Golf Digest's Best in State- Pennsylvania

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Only one public/resort course- Mystic Rock. I guess the GD raters never bothered to visit Bedford Springs. I see Kahwka in Erie finally made the list. Is Erie really in PA?    My former club,Commonwealth,  remains in the top 25. Good to see White Manor there but Ace Club moving up?


http://www.golfdigest.com/story/pennsylvania-best-in-state-rankings

[Wayne Wiggins, Jr.]

Where's CC of Scranton?  Gulph Mills?  Sunnybrook?  All of these have to be better than ACE Group, Commonwealth, Lookaway!!!


And, which course if restored/renovated could jump onto this list? 

[Chris_Blakely]

Totteridge GC is public.

[Ryan Taylor]

Thanks for post. I played in the '12 WPGA Amateur at Kahkwa and really enjoyed the course. I remember that  9 or 18 has a spectacular punchbowl green. Totteridge and Mystic Rock don't deserve a spot in the Top 25 imo. Allegheny CC, Sewickley Heights and Longue Vue are more deserving courses on the west side of the state.

[MCirba]

Egads, Steve...that's quite a list!   

I'm not sure what I could say that would be helpful so 

[astavrides]

These came out months ago, maybe in January, didn't they? I think the website just has a new interface to see them.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Chris,


Did not know about Totteridge going public in 2007. New owners recently took over the course:


http://triblive.com/sports/otherlocal/8781408-74/course-tanto-totteridge#axzz3k8wxDxCJ

[Chris_Blakely]

Chris,


Did not know about Totteridge going public in 2007. New owners recently took over the course:


http://triblive.com/sports/otherlocal/8781408-74/course-tanto-totteridge#axzz3k8wxDxCJ

Steve,

Yes there was a Rees Jones thread awhile back, where George P and I agreed that it actually is a decent course.  I played it a year after it went public and thought it was a solid course on a great piece of property.

Chris

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Chris,


Have you played Bedford Springs? If so, how does it compare?  GW rates Bedford Springs#3 public in PA and Totteridge is nowhere to be found in their Top 10 public. I'd place Bedford Springs at #17. What happened to Olde Stonewall?


Steve

[Chris_Blakely]

Chris,


Have you played Bedford Springs? If so, how does it compare?  GW rates Bedford Springs#3 public in PA and Totteridge is nowhere to be found in their Top 10 public. I'd place Bedford Springs at #17. What happened to Olde Stonewall?


Steve

Steve
I have played Bedford Springs, but it was prior to the restoration.  This i don't think I should juxtapose the two. 

I have played Olde Stonewall and I like Totteridge slightly more.   Believe it not Olde Stonewall is much more manufactured then Totteridge.

Chris

[Ronald Montesano]

Scranton had more weak holes than I expected. Great ones, for sure, but a surprising number of nondescript holes.


Lake View in Erie, about a mile from Kahkwa, is a Bendelow and might be the one to jump onto the list if punched up.

[John Kavanaugh]

What is the name of the great dude that was a member of White Manor?  I believe he attended a Dixie Cup.

[Ryan Farrow]

My goodness, Totterridge in a best of list?


Although western PA is lacking any solid public golf option I found the few courses that I did play in the Philadelphia area quite good. I was a big fan of Paxon Hollow and I feel like Jeffersonville, a Donald Ross, is one of the best public courses in the State, just ahead of Bedford Springs in my book. A handful of poor holes moves Bedford down a notch.


The fascination of Mystic Rock is understandable considering its upscale, high end resort nature. When you boil it down, the course is just average.  I played it once, and I am sure that is what most people end up doing, not worth the high price and long drive.


Is Lulu Country Club considered a public course now?


I still have not seen Olde Stonewall, a $150 Hurdzan & Fry course about an hour (?) outside of Pittsburgh.

[Dan Herrmann]

What is the name of the great dude that was a member of White Manor?  I believe he attended a Dixie Cup.

Jason Mandel?

[John Kavanaugh]

Yes. Great guy.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Ryan,


LuLu is semi-private.I understand membership is up.  They have a "Member For A Day" deal which is limited to 7 rounds/year.


Olde Stonewall has a limited (125) individual membership program:  http://www.oldestonewall.com/memberships.php Their daily rates are high end: http://www.oldestonewall.com/green_fees.php  I wonder how they're doing financially. They're not listed on GolfNow.Never played there. I really liked Bedford Springs.


Yes, Jeffersonville is a very good course with very reasonable fees. GD raters have never rated this in Top 25 in PA. GW has it #10 public in PA.

[Wade Whitehead]

No Glen Mills?

WW

[Jon Cavalier]

My Pennsylvania Top 30:

1. Merion (East)
2. Oakmont
3. Fox Chapel
4. Gulph Mills
5. Lancaster CC
6. Philly Cricket (Wissahickon)
7. Stonewall (Old Course)
8. Aronimink
9. Manufacturers
10. Huntingdon Valley
11. Saucon Valley (Weyhill)
12. Lehigh CC
13. Saucon Valley (Old)
14. Longue Vue Club
15. Philadelphia Country Club
16. Saucon Valley (Grace)
17. Pittsburgh Field Club
18. French Creek
19. CC of Scranton
20. Bedford Springs
21. Rolling Green
22. Applebrook
23. Stonewall (North)
24. Merion (West)
25. Glen Mills
26. Laurel Valley
27. White Manor
28. Olde Stonewall
29. Allegheny
30. Sunnybrook

Note: I haven't played Totteridge or Kahkwa.

[Ed Brzezowski]

Rolling Green behind French Creek? Would you please explain that one? I like FC but it does have those two funky holes, RG is strong start to finish.


Not picking a fight Jon just looking for your reasoning.

[Jim Franklin]

Where's CC of Scranton?  Gulph Mills?  Sunnybrook?  All of these have to be better than ACE Group, Commonwealth, Lookaway!!!


And, which course if restored/renovated could jump onto this list?

I don't think Gulph Mills wants to be rated is why it isn't on the list. Otherwise, it would be top 5.

[Joe Bausch]

Where's CC of Scranton?  Gulph Mills?  Sunnybrook?  All of these have to be better than ACE Group, Commonwealth, Lookaway!!!


And, which course if restored/renovated could jump onto this list?

I don't think Gulph Mills wants to be rated is why it isn't on the list. Otherwise, it would be top 5.

It is really good.


Below for those that are newer to GolfClubAtlas:


http://xchem.villanova.edu/~bausch/images/albums/GulphMills/

[Jon Cavalier]

Rolling Green behind French Creek? Would you please explain that one? I like FC but it does have those two funky holes, RG is strong start to finish.


Not picking a fight Jon just looking for your reasoning.

Ed:

No worries. Frankly, when you get down to 19 vs 22 on that list, it's really a coin flip for me. I really like every single course on that list, including Rolling Green - I'd move RG higher if they cut down some of the trees that narrow many of the holes and block what would be really nice views. 

That said, on any given day, you could easily convince me to flip the order of FC and RG. I like them both a great deal.

Jon

[MCirba]

Jon,

You'll be pleased to learn that Rolling Green has removed many of the offending trees.   I barely recognized some of the holes on a recent visit.   They've also widened some fairways such that strategic options and angles are now recovered that had been lost with time.

[George Pazin]

What kind of insane person ranks Merion ahead of Oakmont? And I say that as someone who has never seen Merion in person, what higher credibility is there than that?

 

It's actually kind of funny to see how Merion and Oakmont seem to flip flop depending on who hosted a big event more recently. It's an embarrassment of riches, I guess, kind of like picking your favorite Victorias Secret angel. Leo could probably give a credible response to that.

Hard to imagine Mystic Rock or Olde Stonewall ever cracking the top 25...and I've actually played both of them.

[mike_malone]

Oakmont would be number one on my list. I don't have a list though.