Review: Gettysburg National Golf Club (Part 1)

We've got a double header this month, since I've played both courses multiple times in the past, back when I was a wee lad playing in junior golf tournaments. First up is Gettysburg National, formerly known as Mountain View, located just outside of Fairfield, Pennsylvania. It's one of many golf courses in the rolling farmlands near Gettysburg, and it's one of many golf courses in the mid-Atlantic designed by Ed Ault, the region's favorite architect. Seriously, you can hardly go 20 feet in southern Pennsylvania without tripping over a course that Ed Ault had a hand in. And that's not even getting into the blanket of Ed Ault courses covering the D.C. area.

I've played quite a few of these Ed Ault golf courses in my time, but this is the first one I've reviewed. There's a good reason for that: They're generally not all that interesting. Don't get me wrong, they're all solid courses, but there's nothing particularly special about them. And at the risk of spoiling my review, Gettysburg National (a silly name, though admittedly less generic than Mountain View), is not a particularly special course. I knew that going in. But I had a day off in the middle of the week back in November 2020, it was nice, I had my camera, so why not review it?

The first hole is a nice, mild mid-length par 4, and a good way to ease into the round. While there are trees left and O.B. in the form of the driving range right, there's plenty of space in between. There's also a fairway bunker on the right side of the fairway, and that is the better side to be on. The green has bunkers short left and long and is best approached from the right. That also takes the pond more out of play, though it's not a huge threat to begin with.

The first hole.

Approaching the first green.

The first green.

The second hole is a short par 4 at 340 yards that doglegs right around a pair of fairway bunkers. Again, there's plenty of room to work with, though there is technically O.B. on both sides. A good driver, if you're confident, can get over the fairway bunkers and leave a partial wedge into the green with a slightly improved angle. It's a fairly tough shot no matter what, since the green is shallow and rather small, and there are bunkers short, right, and long. 

The second hole.

Approaching the second green.

The second green.

The third hole is a fairly straightforward par 3, playing 175 yards over flat ground. The green isn't very deep and there's some back to front slope, and there are three bunkers surrounding it. It's not a difficult hole, but it's not incredibly easy. You can end up with a tough shot if you end up in the wrong bunker.

The third hole.

The third green.

The fourth hole is a short drive and pitch par 4 at 350 yards. There are three fairway bunkers to contend with on the drive, two right and one left. If you can negotiate those, you'll have a wedge into the green, which is open in front and has three bunkers around it. 

The fourth hole.

The fourth green.

The fifth hole is 370 yards and plays ever so slightly uphill. The drive is best played down the left side, flirting with the fairway bunker. That gives the best angle into the green, which is small, tilted from back to front, and has two bunkers to the right and another long. Not a particularly complicated hole, but decent enough, strategically speaking.

The fifth hole.

Approaching the fifth green.

The fifth green.

The sixth hole is 410 yards and is absolutely the toughest hole on the front nine. That's not saying much though, because the front nine is very easy and this hole isn't actually that difficult. The challenge here comes from the pond on the inside of the dogleg and the fact that the green is best approached from the left side. Come in from the right side and the second shot will be a short or mid iron to a shallow target with a bunker in front and another behind. From the left, well, it's still not an easy shot, but it's easier.

The sixth hole.

Approaching the sixth green.

The sixth green.

The seventh hole is 215 yards and is the longest par 3 at Gettysburg National. The length is the main challenge here though, since the rest of the hole isn't very tough. There are two bunkers guarding the green, and the green has a fair amount of back to front slope, but it's nothing unreasonable.

The seventh hole.

The seventh green.

The eighth hole is a 475 yard par 5, and if you're ever looking to make an eagle, this is the hole to do it on. I'm not sure if it's the easiest hole in the world or even on the course, but this is a very gettable par 5. A draw aimed at the right fairway bunker will end up in prime position, leaving just a mid or long iron into the green. Now, that second shot isn't incredibly easy, since the green has four small bunkers surrounding it, but it's still very inviting. You may have a tough putt though, since the left third or so of the green is on a separate tier. My eagle putt was down on the bottom, and I was reasonably fortunate just to two putt.

The eighth hole.

Approaching the eighth green.

The eighth green. That is an eagle putt I have, and yes, I did at least make birdie.

The ninth hole is a short par 4, and at 320 yards it might be driveable for the longest hitters. Most, however, will lay up, and you have a choice. If you use a 3 wood, you'll have a short second, but you'll be hitting into the narrowest section of the fairway, pinched between the stream going up the entire left side and a bunker. Lay further back and you'll have more space but a full wedge. The green is protected by four bunkers, and the stream is technically in play left, though it's more of a hazard on the drive. Something else to be aware of: there is a tree of some significance short right that can come into play if you miss the fairway right. So don't go bailing out too far.

The ninth hole.

Approaching the ninth green.

The ninth green.

That's it for this week, next week we'll take a look at the back nine.