Schuylkill CC (1921 Ross w/ some W Park, Jr): a photo tour (all holes up!)

[Joe Bausch]

This is a course in coal country of NE Pennsylvania that has been the subject of previous threads, like this one from 2005 by Kyle Harris:

http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,17047.0/

Work has been ongoing at SCC by Ron Prichard.  Last Sunday GCA'er Mark McKeever invited me out to his course.  We followed the groups playing in the 2nd day of their invitational tourney, which lead to having some fantastic pin positions that showed off a real strength of the course, that being the greens.  And the bunkering work by Ron is wonderful.  I'm anxious to see how it looks when the work is completed.  And it is very good, IMO, right now.

They've removed many trees, and I'm guessing some of you will notice, they could probably fell a few more.  

Below is the routing (on top of a 2004 Google aerial).

[Joe Bausch]

#1.  Schuylkill opens with a gentle par 4 (400 yards).  The fw really kicks shots to the right much more than it seems it would.  On this day the pin was located right near a little pimple on the green that was quite fun to play.

Note:  these pics are a combo of those taken while playing the round (with a big storm approaching that caused a rain delay at the 7th hole) and others after the round.  Once the storm passed by it was still windy but beautiful.

The 2nd pic shows a look back to the tee and you can see the 18th green, which is connected to the putting green.  Pretty neat feature.

[Joe Bausch]

#2.  This 370 yard par 4 has one of my favorite greens on the course.  A semi-blind tee shot leaves a short iron in to a green that runs from front to back, with a little area all the way back propped up a bit.  Getting a little left or right long leads to running off the green.

[Joe Bausch]

#3.  A dogleg right par 5 with a blind tee shot awaits on this 498 yard hole with some beautiful bunkering.  

[Joe Bausch]

#4.  Well, this 190 yard par 3 has a very contoured green (probably not for everyone, but I loved it).  And the pin this day way left on a tiny little shelf was devilish!

[Joe Bausch]

#5.  A dogleg left par 4 (410 yards).

[Joe Bausch]

#6.  A 225 yard par 3.

[Joe Bausch]

#7.  A 441 par 4.

[Joe Bausch]

#8.  A 571 yard par 5 with a neat, rolling fw downhill to the green.  This green connects neatly with the 12th as you'll see in the later photos.

[Joe Bausch]

#9.  This par 4 (367 yards) runs uphill and back towards the clubhouse.

[Joe Bausch]

I hope you enjoyed the front nine.  Perhaps Mark, Kyle, and others will add some commentary (and even earlier photos for comparison).  I'll post the back nine tomorrow.

[Rory Connaughton]

Wow.  Thanks for posting Joe. I can see why you like 2 so much. Great shots. Now I know why everyone I have spoken with raves about Schuylkill.

[Mike Cirba]

Joe,

An amazing hidden gem with a terrific superintendent.

[Mark McKeever]

Jim Rattigan is a great guy and its easy to see the hard work he puts into the golf course.  I am very excited to see the course evolve as the rest of the restoration takes place.

Mark

[Joe Bausch]

Looks like I may be unavoidably detained tomorrow, so I'll post the back nine photos this afternoon.  

#10.  A 406 yard par 4 that runs slightly downhill.

[Joe Bausch]

#11.  A drop-shop par 3 (183 yards).

[Joe Bausch]

#12.  A short par 4 (354 yards) with a couple of ponds right not really in play as a good drive hit right should clear them.  Note, you'll see in the last two photos how this green is connected to the par 5 8th green.

[Joe Bausch]

#13.  An uphill slightly dogleg right par 4 (417 yards).

[Joe Bausch]

#14.  A reachable in two par 5 (490 yards) for many.

[Joe Bausch]

#15.  This long par 4 (456 yards) moves a little left.

[Joe Bausch]

#16.  A scenic slightly uphill par 3 (138 yards).

[Joe Bausch]

#17.  A 535 yard par 5.  I like the bunker short and left; clear that bunker and you can tumble a ball onto the green in two.

[Joe Bausch]

#18.  A 406 yard par 4 where I believe the back tee is new.  The second pic shows this tee and the old angle that is to the left in the photo.

[Mike Cirba]

Pictures tend to flatten things out, but Schuylkill has some of the wildest internal contouring on sloped greens I've ever seen.

[Mark McKeever]

The back nine looks fantastic as well Joe.  Great job illustrating the beauty of the course. 

It surely is a hidden gem about a half hour from Allentown.

Mark