Philly adjacent question. Going to The Poconos next weekend for a long weekend with family. Never been, but it’s about halfway between me in Cleveland and my brother in Boston.
We have a tee time at Pocono Manor on Saturday, but wondering if there is a better option in the area within 30 minutes of Lake Harmony. Trying to pull some strings to get a tee time at Lehigh.
Also, what else is there to do in the area (non golf)? Keep in mind, there will be 8 adults and 7 kids (ages 2 through 13).
Jack Frost National, Split Rock and Hideaway Hills are solid options.
Pocono Manor is alright. A lot of undulation, and it has some interesting par 3s. The 7th is a 77 yard shot essentially on a cliff. And it also ends on a par 3, which is always a bit weird.
Definitely get a cart since the holes can be pretty far apart on those hills.
Mt Airy is also right around there. That course is designed in the shape of a bunch of famous holes around the country - 12th at Augusta, 18th at Pebble Beach, etc.
Suffice to say, it’s a pretty tough course.
My favorite there is Pocono Farms. It is private, but we got on by saying we were staying on the resort nearby. Didn’t have to show any proof or anything, though.
My sister lives in one of the houses in said subdivision. I’ve spent many a day/eve gazing out her windows at the lucky groups going through (timing just hasn’t aligned for me to be able to get out yet). I’m hoping I can get on in October during an upcoming visit to see her and my brother (he lives in a neighborhood nearby as well).
What clubs are you looking at? I’ve been debating the same thing, hoping to take advantage of the under-35 discount at most places.
I’ve been unsuccessful getting a time at Ballamor. My friends that have played there swear by it.
As for your remaining list, I can vouch for all of those courses. Especially Makefield. That and Wyncote are my favorites in the area.
Broad Run is also a blast, but there’s a ton of blind shots due to the humongous hills you’re playing on.
Riverwinds is fun, but is nowhere near worth the price that you get charged.
Split Rock is pristine but it’s mountain target golf - it’s got great views but I wouldn’t call it “fun.” Never played Jack Frost but I’ve driven through the complex and it looks more playable than Split Rock. There’s also a course about 15 minutes away called Mountain Laurel that I really like. It’s a legit golf course but you won’t lose a million golf balls and you’ll hit some pretty unique shots along the way.
I’ve got a mega list of basically every club that’s within a reasonable distance of the Manayunk/East Falls area. I figure I’ll shoot my shot with all of them, see what comes back and then pare the list down from there. I think my ranking is something like this:
I ended up at Ballamor pretty much by accident - it was the only place in South Jersey that had a last minute opening as a single. I could play there every day. Wyncote is almost too good. I played my 3rd round of the year there and I think I wasted it by not having my game yet, and I can’t wait to get back.
Pocono Manor holds a special place for me from my formative times playing the game. A good friend of my dad’s has a place on Camelback and Pocono Manor is close by along with Mount Airy which someone else mentioned. Breakfast at the Scotrun (affectionately referred to as Scrotum but not due to quality!) Diner and a round at Pocono Manor is an A+ morning in my book. Conditioning can vary in my experience but I think the fall is usually a great time for it and there are some fun and quirky holes. It has an interesting architectural history should anyone want to go down that rabbit hole. Bills itself as a Ross but the association is murky at best. Couple ghost holes out there as remnants of another 18 that was on property that tie into the history as well. I’ll leave the rest of the story for you to uncover, dear reader…
Edit: Also, for stuff to do other than the golf, Camelback has a massive indoor water park so weather doesn’t matter. There’s also a huge outlet store center at the base of the mountain.
I would suggest Jack Frost over Split Rock. It’s been a few years since I have played either (also live in Cleveland), but Jack Frost is the better course IMO.
As far as non golf in Lake Harmony, not sure what will be open with COVID. They have the indoor waterpark (seems way too expensive to me), some outdoor excursion type things, horseback riding etc. There are some winery’s around. Boulder field is kind of cool to check out. If you need brunch definitely go to Terra Cottage.
Big, big fan of Ballamor. If you like that cut-through-the-pines feel you should also check out Shoregate. It’s like its tighter, meaner sibling.
wow, CC of Scranton looks amazing, any idea what the non resident fees are?
I have to say, I love the list. Granted, my research has been “oh, that’d be cool” so far. I haven’t reached out to any of the clubs, let alone step foot on them.
I drive by Philly Cricket often, as it’s right down the road (I am surrounded by privates (nice), including the ones you mentioned, and others like Ace Club)) That is definitely the dream membership to have.
Just based on looks having driven by all of them, Philly Cricket and Whitemarsh Valley deserve the top spot. But Rolling Green is closest to me, and if the cost works out like you mention, maybe that is the route to go. Manufacturers is another one I have friends that are members of, and they love it.
Do you know what sort of cost we are talking at these spots?
if you can take the time (its maybe 35 min from the heart of the Poconos) Great Bear Golf Cub is always well conditioned, and the greens were great when I played it in the spring. Its a Nicklaus design, which I know can be polarizing, but hey, its an option.
Based on some of the numbers I’ve heard, I have what I think is a “standard rate” that a lot of the not-ridiculous clubs fall into: $2000-$3000 dues and around $2000 initiation. I know a few (Rolling Green, Huntingdon Valley) fall into this range and some others (Philly Cricket) are a little higher.
If Rolling Green is close to you, then that is a no brainer. That place does not get nearly the credit it deserves (because of its location.) I’ve played just about every course in the area, and after Merion, Aronimink, and Cricket - it is right there with Philly CC, Huntington Valley, Gulph Mills, etc. One of Flynn’s best designs
dirt fucking cheap. normally it’s like 2,200 for the year but this year because of Covid they did “The Summer experience” like $700 i think they will do it again next year.
Glenmaura is like $1,800 out of town.
I’ve never played Rolling Green, but people rave about that place. They’ve also recently hired Riley Johns and Keith Rhebb to do renovation / master plan work, which seems like a very good sign.
Any idea what the fees are at Whitemarsh Valley? I live super close and I’m way more likely to join Cricket, it’s just nice to be able to compare/contrast.
Any brave souls ventured out on the Cobb’s Creek Karakung course here recently? I’ll be moving back to the area next month and would love to play one last sentimental round there before they potentially move forward with renovating the place and basically turning Karakung into a short practice course. While we’re on the subject I guess, anyone know the latest on that endeavor as well?
Edit: Figured I’d throw this in as I found it interesting comparing the proposed “restovation” side by side with existing satellite maps of the current layout.
I haven’t played Karakung recently, but I know the Olde Course had massive flood damage from a storm this summer. We tried to play it a few weeks later, and the stretch of holes from 3-6 were totally washed away by the creek. I wonder if they ever tried to fix the damage, or if they’re just waiting for the renovation to start at this point.
Speaking of the renovation, I have no idea where that project sits currently. I know the group was granted a lease by the city and planned to start in 2021, but the chatter about that project seems to have died off significantly, especially in comparison to other public projects like National Links Trust. I really hope it goes through eventually. There’s a lot of potential on that property, and the city could use another public option with FDR closing.
