Apr 29

Apr 29 Olde Stonewall Golf Club - Course Guide

Olde Stonewall Golf Club - The best public Golf course in America?

Although this golf course is not widely known, since it is not on the PGA Tour, it is actually one of the top ten golf courses in the country and voted the number one public golf course in all of Pennsylvania.

Since the terrain is up and down with the Pennsylvania hills, all players are required to ride in a golf cart. For this reason and the fact that lots of trees block out the potential for grandstands, it is unfortunately not able to host a PGA Tour event. However we wanted to give you an outstanding review of this little known, but amazing golf course.

How does the Course play?

Olde Stonewall will play special, and it will even feel special. Before long you will enjoy the sensation that you practically have the course to yourself.

Even though it’s a demanding course, you’ll sense that you’re not crowding the group in front of you and you’re not being pushed by the one behind. The secret is wonderfully simple.

Instead of the usual 10 minutes or less between starting times, they have a 15-minute interval during the prime time in-season rates, to give golfers more quality time on the course. With the trees hugging nearly every hole and elevation changes galore, you will certainly feel like you have the golf course for yourself.

History of Olde Stonewall

Since this course cannot host PGA Tour events there have never been any historic tournaments at this location, but there is certainly still a lot of history behind this course.

Olde Stonewall Golf Club rises from the banks of the Connoquenessing Creek, up over wooded hills to a soaring promontory -- a 7,100-yard, nationally acclaimed masterpiece by world-renowned course architects Dr. Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry that has won honour upon honour from the time it opened in 1999.

Hurdzan and Fry, as they are known throughout golf, immediately saw the potential of the 269 acres of open farmland and wooded hills along the Connoquenessing. By the time they had finished working their architectural magic, huge cubes of stone were winding their way around and through the course, lining tee boxes, cart paths and water hazards. Olde Stonewall is true to its name by some 750,000 tons of these formidable stones.

Playing 18 Holes at Olde Stonewall

Amazing Holes at Olde Stonewall

Besides this history, there are a lot of historic and unique holes as well.

The 14th Hole

The fourteenth hole, a par 3 is tucked back into the woods to the point that you do not even know whether you are on the course anymore.

It is a secluded area with a large ravine between the tee box and the green with a stream and high grass in the ravine as well. If you miss in that spot you are guaranteed to never see your ball again. If you are luckier and make it across the ravine you will still need to fight against three bunkers, two of which are tucked back behind the green.

With this setup you have only a tight window to hit your ball into a safe spot, so you better hope that you hit the green off of the tee box. Keep in mind that the green is also sloped quite a bit due to the ravine and change in elevation of the hole. However, it is all these factors combined that make it such a fun and unique hole to play on.

The 4th Hole

Hole four, a par four is another unique hole on the course, since the entire right side of the fairway is lined with water. If you tend to miss your shots right, then this hole will certainly strike some fear into your swing. There is also a line of trees that goes up the left side of the fairway, so again your room for error is quite small and you better hope that you hit the fairway.

Even after that, the water is tucked back behind the green as well so you cannot go long if you would like to see your ball again. At the same time, if you end up short you will be greeted by a large bunker. For these reasons the fourth hole is a tough one but it is a whole lot of fun and will leave you feeling accomplished afterwards.

Get out there and play the course

Olde Stonewall is a historic and amazing golf course in Western Pennsylvania, USA that not many people know about. Even though it cannot be on the PGA Tour it is that high of quality, but only a quarter of the price. We highly suggest you check out this golf course if you are ever in the area and we hope you have enjoyed this golf course review!

Olde Stonewall Scorecard and Yardage