Review: Walnut Lane Golf Club (Part 1)

One of the major benefits of moving to Philadelphia back in April was access to an entirely new realm of golf courses. Central Maryland and Pennsylvania were tapped out, and while I've certainly played some courses in the greater Philadelphia region, I've hardly scratched the surface on what Golf Digest referred to as the most underrated golf city in the country. I don't know if the city that can claim both Merion and Pine Valley as its own counts as "underrated," but by any standard, Philadelphia is a great place to play golf.

We start off our Philly golf journey with a humble executive course tucked into the northwest corner of the city, perched above Wissahickon Creek Park. Walnut Lane was built in 1940 by Alexander Findlay, making it one of, if not the last golf course he was involved with over his 45-year golf course design career. It's a par 62 and barely tips over 4,500 yards, so if you're expecting a stern design, look elsewhere. The longest hole here is 370 yards, making Walnut Lane a true beginner-friendly course, open and welcoming to all. But is there anything here to interest the serious golfer? Let's find out.

The first hole is 325 yards and not the most interesting hole in the world. It's dead straight, and beyond the lines of trees closely guarding the fairway, no hazards either. Okay, technically there's OB left of the trees, but the trees are there to keep golf balls from getting that far, so it barely counts. Anyway, while you certainly could hit driver here, the narrowness of the playing corridor strongly precludes that choice. A long iron or fairway wood is the smarter play, and will still get you within wedge distance for your second shot. The green here, like many greens at Walnut Lane, is medium sized and, while not flat, doesn't have anything particularly exciting going on. 

The first hole.

The first green.

The second hole is 195 yards and plays slightly downhill to a green sloped fairly significantly from back to front. There is more OB long and left, but it's pretty tough to get to. Beyond that, there's really not much to this hole.

The second hole.

The second green.

The third hole is 320 yards and thankfully has a little bit more going on. The tee shot is blind, heading up to a plateau fairway that bends left about 250 yards out. If you want to hit driver, you need to either hit a big draw or stick very close to the left tree line. A long iron or fairway wood out to the dogleg itself will leave you with a wedge from a flat stance; going much further will result in a stance with the golf ball noticeably above your feet. The green is, again, not particularly exciting, but the back right to front left slop is definitely not something to be taken lightly either. Long putts will have several feet of break.

The third hole.

The third green.

The fourth hole is a 230-yard par 3 playing downhill, and while that length makes the hole challenging on its own, a few things conspire to make this feel even more difficult. Because the entire hole slopes from left to right, any sort of fade or slice is doomed to bounce well away from the green. If you don't have a draw (or at the very least, confidence in your mid to long irons), you might honestly be better off playing this hole as a short par 4. Lay up 30 to 50 yards short and chip on. The green is sloped significantly from back left to front right. Four is honestly a completely reasonable score here.

The fourth hole.

The fourth green.

The fifth hole is 200 yards and is what I'd call Walnut Lane's first really good hole. This mid-length par 3 crosses a valley, with the small green perched on the far side. Two large bunkers guard the left side, and a large tree protects the right. The green itself is pretty heavily sloped and actually falls away slightly toward the back, making precision very important. With tree branches encroaching from both sides, a little draw is the best shot to hit here. End up short, and you may fall back down the hill significantly. This hole feels a lot like something you'd see at a Donald Ross course, which is a good thing.

The fifth hole.

The sixth hole is 175 yards and is ever so slightly similar to a reverse Redan. The semi-blind green slopes gently from left to right, and there's a deep grass bunker guarding the front-right section. A gentle fade played around that pit is the best shot to play here. This hole would be a little better if the green had a little more bite to it; right now, it's very flat.

The sixth hole.

The sixth green.

The seventh hole is, at 370 yards, the longest hole at Walnut Lane. Hey, for a 4,500-yard course, what do you expect? Happily, this hole is also pretty good. The fairway is tilted significantly from right to left for the first 250 yards, than drops down off the hill into a valley, with the green perched partway up the far side. A good driver, hit down the left side, will catch the slope and bounce well down, leaving you with just a little half-wedge into a very open and inviting green. But you will need to draw your drive around a couple of large trees lurking about a hundred yards from the tee. The safer play is out to the right, leaving a full wedge down the hill from a hanging lie. The hole would be better if the green were more interesting or had any sort of defense, but still, the topography provide a decent amount of strategic interest.

The seventh hole.

The seventh green.

The eighth hole is 150 yards and is ultimately one of the weaker holes here. The single bunker is well short, leaving the green itself pretty undefended, and the green contouring isn't enough to make the hole interesting. Still, I do like how the hole feels very carved out of the woods, something Walnut Lane does quite well. You wouldn't think we were inside Philadelphia city limits, looking at the verdant forest immediately behind this green.

The eighth hole.

The ninth hole is 335 yards and demands accuracy and solid decision-making. The fairway is initially decently wide, but narrows significantly as you progress. It falls off precipitously into trees and a ravine left, which naturally leads your eye right. However, playing too safely will result in a second shot blocked out by a large tree about 75 yards from the green. Technically, you could use driver to get past that tree, but the fairway is not wide that far out. The green itself is closely guarded by two large bunkers, and is sloped significantly from right to left — another great reason to avoid the right side. You are far better off playing a long iron up the left side, then coming in with a full wedge. Even so, this may be the toughest hole on the course.

The ninth hole.

The ninth green.

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

Beer of the Week

The beer: Cheat Day

The brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Company, Lakewood, New York

Description (from the website): "This decadent brew is a full-bodied dessert dream, crafted in collaboration with Perry’s Ice Cream to bring their indulgent flavors to life in beer form. Layers of brown sugar sweetness swirl with rich brownie batter, while brownie pieces and cookie dough add deep, doughy complexity to this Imperial Ale. Each sip tastes as good as diving spoon-first into your favorite pint after a long week—it’s Cheat Day! The ultimate pour for those who believe dessert should be savored, not skipped."

Would I buy it again? Does Southern Tier ever miss with their imperial ales? Certainly not with this one. It was very chocolatey and malty, feeling very much like a brownie in beer form. I would absolutely buy this beer again. I might even do it on a warm day. 

Beer of the Week

The beer: Gojaira

The brewery: Japas Cervejaria, Louisville, Kentucky and São Paulo, Brazil

Description (from the can): "Meet our monster Gojaira: she is so angry that she won a Dank IPA to make her stop blowing off steam. Distracted people may confuse its aroma with that of a much-debated herb. This aroma is called 'dank,' a combination of resinous, herbal, citrus, and tropical fruit aromas of certain hops. Yes, it's just hops, there's nothing illegal here! Strata, Columbus, Simcoe, Citra, and Mosaic mix with a smooth malt base for this delicious trip."

Would I buy it again? I hate doing this because I absolutely love the can (that's why I bought this beer), but oh boy, is this beer bad. The initial taste is okay, but the aftertaste is acrid and bitter. If you've ever had Malört (unfortunately, I have), the aftertaste is extremely similar. It tastes like a sweaty sock smells. It might actually be a top five worst beer. I'll keep the can, but never in my life will I buy this beer again.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Summer Love

The brewery: Victory Brewing Company, Downington, Pennsylvania

Description (from the website): "You never forget your first love. And we bet you'll never forget the years of celebrating all that's great about summer with Summer Love by your side. Baseball. Beach Days. BBQs. This Golden Ale delivers big flavor and big nostalgia through a fine balance of clean pilsner malts and citrusy, earthy Simcoe and Tettnang hops.​"

Would I buy it again? So, this beer was a bit hoppier than I was expecting, but it also had a nice juiciness to it as well. I actually didn't know what this was (other than a beer from Victory) and I thought it was a pale ale, not a golden ale. It's quite good though, very pleasant to drink, and I would buy it again. 

Review: Coudersport Golf Club (Part 2)

It's time to check out the back nine at Coudersport Golf Club, go here to see the front.

The tenth hole is not especially long at 340 yards, but you have to add a fair amount to that distance, as the hole climbs dramatically uphill as it bends left to right up the side of the ridge. While the drive is incredibly wide open, the second shot will be from a precarious hanging lie. And when you take a peak at the green, carved precipitously from what is very nearly a cliff, it doesn't matter that you probably only have a wedge in your hand. This is a white-knuckle approach; you drift right at all and you're making a very large number. The green, while not super dramatic, is hardly easy to putt and has a couple of humps and bumps to make things interesting once you get onto the surface. I'm not sure which approach is tougher, this one or the one at the third, but they're both very fun.

The tenth hole.

Approaching the tenth green.

The tenth green.

Speaking of fun, the eleventh hole may technically be the longest par 4 at the course, playing 430 yards, but it descends the same hill we just climbed on 10, cascading down the hill as the fairway bends right to left. A big draw, aimed at the end corner of the right tree line, will go a very, very long way. Even golfers of relatively modest length like me could reach the final big downslope and end up having just a little wedge second shot. That said, the green here is the most undulating and difficult to putt on the entire course, and there's no help from a general back-to-front slope here either. Overall, this is just a really fun hole; there's nothing to distract you from enjoying the fun tee shot and the green is no pushover.

Interesting fact, a eleventh used to be a short par 3 at the top of the ridge, with this hole (the twelfth) being a more direct and shorter par 4. I'm not sure when the change was made, but both Google Maps and the course website still talking about or showing the old eleventh. A 2019 Google Earth image may show the new routing (there's a cut in a small group of trees behind the former eleventh green, showing where the new eleventh tee is), but everything is covered in snow so it's difficult to tell for certain. I'm going to go ahead and say that the course was changed between 2016 and 2019. Whether or not the change is good is obviously not a question I can answer for certain, though just judging from the new hole I did play (we'll see it later), I would be inclined to favor the old routing. 

The eleventh hole.

Approaching the eleventh green.

The eleventh green.

From the twelfth hole onward, Coudersport is restricted to parallel holes alongside a stream, so the dramatic elevation changes we've seen previously are done. Ultimately, that does mean we've seen the best the course has to offer, though these last seven holes certainly don't lack strategy or charm.

Anyway, the twelfth is a 350-yard par 4 that plays straight ahead to a fairway of modest width. The ridge comes in from the left, so any drive that misses a little left will bounce back into play. The green is medium sized and bunkerless, though there is enough undulation to it to make the approach matter and putts from the wrong part of the green a bit tricky.

The twelfth hole.

Approaching the twelfth green.

The twelfth green.

The thirteenth hole is 340 yards and features a drive from an elevated tee carved out of the forest. It turns the hole into a slight dogleg and also means that, if you want to hit driver, you really do need to hit a draw. Otherwise, you'll run out of space and run into the stream that runs down the right side of the hole. Since the hole is of modest length, a 3 wood or long iron is really all you need on the tee shot. That will leave a full wedge for the second shot, which is admittedly fairly tough. This green is two tiered and flanked by bunkers, and even if you do find the right section of the green, the surface has some pretty noticeable break to it. It's not the most difficult green on the course, but it's no slouch.

The thirteenth hole.

Approaching the thirteenth green.

The thirteenth green.

The fourteenth hole is just under 300 yards, making it potentially drivable for longer hitters. However, the stream cuts diagonally across the hole about 200 yards from the tee. That's a modest carry, but with trees lining the right side, the amount of space on the far side of the stream is not massive. A fade is the shot to play if you are going for the green; if not, you're better off hitting a mid iron to 200 yards, leaving a full wedge for the second. Laying up also takes a bunker that's about 10 yards short left of the green mostly out of play. 

The fourteenth hole.

Approaching the fourteenth green.

The fourteenth green.

The fifteenth hole is a mid-length par 3 playing over completely flat ground to a fairly undulating green that slightly falls away from front to back. There's a bunker just behind the green, and one short right, and while you'd need to hit a pretty big hook, the stream is lurking 20 yards or so to the left.

The fifteenth hole.

The fifteenth green.

The sixteenth hole is technically (by a single yard, according to the scorecard) the longest hole at Coudersport, playing nearly 530 yards. The hole sweeps left around a hill, with only a small amount of fairway visible from the tee. You do not want to aim at that, however; the ideal aiming point is either directly over or just left of a small tree halfway up the hill. Failing to do so will bring the stream right and beyond the fairway into play. A good drive can bring the green into play on the second. The hole is bunkerless, so lay-ups have little worry about, but if you are going for the green in two, there is a pond left of the green. This, I would say, is the last good hole on the course.

The sixteenth hole.

Approaching the sixteenth green.

The sixteenth green.

The sixteenth hole from behind the green.

The seventeenth hole is the new addition, replacing the old eleventh hole. It's a downhill par 3, playing just over 150 yards over a pond to a large, wide-open green that really does just sort of sit out in the middle of nowhere. I guess the stream is technically in play long and left, but for the most part this hole just has very little to offer. It's not even a particularly interesting green. As I said earlier, I don't know for certain that the old eleventh was better, but considering how bland this hole is, I can't imagine this is the better choice, interest wise. It does present a nice view, at the very least.

The seventeenth hole.

The seventeenth green.

The eighteenth hole is a par 5, being virtually identical in distance to the sixteenth. It does play in the opposite direction, at least, so the change in wind direction provides some variation. The hole is essentially flat and the fairway bends only slightly left; otherwise, this playing corridor is wide and there are no bunkers. You're basically just hitting it as far as you can, and like the previous hole, the green isn't anything to write home about. Definitely an anti-climax at the finish, unfortunately.

The eighteenth hole.

Approaching the eighteenth green.

The eighteenth green.

Coudersport Golf Club has a lot of pressure on its shoulders; this is quite literally the only golf course in Potter County. That's not a huge population, granted, but it does mean that, if this course doesn't satisfy you, you've got a long drive to find something else.

Fortunately, I think this is a fine golf course. There are some bland holes, but never anything bad or unlikable. It's got some funky quirk to it, and the third hole is legitimately fantastic. The tenth and eleventh as well are very fun holes, and while the stream section at the end lacks visual drama, there's some good golf there as well. The conditions were better than I was expecting, particularly for mid-October at a point where winter was rapidly approaching. Not pristine, of course, but for a public golf course in the middle of a forest the place was certainly very green. As one might expect from rural Pennsylvania, the cost is pretty modest; it was under $30 to walk 18 during the week. Maybe slightly more than I anticipated, but not anything too crazy. 

While it's not something I'd go an hour-plus out of my way for, I enjoyed playing Coudersport, and if and/or when I'm in town again (I'd like another try at Cherry Springs with a functioning telescope), I'd happily play here again, and not just because it's the only place to play. It is genuinely a worthwhile course from a design point of view.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Mimosa Saison

The brewery: Boulevard Brewing Company, Kansas City, Missouri

Description (from the website): "This French oak cask-aged blood orange Mimosa Saison makes it easy to bring that carefree brunch energy anywhere. Bright blood orange meets the lively character of a Belgian-style saison, creating a bubbly, citrus-kissed celebration in a glass. Wherever you raise it—noon, midnight, or somewhere deliciously in-between—it’s brunch."

Would I buy it again? So, what we have here is a beer that I can tell is very well made and quite good, but just isn't quite for me. There's a lot of orange flavor, it's relatively light and easy to drink, but the citrus comes in a little strong. Unfortunately, I'm just not that much into citrus. So, I would pass in the future, but if you like the taste of orange and mimosa, this beer will be right up your alley.

Review: Coudersport Golf Club (Part 1)

In October last year, my girlfriend and I took a trip to northern Pennsylvania so we could spend a night out at Cherry Springs State Park, home of the darkest skies on the East Coast. We've been wanting to do this pretty much since we first met, and it was an awe-inspiring experience to sit underneath so many stars on a dark, moonless night. You really can see so much, including the span of the Milky Way itself. I don't have any pictures of that, but I think we would definitely like to go again, this time with a telescope that actually functions.

The thing with stargazing, of course, is that you need the sky to be cloud-free. That means you need to allocate a few days waiting for clear skies, and since nearby Coudersport is a town of just 2,000 people and has very little to do, I had some free time for a round at the local golf course (the only golf course within an hour of town, as a matter of fact; northern Pennsylvania is very sparsely populated). Coudersport Golf Club dates back to the 1930s, with an additional nine holes being added in 1992. The course was built by local people and squeezed into a narrow valley, much like the town itself a few miles up the road.  It's often very rugged, and while all that has its downsides, it can also present some interesting opportunities. 

The first hole is a short drive-and-pitch par 4 at 345 yards, and is about as plain as a golf hole can get. Generous fairway, dead-flat land, no hazards beyond the trees lining the playing corridor. The green has some subtle undulation, but there's no getting around it: this is a very uninteresting hole. Naturally, I made a double bogey. Literal easiest hole in the world, and I make a double. Classic.

The first hole. Hard to believe these pictures were taken a month and a half before my North Carolina trip. Winter comes quick to northern Pennsylvania.

The first green.

The second hole is just a hundred yards, but it plays sharply uphill to a green carved out of the hillside. It's a small green as well, with significant back-to-front slope. There are no bunkers, but missing the green will present you with a thoroughly awkward chip from a decidedly not-level stance. It's a fun little hole, and a definite step up from the previous hole.

The second hole.

The third hole is by far the most interesting hole at Coudersport, and one that could fit quite comfortably at any high-brow Golden Age country club. At just 320 yards, this is not a long hole, but the fairway is not wide and sharply canted from right to left as it negotiates the side of the ridge. The hole also bends left and gets increasingly narrow as it goes, quite effectively taking driver out of play while never officially doing so. A long iron is by far the best choice on the tee, leaving yourself a wedge off a hanging lie to a thoroughly unique green complex. I don't know if the original architect knew what a Biarritz was, but that signature deep swale is here, dividing a very narrow green in two. There's even a little pot bunker left, further pinching the green. Considering the steep falloff, you're actually fortunate if you end up in that bunker over any alternative. Right is of course the safer miss, but if your ball gets hung up in that rough, good luck on keeping the chip shot on the green. And of course, if you find the wrong half of the green, two putting is quite the challenge. 

Overall, this is just a great hole, and this alone made the round more than worthwhile.

The third hole.

Approaching the third green.

The third green.

The fourth hole is 370 yards and plays alongside the same hillside as the last hole. That means the fairway is severely tilted, though here at least you have space to hit driver. A draw will run down the hill a long way and leave you with just a little wedge for the second shot. A single bunker guards the front-left corner of the green, which is medium sized (for this golf course, at least) and mildly domed, with subtle but noticeable undulations throughout, making it more challenging to putt than you might think.

The fourth hole.

Approaching the fourth green.

The fourth green.

The fifth hole, a 345-yard par 4, was unfortunately being worked on during my round, so I don't actually know how it plays. Here's what the Coudersport Golf Club website says: "The tee shot is fairly open with out-of-bounds up the right side again.  An ideal tee shot is 230 to 240 yards up the right center of the fairway.  From the tee long hitters can reach the hazard right of the green and half-shots are difficult to stop on this green, so it's prudent to lay back a little bit.  The green is the most severely sloped on the course leaning from left to right."

The fifth hole.

The fifth green.

The sixth hole is a fairly short par 3, though at 150 yards it's 50 yards longer than the second hole. This hole is a lot more conventional, though not particularly easy. A former bunker protects the right half of the green, which slopes pretty hard from right to left. Left is definitely the better place to miss; it's going to be very difficult to get a chip close when the green falls away from you. I'm also not sure when the bunker was grassed over, as the website still says that there's a bunker there. This won't be the only time the website presents outdated information.

The sixth hole.

The sixth green.

The seventh hole is just over 400 yards and plays straight ahead to a wide fairway with a moderate left-to-right slope. A good drive will leave a wedge or short iron second to a small, undulating green with a pretty severe left-to-right slop tucked behind a tiny pond and dense trees to the right. For a bunkerless hole that's so open on the tee shot, the seventh is no pushover.

The seventh hole.

Approaching the seventh green.

The seventh green.

The eighth hole is a little silly. The scorecard says 300 yards and has a steeply downhill tee shot, but this hole is a 90-degree dogleg with forest covering the entire right side. The bend comes quickly too; all you need is to hit a long iron a couple hundred yards. You don't want to go too far, or trees will obstruct the second shot. Not like if you fail to reach the dogleg, of course, but still not ideal. The approach will be a full wedge to a relatively large green carved from dense forest. Definitely an awkward hole here.

The eighth hole.

Approaching the eighth green.

The eighth green.

The ninth hole is the first par 5 at Coudersport, playing about 500 yards from an elevated tee box to a flat and wide fairway. With no bunkers and not much to the green either, making this a great opportunity for eagle if you've got the length for it. Otherwise, there's really not much to this hole other than the downhill tee shot.

The ninth hole.

Approaching the ninth green.

The ninth green.

That's it for this week, next week we'll check out the back nine.