He’s right about that - I think the thing that struck me the most was how affordable (at least in my age bracket) Philly Cricket is. I had the initiation and total annual fees broken out and both of those factored into the decision. I had a cap for each that I wasn’t willing to go over and that filtered out 3/4 of the choices.
Thanks, that’s the feeling I got too. Without knowing where life is going to take me over the next few years, a good course of championship length was really all I needed. FWIW the guy I spoke to on the phone didn’t even mention that it was a Jewish club and there was almost no mention of it in the materials they sent me, which I thought was curious. Maybe it’s been de-emphasized a little.
We played a few summer twilight rounds out there and it was great. There is a couple hole stretch on the back, I think it’s 13/14, that is pretty perfect in the mega light.
Out of curiosity, did any of these places mention membership freezes due to high demand or anything along those lines?
I know Cricket Club is on a quasi wait list which they weren’t on going back a year or two. You can only join (with sponsorship / acceptance etc.) into their “Intermediate” membership category which for a golfer is like a glorified social membership with 8 rounds that can be played on the Wissahickon or Militia Hills course and unlimited access to St. Martins.
For those interested in tracking progress at the Cobbs Creek project, it is very much still on. We’re actively fund raising but the restoration work is in progress. Beyond the golf course itself, there will be a huge investment in programs to benefit the local community, particularly the youth. It’s an exciting time for the project, expect to see and hear more in the coming months. The website was relaunched recently, you can find it here: https://cobbscreek.org/.
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I realize my opinion isn’t a popular one, but I wasn’t impressed with Whitemarsh Valley. It was in great condition but there wasn’t really a stand out hole (18?)… and I found many of them to be forgettable.
that is a way better way of making the point I was trying to. Reputation aside, it’s a nice course. But I showed up expecting to be blown away and… just wasn’t. Kind of reminded me of the time I played Aronimink. Fun, but didn’t think it was worthy of the crazy praise it gets.
Officially moving to Philly (center city) week of 12/21 and will know 0 people who play golf. Hoping to get out to play with some of you guys next year!
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Welcome to the area! I recently moved to Bucks County but lived for several years on 20th and Spring Garden in Fairmount. Miss living in the city a ton but the burbs have their benefits as well. Looking like an iffy winter for play with everything going on but feel free to hit me up sometime if you want to check out any courses up this way. Makefield Highlands is an absolute favorite of mine and my Dad and Brother are members at Yardley CC.
Are you totally new to the area? I’m sure everyone in here would be open to helping you get the lay of the land. My invite to play goes for any other Philly denizens as well.
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I can vouch for Makefield, as @Zachilroy mentioned. That one is northeast of the city, a little over half an hour away. That is what you’re looking at for most decent courses distance-wise, unless you cross the bridge into Jersey for Riverwinds.
I also moved out of the city into the burbs, but Center City is awesome. You’ll really enjoy it there.
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St Martins is a great nine-hole
In the year of Covid you probably missed out on The Locker House at Whitemarsh Valley CC. There is no better men’s locker room in GAP.
Completely new to the area, yup. Lot of exploring to do - very excited and will take recommendations from anyone! Really appreciate the invite - will definitely be hitting you up to play this year!
New to the area as well and putting this out there for whoever wants to get out once the weather warms up!
Anyone ever played the Mercer Oaks courses? I had played the West a few years back and remember liking it but had never tried the east. Made the dumb decision of squeezing 9 in on the east recently when it was 38 and howling so I shot a million but the course seems fantastic. Was in relatively great condition, even good sand which is rare this year and I loved the layout. Excited to check out the back and hopefully not shoot a million due to not being able to feel my fingers.
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Sure, always looking for people to play with. Where are you located?
I’ve played one of the Mercer oaks ones. Can’t remember if it was east or west though! Also enjoyed the Mercer county course Mountain View.
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Fan of Mountain View as well (though I always have to chuckle at the name. What mountain??) and it’s super close to me. Gets pricey for what you get in the summer but it’s a great fall 9 hole evening value.
The 4th Mercer County course, Princeton Country Club, is only a last resorter IMO. The name would imply an exclusive, old, honorable club with ties to one of the finest institutions of learning in the country. It is anything but. The front 9 isn’t bad but the back is shoe-horned into a small, weirdly shaped piece of property that sits below a creek and thus is constantly flooded and in bad condition. Couple that with the overgrown tree scene back there and it just leaves a bad taste every time.
The Mercer Oaks duo though? Bueno
Bucks County!
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