Wyncote Golf Club:
Pennsylvania's Premier
Public Links Course

By Jay Mankus,
Regional Staff Writer

With the Republican National Convention just around the corner, July 31 - August 3, Philadelphia's First Union Center is making its final preparations to host America's Republican delegates. As our nation's media spotlight turns to the Keystone State, many of Philadelphia's upscale golf facilities are looking forward to entertaining the political elite. While there are over 60 premier courses to chose from in the greater Philadelphia area, Wyncote Golf Club of Oxford, Pennsylvania is as good as public golf gets!

Halfway between Baltimore and Philadelphia, Wyncote Golf Club is located on Route 10, a quarter of a mile north of U.S. Highway 1. Depending upon traffic, Wyncote is just under an hours drive from Philadelphia International Airport. Wherever visitors decide to stay, Wyncote is easily accessible from anywhere within the Quad-state area: Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey.

Opening to acclaim in 1993, Wyncote Golf Club was ranked America's third Best New Public Golf Course by Golf Digest. After two years of maturity, Golf Digest later rated Wyncote as Pennsylvania's Best Public Golf Course in 1995.

While Republicans and Democrats will continue to bicker amongst each other in the media, playing a round of golf at Wyncote will likely unite even the most diverse politicians. For many players who leave this 18 hole heathlands-style course, the overwhelming bipartisan agreement is that the course won!

Designed by the renowned Brian Ault, Wyncote Golf Club is the closest many avid golfers will ever get to a true links golf course without traveling to Scotland or Ireland. Built upon a classic piece of Southeastern Pennsylvania rolling hills, the only thing missing at Wyncote is an ocean. Large moguls, mounded bunkers, native grasses and wildflowers, wetlands, and a steady 10-15 wind per hour wind create a true links experience.

The main section of the front nine runs toward and down into a creek valley which serves as a bird estuary. Holes 1 and 2 sit above this scenic valley filled with every kind of imaginable grass and flower. The valley holes, 3-5, are so pristine its hard to think about golf or simply concentrate on a shot with birds chirping, flying, and walking on these tees. As you climb up the hill behind the par 3 fifth green, Wyncote's signature hole, you overlook the most breathtaking view on the front nine.

While the first 3 holes of the back nine filter down into this valley, the main portion of this nine climbs to the peak of this southeastern Pennsylvania hillside. Holes 12-15 gradually incline to the 16th tee, the highest point on Wyncote Golf Club. If it is possible, the view from this tee is more majestic than the view from the 6th tee above the 5th green. I will leave this decision up to the politicians.

As the wind blows over the tall native grasses which define the third and final cut of rough at Wyncote, courses such as Shinnecock Hills or the great heathland-style courses of Scotland come to mind. Views like the one from the 16th tee makes Wyncote Golf Club, Pennsylvania's premier public links course.

After just one round here, you will see the visual paradise Brian Ault created with his Wyncote design. Without disturbing this natural countryside, gentile mountainside-like moguls divide several fairways to create a somewhat private and solitude feeling as you play many of Wyncote's holes. Besides all the superlatives I have already used, there is not one bad or bland hole on the course. Each of Wyncote's 18 holes speak for themselves.

In all the success Wyncote Golf Club has experienced over the past 8 years, there have been some setbacks. Recently, a disgruntled chemical truck driver purposely released an ink chemical along Wyncote Road leading into the golf club, in the parking lot, and on several nearby neighborhood lawns, killing most of the turfgrass along Wyncote Drive. Since this event occurred at night, heavy rains the following day caused this chemical to infiltrate Wyncote's irrigation system. Before superintendent William Nickerson could act, several portions of Wyncote's greens within the creek valley died.

• Past Pennsylvania course reviews • Past articles by Jay Mankus

While Wyncote's bentgrass tees and fairways are still in excellent condition, it will probably take until the fall growing season to replace the burnt out sections of Wyncote's bentgrass greens. The higher elevation greens are in much better shape, but William would agree that these greens are not in Wyncote-like condition. When making reservations for the summer of 2000, please call and ask about the greens condition before solidifying your plans. If you don't mind automatic 2 putts for now, Wyncote is still a great experience from tee to green.

Like many new upscale public facilities, range balls are included with your greens fee of $55 Monday-Thursday, $88 Friday-Sunday or an additional $25 if you want to play 36 holes. Call for the current reduced rate now being offered due to the conditions of the greens.

Besides a long narrow putting green, Wyncote's practice facility includes a chipping area, practice bunkers, and two sets of bentgrass tees overlooking several target flags. On a hot muggy day, Wyncote's canopy sitting area allows you to enjoy a beverage, watch a lesson, or wait for your playing partners to warm up in a country club like environment.

In addition to this patio area, Wyncote has recently opened their state of the art Club House. The amenities include a fully stocked pro shop overlooking the valley, elegant rooms for special events, and a pub which gives you a sense of being in England. This new building was available for the first time as Wyncote hosted the second annual Exelon Invitational Golf Tournament in early June.

Hosted by native southeastern Pennsylvanian Jim Furyk, 3 PGA Tour players along with Furyk, played a skins game worth more than $250,000 to benefit the Junior Achievement of the Delaware Valley. Defending champion Justin Leonard absent from this year's field, yielded his title won by Nick Price. The other two tour players in this year's field included Davis Love III and Carlos Franco.

Depending on when the PGA Tour passes through the Philadelphia area next season, this Exelon Skins Game plans to be held for a third consecutive year at Wyncote sometime next summer. Call 1-610-932-8900 or go to the web at www.wyncote.com for ticket information and this year's final results.

Two of Wyncote's 10 par 4s are perfect for this Skin's Game format. The 356 yard par 4 3rd and 361 yard par 4 12th holes are driveable down wind. A great drive on one or both of these holes lead to an eagle putt and a potential skin.

Since tour players are use to drowning out the noise of galleries, they won't have any problems momentarily forgetting the birds which hover along the scenic third hole. A sliver of fairway is hidden among the native grasses to the left and wetland covered stream to the right, which makes it an easy 250 yard carry, at least for most pros. Though this small section of fairway ends just before the front left bunker, any pro hitting a drive into this bunker will be happy.

With the wind in your face, players must place a tee shot no more than 250 yards or else you will find a creek left, a pond straight ahead, or severe mounds to the right. Most amateurs will hit their second shots from this low lying fairway in a valley, faced with a mid to short iron over water to an elevated green guarded by bunkers on either side.

On the back nine, the 361 yard 12th may be slightly longer, but a sharp dogleg to the right makes this easier to drive for the longer hitters on tour. From an elevated tee, amateurs will hit mid to short irons to a fairway which bends sharply right, then ends just over 100 yards from the green.

Meanwhile, pros will try to strip a tee shot between the only 2 trees on the course, to an elevated portion of fairway on the other side of a creek, that bisects this fairway in two. If wind forces players to lay-up, many side hill lies await. The hardest aspect of this second shot is judging how the wind will effect balls after it flies uphill between these 2 trees to an elevated green. Once your ball is struck, it's out of your hands!

Besides these 2 short, but challenging holes, Wyncote has 2 unique starting holes and a beast of a finishing hole. If the 1st and 10th holes appear to be a mere image of themselves, well, they are! These twin par 5s share a long horseshoe shape tee and an hourglass like green, the only double green at Wyncote. The 577 yard 1st hole is a dogleg to the left with wetlands down the entire left side, eventually forming a small pond which guards this long green.

As for 10, this 568 yard hole has out of bounds left, wetlands to the right, and a fairway that zigs and zags, eventually forming a slight dogleg to the right. Though this hole is easier to reach in two from the blue and white tees, 517 and 477 yards respectively, it has a much more difficult lay-up shot. While the dogleg on the first hole goes around the small pond short of this dual green, players are faced to hit over this body of water unless the flag is located on the left side of the 10th green. Therefore, the safer play is to lay-up short to the left unless you have a Tiger-esc drive.

Finally, the 580 yard par 5 18th hole is all about survival. From just above the valley floor, the visual effects on this finishing hole's tee are frightening. Thoughts such as, "We have to hit the ball all the way up there?" were shared in my group.

As you stare up towards the green, players drive up a steady mountainside-like rise, to an elevated fairway which runs at a 45 degree angle. While this dogleg to the right plays shorter up the right side, knee high grass, rolling moguls, and a graveyard of 8 bunkers protect this 3 shot par 5. One look at the trouble right, will force most players to bale out left on their second and third shots.

Though I can't guarantee you a good score to end your round on, the 18th green will greet you with a natural amphitheater, a perfect setting for the Exelon's Skins Game and maybe one day a PGA tournament. Don't let me decide for you, come and cast your vote by playing Wyncote Golf Club.

WYNCOTE GOLF CLUB YARDAGE-PAR 72 from all tees
BLACK TEES, 7012 YARDS
BLUE TEES, 6576 YARDS
WHITE TEES, 6074 YARDS
RED TEES, 5454 YARDS

Wyncote Golf Club
50 Wyncote Drive
Oxford, PA 19363
(610) 932-8900
www.wyncote.com

Head PGA Professional: Robert Passarelli

If you are in town for the Republican National Convention, traveling on business, or simply on vacation, here are just a few courses you will want to play:

In Maryland:
Bulle Rock, Beechtree Golf Club, and The Wetlands.
In Delaware:
Back Creek, Frog Hollow, and Baywood Greens.
In New Jersey:
Scotland Run, Marriottís Seaview, and Blue Heron Pines.
In Pennsylvania:
Hartefeld National, Pilgramís Oaks, and Tattersail.

For a complete list of public golf facilities in the greater Philadelphia area go to www.golfersguide.com.