The Bedford Springs Hotel played host to 4 presidents
(Harrison, Polk, Taylor and Buchanon), and enjoyed many years of prominence, dating from 1804. Though Ross designed, or at least remodeled their course, I had never heard of Bedford Springs until T&L Golf listed it as one of Ross'
best daily fees.
The hotel has been closed for some 15 years--and it shows.
Though impressive, it is in major disrepair, casting an eerie
presence over the golf course. You can almost imagine
the scene out of The Shining where Nicholson thinks he's walking into a 1920's ballroom.
The fee was $20 very well spent. With 6 par 5's, it stretches out to 7000 yards at a par of 74. From the first hole, blind , & 310 yards uphill,I had a feeling what I was in for.
The par 3's were particularly memorable. The 2nd hole was a drop shot 115 yarder over a small pond (did Ross likely put
in the series of very small grassy knobs there?) Another one shotter called for a 160 or so yard uphill shot over a very deep chasm, to a very interesting tiered green cut out of the hillside. The Volcano hole at #16, is the signature. It plays
150 yards straight out, and then another 50 up a 5 story
natural "mound". Needless to to say I was ecstatic when I parked my 5 wood 15' from the stick.
The rest of the holes, were all decent to good, though some of the fairways were a bit scruffy in spots. A few of the holes shared the same look, but all called for careful ball placement in order to get the best look at the green. I wondered if
many of the very low profile bunkers belonged to Ross. They were some of the shallowest I've ever seen.
The strangest bunkers I saw were what I would call "planter bunkers." These 4 bunkers fronting the volcano hole were boxed in on all 4 sides with ties.