Chris,
Please do not concern yourself with inconvenient facts like this as it will only make you think and question and get a headache.
Instead, please just accept our word that Ottawa Park was one of the greatest public golf courses ever built, even at 5600 yards, and we know that because we have our subscriptions to newsarchive.com and can find you some articles about this awesome course in seconds.
We've never seen or played there, but we can quote that S P. Jermain was involved with its inception and was even brought back in the 20s for a redesign, so it's gotta be good.
If nothing else, it's better than any course ever built in Philadelphia.
Thanks,
David Moriarty and Tom MacWood
Golf Course Historians, Extraordinaire
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Mike,
I have played the current Ottawa Park GC numerous times and it is fun a quirky and has a solid finishing 18th hole and a TON of driveable par 4’s for me and that is saying something. But, I would never confuse this course for being great. I have read the info on S. Jermain in the old American Golfer or Golf Illustrated articles (I just don’t have the time to find and then post them like Tom has). I have also played many of the courses that Tom has on his list and would not even think about playing this course over any of the ones that I have played (Triggs, Tam O’Shanter PA and OH, Belvedere, Rackham, Split Rock, etc). I have not played Cobb’s Creek and that is why I did not reference it, so please do not read into my not including it. I have wanted to play the course, but I figure I will need to play it in the late season to not go nuts trying to get a round in in under 5 hours.
On a positive, note I think you Tom, David, etc do great research!!!
Thanks,
Chris