I play every time I'm in the area.  Last year I paid $18 to walk the course and I think seniors can play for even less.  I have not idea if you're a senior or not, I just find it amusing that they have a price cheaper than $18.  Now this course is not going to stand up to the Field Club or Fox Chapel, but on per dollar fun I'm sure it will hold it's own.

Enjoy!

Evan Smith

[George Pazin]

Nope, Fox Chapel isn't good.

It's great. Anyone who told you otherwise either doesn't know his stuff, or his standard is really really really high. It's not Cypress Point, but it is special in its own way

The land is beautiful, the bunkering dramatic, the conditions generally superb. It's a Raynor course that has been undergoing a restoration by Brian Silva. The redan and biarritz alone are worth playing the course.

Field Club is also terrific. Both courses have been discussed on here a good bit, if you'd care to search the archives.

Evan, nice to see someone other than me mention North Park. It's a lovely walk for such a low price, though conditions are obviously those befitting a muni.

[JohnV]

Some of the more interesting ones in alphabetical order (up to about 50-75 miles from Pittsburgh) - Private unless stated.  You had better have good contacts to get on a number of these (don't ask me):

Allegheny  - Ross did a lot of it.  Short front 8, long back 10  one of my favorites in the area
Birdsfoot - Public, fun, a little hilly
Butler - Very walkable and enjoyable
Cedarbrook - good public, 36 holes
Chartiers - 9 holes by Willie Park, 9 more
Chestnut Ridge - Tom's Run - good public also another 18 there
Churchill Valley - Held a US Women's Open in 1959  Short these days, but fun
Cranberry Highlands - new fun muni
Diamond Run - Gary Player design, hilly - lots of housing
Edgewood - Good old Ross
Fox Chapel - Raynor, wonderful - Golfweek top 100  #2 after Oakmont in my opinion
Green Oaks-  Another good Ross
Hannastown - my home course, contact me if you want to play, hopefully I can join you.
Indiana - Willie Park did the first 9, updated and some holes gone, but still good
Latrobe - Arnie's home
Laurel Valley - Arnie's second home  GW Top 100, Dick Wilson originally
Longue Vue - Interesting, hilly but fun
Montour Heights - Dye (Pete and PB I believe) hilly, near airport
Nemacolin - Tillinghast - fun, not quite up to New Castle, but good
Nemacolin Woodlands - Mystic Rock - Dye, 84 Lumber classic site - very upscale resort
Nevillewood - Nicklaus some very good holes
New Castle - Tillinghast - best of his around here bar Sunnehanna, tough greens
North Park - fun muni
Oak Tree - good semi-private
Oakmont - say no more
Olde Stonewall - high end public, interesting routing
Quicksilver - good public, US Open qualifying course, Hooters Tour there, former Senior Tour site
Pittsburgh Field Club - classy, parkland course
St. Clair - good, but undergoing extensive renovation this year
Sewickley - good, hard.  Some say it is harder than Oakmont
Links at Spring Church - Enjoyable, wide-open public.
Sunnehanna - Tillinghast, wonderful GW Top 100
Treesdale - Palmer, 27 holes - lots of housing
Valley Brook - good 27 hole layout
Westmoreland - good 27 hole layout  Joe Lee and Dick Wilson
Williams (Weirton WV) - good old course, shortish but fun  Loeffler from Oakmont design
Willowbrook CC (Apollo) - good smaller private course


Jay, Gettysburg is nearly 200 miles from Pittsburgh.

[astavrides]

fox chapel is indeed great and wonderful.
olde stonewall is worth playing at least once if you want to spend the cash.
cranberry highlands and quicksilver are good public courses.
champion lakes is scenic and cheap.

[Ryan Farrow]

As far as public golf goes Cranberry Highlands and The links at Spring Church are probably your best bet along with Tom's Run. I have yet to play quick silver.

Stay Away from North Park, sorry guys, maybe if you get robbed and are really, really low on cash. It is a great deal for the price.

Oakmont is Oakmont and from what I have heard Fox Chapel is the 2nd best course in the area.

[Evan_Smith]

Ryan
   That was sort of my point.  If you want to play an interesting, old golf course for next to nothing, then North Park is worth a look.  If money is not a problem, don't play the course.

[Brian Cenci]

Ended up playing Sewickley Heights G.C. and Quicksilver.  Both were good selections.  Sewickley was a solid solid course.  Very interesting piece of land for a course and overall a very challenging course.  I was a big big fan of the course.  

Quicksilver was pretty good, but after playing Sewickley the day before it probably affected my overall view of the course.  But for a public it was solid.  

Overall, good selections....thanks everyone for the advice.

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