May 13, 2016 was a great day. Our oldest grandson became a doctor. After eight years of hard work and sacrifice he achieved his goal of being an MD. We could not be more proud of his accomplishments. You may be wondering what this event has to do with playing Top 100 golf courses. That is an easy answer. The graduation meant traveling to Philadelphia and that meant we could experience two more Top 100 courses if we extended our trip by a couple of days. Like I mentioned in an earlier post, anytime we travel, I look at the route and then look at my map to see if there are any Top 100 courses that are in the area that could be played. That map is simply a blank map of the U. S. in which I have located all ranked courses that I have not yet played. This makes it rather easy to group the courses that can be played on any trip.
We were fortunate on this trip that the Golf Club of Glen Mills (#85 last ranked 2005) was just a few miles west of Philadelphia. This course has an interesting story and background. It is located on ground adjacent to the Glen Mills School which has been in existence since 1826. This school is for boys that have been assigned there by the courts. Instead of a juvenile correction facility, it is a vocational school whose mission is to train the youth so they can lead productive lives when they finish their school programs. The golf course was designed by Bobby Weed and many of the students helped with construction. Since the course opened in 2000, students in the golf course management programs work there learning the golf business. Any profits earned by the course are given back to the school.
The service upon arrival was excellent and the staff was nothing but friendly and helpful. We were paired with a single from the northern part of Delaware and we had a very enjoyable round. The course was in excellent condition and the layout was varied and very interesting. It played through some tight hilly terrain that put a premium on driving the ball straight. If you kept the ball in play off of the tee, it made for an enjoyable experience. Fortunately, I was able to do that on this day but I could see that you may have a different opinion of the course if your drives were a little wayward as there is a lot of thick high grass that can make even finding the ball a challenge. Another nice feature of Glen Mills is that they schedule their tee times 12 minutes apart. This is very rare in the golf business but it really tends to make for a nice flow as you work your way around the course. We had a great day at Glen Mills and would certainly recommend it to anyone that has the opportunity to play this course. I would also recommend having lunch on the patio behind the clubhouse to enjoy the views of the course and the school which sets high on the overlooking hill. When you get a chance to play a course this delightful, you should try to prolong the day anyway possible.
An interesting sidebar to demonstrate how great the service was at Glen Mills took place as soon as I checked in at the Pro shop. When I asked to purchase a logo ball, which I do at all Top 100 courses, I was told they were out and had not yet received their new supply. When I explained where I was from, I offered to pay for a ball with postage included so they could send one later. The gentleman working the shop said that was not necessary, and if I would write down my address, they would send one for no charge. After picking up a bottle of water in the snack bar, the same gentleman tracked me down and gave me a logo ball he found in one of the offices and refused to take any money for the ball…a nice touch of class.
After graduation weekend, on the way back to Ohio, it was time for a little side trip to the historic Homestead in the Allegheny Mountains of western Virginia. The Homestead is a first class resort that is over 100 years old and home to two golf courses. We were there to play their Cascades Course (#30 on Current List) which was designed by William Flynn in 1923. Even though it was 77 degrees when we left Philadelphia, a cold front arrived at the same time we did. For our 9:00 AM tee time the next morning, it was 39 degrees, windy with light snow flurries and this was May 14. We had not driven this far to cancel, so when Marilyn gave me “that look” on the first tee I simply said “suck it up” and she bravely did. It ended up being a sunny day and had warmed to a balmy 46 degrees by the time we arrived on hole 18. Weather aside, this course was a real challenge but also a real pleasure to play. Carved out of the bottom of a mountain, there were a lot of side hill lies and elevated greens. The yardage was a challenge as well with the forward tees a hefty 5,300 yards. With the par at 71, the cold and wind along with the soft fairways and uphill holes, Marilyn was still a good sport and enjoyed the layout and the beauty of this area. I have found that many of the old classic designs were not set up with a comfortable yardage for the ladies. I find this puzzling since being a resort course, they have a great deal of play from the women guests. (We also found this to be the case at The Broadmoor East (#32 on current List). The forward tees played to 5,738 yards and a slope of 144. Do you think that is a little tough on the ladies?)
The course conditioning was top notch and I can see why it has been in the Top 100 since the rankings began in 2003. This is a classic course and a historic resort. Was it a lot of fun to play? Not as much as many that I have played but unfortunately, I think the weather had a lot to do with this. It is the type of course that I would love to play two or three times a year but not every day. If given the opportunity though, be sure to play Cascades. One thing to keep in mind, like many of the resort courses in the rankings, you must be a guest at the hotel in order to secure a tee time.
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