Review: The Abington Club

Considering the name, one might suspect an air of exclusivity about the Abington Club. It just sounds kind of fancy, right?

You could not be more wrong.

While there are the usual country club amenities here (pool, restaurant, etc), the golf course at the Abington Club is about as simple as one could imagine. It's a nine-hole executive course that barely scrapes over 2,000 yards; the longest hole here is just 330 yards. It's also not exactly the most well-maintained course in the world. Still, you can find interesting golf in unexpected places, so while the course may be basic, it could still be worthwhile. Let's find out.

The first hole is a 315-yard par 4 that doglegs hard left about 200 yards out through some large trees. There's also a central fairway bunker about 225 yards out, right where you'd want a good drive to end up. Driver is very much out on this hole, so basically you just want to lay up at a nice spot to leave yourself a 100-yard wedge for the second shot. The green here is tiny and has a fair amount of back to front slope to it; there's also two bunkers (well, the one of the right seems like it's on its way out, so call it one and a half) flanking the green.

The first hole.

The first green.

The second hole is a 210-yard par 3 that plays to a decently sized green, though there's not much room for error on the tee shot; there's a bunker in front and left, and there are trees right. It's not a particularly easy hole, and I imagine it's functionally a par 4 for quite a few people.

The second hole.

The second green.

The third hole is the shortest hole at the Abington Club, playing just 115 yards. It does go up a large hill, but beyond that there's not a lot to this hole. The green is large and pretty flat, and there aren't any hidden hazards.

The third hole.

The fourth hole is 320 yards and is easily the most memorable hole on the course. A stream cuts across the fairway at about 200 yards, and while that's generally a pretty easy clear, a sign on the tee forbids you from trying. The clubhouse is just off to the left, and even a slight hook with a driver could easily land on the roof or crash through the window. So, this is ultimately a mid iron tee shot followed by a wedge or short iron slightly uphill to a green tilted pretty severely from back to front with a large, intimidating bunker in front. Hey, memorable doesn't have to mean good. It's not often I encounter a "Do not hit driver" sign on the course. Driving range, sure, but not the golf course proper.

The fourth hole.

The fourth green.

The fifth hole is 140 yards and plays across the stream to a small, tilted green with a large bunker in front. There is some room out to the right to bail out if you're not feeling confident, and that's generally the best place to miss.

The fifth hole.

The sixth hole is 160 yards and plays to a large, fairly flat green. However, this is an island green, as there's a stream and/or marsh completely encircling the green. Like I said, the green is pretty big, but still, the tee shot is probably the toughest shot on the course. 

The sixth hole.

The sixth green.

The seventh hole is the final par 3 on the course, playing 210 yards slightly uphill to a semi-blind green. The tee shot, while not exactly super tight, does have to contend with some overhanging tree limbs, as well as a bunker left and a road right. The green has a fair amount of right-to-left tilt to it.

The seventh hole.

The eighth hole is 330 yards, making it the longest hole at Abington. The tee shot is completely blind, as the hole climbs quickly up a hill to a fairway up on a plateau. There is O.B. close right, but plenty of room left. This is really the only hole on the course where you can comfortably hit driver. The approach should be just a little wedge (if that) to a medium-sized, two-tiered green with bunkers on both sides.

The eighth hole.

The ninth hole is 325 yards and while the fairway is initially quite wide, trees do start to encroach on both sides, particularly the left. A driver, while technically possible, will take you into quite a narrow stretch of fairway. A 3 wood or long iron is safer, and will honestly leave you with an easier approach. This green is cut off from the fairway by sand, and is quite small. It's easier to approach this green with a full (or nearly full) wedge rather than trying to finesse a half-wedge just over that front bunker to get the ball to stop near the flag.

The ninth hole.

The ninth green.

So yeah, it's safe to say the Abington Club is no hidden gem. It's an incredibly basic executive course that really isn't long enough for the serious golfer. The price is $25, which is kind of a lot for a course where you can only reasonably use driver once. Is it a good place to take a beginner golfer for their first round, or a fun place to take some friends? Yeah, it's not bad for that. But as a place to play or practice seriously? No, it really isn't worth the time or effort. By the time I felt like I had finally warmed up, the round was over. I'd only ever consider Abington in an absolute pinch, if I was desperate to play any sort of golf at all. Otherwise, I'll pass in the future.