Review: Manor Golf Club (Part 2)

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

The landscape at Manor takes a significant turn for the rugged on the back nine, as immediately evidenced by the tenth hole. The tee shot on this 155-yard par 3 must carry a 100-yard-wide ravine to reach the green, which is perched on a small finger of land that falls away on all sides. There's a single bunker right (which functions more to catch golf balls from bounding into the trees than as an actual hazard), and the green slopes from front to back. There's also a little knob in the center to make the task of putting that extra bit more difficult.

The tenth hole.

The tenth green.

The eleventh hole is just under 300 yards, but it is very distinctly not a drivable par 4. The hole crosses over a ravine to a fairway that bends hard right along the side of the opposing hill. Trees block the direct route to the green, so unless you've got a big high cut in your arsenal, you'll be using a long iron or fairway wood on the tee. Of course, you still need to think about where you're aiming; you don't want to go through the fairway into the trees, but you also don't want to come up short. The second shot will be a little wedge with the ball ridiculously below your feet to a small but benign green with a big dropoff right. You can absolutely bail out left and have the ball bounce down onto the green, though, which is nice. Is this the most strategic hole in the world? No, of course not. But it's memorable and fun, and that's just as important.

The eleventh hole.

The eleventh green.

The twelfth hole is a 405-yard par 5. Yes, you read that correctly. It does play nearly 100 feet uphill, so while it is still incredibly short, it's not quite the pushover you'd think. The fairway is wide and heavily sloped, but trees do narrow the playing corridor right about where a good drive would end up. The second shot is massively uphill and basically blind, though the only hazards (a pair of bunkers) are at the green itself, so if you are laying up, you have a green light. The green is tilted from right to left, though, so you are better off approaching from the left side. If this was a par 4, it would be very difficult, but as a par 5, you've got a good chance of making birdie.

The twelfth hole.

The twelfth green.

Looking back down the twelfth fairway.

The thirteenth hole is 190 yards, and I'll be honest, it's not the most exciting hole in the world. Minimal elevation, a not particularly exciting green, and while the bunker right and former bunker (now a grassy hollow) left do provide some challenge, overall the thirteenth represents a bit of a breather. 

The thirteenth hole.

The fourteenth hole, while not Manor's longest hole, is by far its most challenging. This 540-yard par 5 is draped along and around a large hill, with the sprawling fairway tilted hard from right to left, with the slope increasing the further left you go. Your eye is naturally drawn to the right, but trees cut in, completely blocking your second shot and forcing you to lay up more than 150 yards from the green. The further left you go on your tee shot, the closer you can get to the green. But even from position A, you still have to be careful; there's a small pond jutting in from left of the fairway about 50-100 yards from the green. It is extremely easy to go too far and end up in that hazard, particularly considering how steeply downhill the second shot is. Ultimately, even if you can lay up closer than 100 yards, it's probably smart not to.

While the green complex is significantly propped up, with big dropoffs left and long, the green itself is mercifully simple. No big breaks, and sloped gently from back to front. Frankly, if you can get yourself a birdie putt on this hole, you've earned a respite. This is an absolutely brutal par 5, one where you have to carefully think and execute on every shot. It's pretty easily the best hole on the course.

The fourteenth hole.

Approaching the fourteenth green.

The fourteenth green.

We go directly from a long and very tough par 5 to the shortest hole on the course. The fifteenth hole is just 90 yards, but it's one of those classic "hit the green or suffer" short par 3s. Miss short and you'll have a pitch from an incredibly crooked stance. Miss long and you'll have an equally awkward stance, only this time the green is running away from you. Same with missing in the greenside bunker right. You're either walking away with an easy par or birdie, or you're working to make double.

The fifteenth hole.

The sixteenth hole is a 280-yard par 4, making it distinctly drivable for longer hitters. There is a complication, however, in the form of a large tree directly in line between the tee and green. Obviously, the safe play is a long iron out to the right; the slope will help contain golf balls, bouncing them back into the semi-blind fairway. But if you're feeling bold, you can always curve a driver around the tree. A fade is probably easier (and requires a bit less curving), but does mean you're aiming directly at the next tee. A big hook is the more polite choice.

Anyway, if you've played safely, you'll have a little three-quarter wedge to a small green flanked by two bunkers. In a move Manor pulls multiple times, there's a little mound in the center of the green to make cross-green putts and chips a little tricky. Still, this is a great opportunity to make a birdie.

The sixteenth hole.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole is 330 yards, and plays straight ahead to a semi-blind fairway tilted from left to right. It is wide open, but if you want to use driver, you should favor the left side. Because of the slope of the fairway and trees coming in, the right side can run out of space very quickly. A fairway wood or long iron will leave you with a full wedge to a green perched on the corner of a ravine, with steep dropoffs right and long. 

The seventeenth hole.

Approaching the seventeenth green.

The eighteenth hole is quite similar to the tenth in many ways: It's about the same length (160 yards) and plays over the same ravine. Unlike the tenth, though, this green is tough. It's small and there's a ridge cutting the back half into two. Find the wrong part of the green, and you'll likely have a putt that's impossible to make. It's very easy to three putt this green. It's a simple but stern way to end the round.

The eighteenth hole.

The eighteenth green.

I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by what Manor offered. I knew going in it would be short and a bit quirky, but I wasn't expecting so many really interesting greens. The stretch from five to seven especially, as well as the eighteenth, are extremely good, plus there are several others that demand the golfer's focus. If they were expanded a bit more to fill the full green pads, Manor would really be onto something.

The only real big thing I have in terms of problems is some of the par 4s on the front nine (plus the ninth) really blend into each other and can play a bit same-y. That changes on the back nine, with the fourteenth being a particular highlight. Naturally, the more standard nine — the par 36 playing over 3,000 yards — is much less interesting than the short, quirky back nine that doesn't even reach 2,500 yards.

Value wise, Manor does quite well. Of course, I got a $10 discount, but even without that, it's less than $40 to walk on a weekend afternoon. The most you could pay (weekend morning, taking a cart) is $55. And for 2026 and a course this fun, that's really not too bad. If it were a little closer, I'd gladly play here again, but even with the hour-plus drive, Manor was well worth my time.

Review: Manor Golf Club (Part 1)

Years and years ago, a big motivator for driving more than 2 hours out to Galen Hall was this article detailing some of Philadelphia's best public golf courses. And despite living nowhere near Philadelphia, I've ended up playing most of the courses on that list. Jeffersonville and Paxon Hollow? Great courses. Glens Mills and Inniscrone? Not so much.  

Now that I'm actually living in Philadelphia, it's time to revisit the list and hopefully finish it off. Lulu is fully private and Cobbs Creek is currently undergoing a massive restoration, so those will have to wait. Manor Golf Club, located in the foothills outside Reading (and just a few miles from Galen Hall), on the other hand, was very readily available — even if I did have to babysit a group of teenagers to do it. (I'm not joking. I did at least get a discount for my trouble.)

Designed by Alexander Findlay in 1928, Manor Golf Club is hardly the sort of place to challenge the professionals. It's longer than Walnut Lane, but not by much: Manor is less than 5,500 yards from the back tees. But it traverses some very severe and hilly land, and the photos I've seen promise a fun, quirky experience. So, let's see if Manor can deliver.

The first hole is a par 4 of thoroughly modest length, playing just 250 yards from the tips. It is uphill the whole way, so not a huge number of people will have the length to reach it. The fairway is pretty wide and there aren't any hazards, so there's no real incentive to not use driver and get as close as you can to the green, which is tucked into a little punchbowl. Frankly, this isn't a very interesting hole beyond the elevation change, though it does give you a great chance to open with a birdie.

The first hole.

The first green.

The second hole is a 200-yard par 3 that plays right back down the hill the first hole climbs up. The green here is absolutely miniscule and slopes a surprising amount from back left to front right. There's also a fairly large bunker just left, so if you can hit a draw into this green, that will benefit you greatly. This is a much better hole than the first, though I think a slightly bigger green would help it out; it's pretty unforgiving as is.

The second hole.

The second green.

The third hole is 340 yards, which honestly puts it on the longer side for Manor — there are only two par 4s here over 350 yards. Similar to the first hole, the third plays uphill, with the second shot being dramatically uphill to a mostly blind green. Get used to this format, Manor uses it multiple times throughout the front nine. Also like the first, the third green is carved into a semi-punchbowl, which makes missing right much better than left.

The third hole.

The third green.

The fourth hole is 325 yards and plays steeply downhill; the fairway here is quite narrow, squeezed between trees on both sides. The hole bends hard left about 225 yards out, which means all you need to set up a wedge second shot is a long iron. Of course, you can try to draw a driver around the left trees, but they are quite tall and there is no playing out of the middle of them. The green here is pretty modest, though there is a bunker left (and a grassy pit where a bunker used to be to the right). I don't know if I'd quite classify this hole as good, but it is memorable and a bit quirky.

The fourth hole.

The fourth green.

The fifth hole is the longest par 4 at Manor, playing all of 390 yards. Initially, there doesn't seem to be too much here; the only significant features are some big trees right and some earthworks cutting across the fairway at roughly the point where a good drive would end up. The approach, assuming you've hit a good drive, is a wedge or short iron to a blind green. So far, so average. But when you walk over the little ridge to the green, you're in for a surprise. While the fifth green isn't quite as small as the second, it's still quite tiny, and it falls away left, right, and long; there's also a central mound with ridges radiating off toward the back and to the right. No putt of significant length will be able to avoid dealing with that mound, and it's the same with all chip shots. It's a really fun green, and would surely be even better if the green were expanded to fully fill the built-up pad it occupies. 

The fifth hole.

The fifth green.

The sixth hole is a 360-yard par 4 with a tee cut back in the woods; the tee shot goes down and back up a valley and then around a massive tree just to the right of the fairway. Ideally, you want to play a little fade up the left side, getting as far up the hill as you can. Driver can take that big tree out of play, and will leave just a little wedge for the second shot. But then you have the green to worry about, and it's a challenge for one very good reason — it's tilted severely from front to back. Seriously, this is not a large green, but it still manages to fall away nearly two feet. And that's a lot. You have to be very deliberate and careful about where you land your approach. 

The sixth hole.

The sixth green.

The seventh hole is 275 yards and plays steeply downhill, which makes it very reachable in normal conditions (I faced a stiff headwind during my round, so I couldn't get close). There's a small pond left of the fairway about 200 yards out, so while you can lay up to the bottom of the hill, you're bringing the water into play by doing so. Going for the green does bring the twin bunkers about 15 yards short very much into play, but ultimately this hole's greatest defense is its green. It's two tiered and sloped sharply from back left to front right, with something like 3-4 feet of elevation change between the front and back section. That's a lot for any green, but it's especially noticeable here because the green is again very modest in size. Putting here is an extremely delicate operation, and even hitting the green with your tee shot is no guarantee of birdie.

The seventh hole.

The seventh green.

The eighth hole is 315 yards, and it's a bit similar to the third hole, if more open. There are a pair of former bunkers about 50 yards short of the green that do provide a little strategic interest, but they'd be much more effective if they still had sand in them. Right now, there's no reason not to use driver. A good drive should bring the green into view; the eighth green is also not one of Manor's best. Not a bad hole, but we've seen this trick already.

The eighth hole.

The eighth green.

The ninth hole is 550 yards, making it Manor's longest hole. The fairway here is extremely wide, but it's a little deceiving; obviously you can go wide right, but the hole bends left so you do want to favor the left side. Even so, this is a very easy tee shot. Same for the lay-up, as there are no hazards until you reach the green. There are bunkers left and long, and while it's not to the same scale as the fifth, there are definitely some strong internal contours within the green. It's not enough to rescue the ninth from being a slog, but it's better than nothing.

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.

Review: Galen Hall Golf Club (Part 2)

It's time to check out the back nine at Galen Hall, go here if you haven't seen the front.

Most golf courses have both the first and tenth holes starting near the clubhouse, but that's not the case at Galen Hall, as the tenth is as far from the clubhouse as you can get on the course. In ordinary times that little shack behind the green has food and beverages, but sadly, we had no such luck during our round. Pandemic sacrifices and all that. Anyway, the tenth hole. It's a not particularly long par 3 playing over a little stream to a heavily sloped green guarded by two bunkers right and one bunker left. While there's not so much trouble around the green if you miss, the green itself is difficult enough to ensure that this hole isn't easy.

The tenth hole.

The tenth green.

The eleventh hole is a mid-length par 4 that doglegs right around a bunker and a cluster of big trees. You can cut the dogleg a bit, but not by a huge amount. The green is fairly tame by Galen Hall's standards, and while it is protected by a couple bunkers, this is a fairly easy green to hit in two, and so the eleventh is a great opportunity to make a birdie.

The eleventh hole.

Approaching the eleventh green.

The eleventh green.

The twelfth hole is the third par 5 in the span of six holes, and this one is the longest hole at Galen Hall, playing 520 yards. Similarly to both the sixth, this one drops from a high tee then slowly climbs back up. This hole is pretty straight and, save for a couple fairway bunkers, there's not much trouble on the tee shot. A bunker about 75 yards from the green will complicate lay-ups, but its the unique hazard to the right of the green that gives this hole its character. In a previous life, the property must have been used as a farm, since there's an old barn or farmhouse just a few yards away from the green. It's not exactly close, but I can absolutely see wayward attempts to go for the green in two being stymied by it. It's funny how unusual a feature this is but nothing I saw about the course beforehand mentioned it. The second and fifteenth hole do overshadow it, I suppose, but this hole has plenty of quirky charm all on its own.

The twelfth hole.

Approaching the twelfth green. And yes, that is an old barn just right of the green.

The twelfth green.

Looking back at the twelfth hole.

The thirteenth hole is a short, almost drivable par 4. If you lay up, the tee shot is simple, and you'll be left with a wedge slightly up the hill to a green fronted by two bunkers. Normally forced carries are an issue for higher handicaps, but since the hole is so short, it's not so bad. However, if you are going for the green, those bunkers are much more in play. The green is pretty tilted from back to front, but all in all this is a great birdie opportunity. You'll need a good score for what comes next.

The thirteenth hole.

The thirteenth green.

The fourteenth hole is 450 yards, and can play as either a par 4 or par 5. What you play it as primarily depends on whether or not you can carry the small stream slicing across the fairway about 250 yards from the tee. If you can't, it makes it much more difficult to carry the second stream that crosses the hole about 75 yards from the green. Fortunately, the green is bunkerless, so whether you're coming at it with your second or third shot, the approach isn't hugely difficult. Just be wary of the tree left and short of the green if you've gone up the left side of the hole.

The fourteenth hole.

Approaching the fourteenth green.

The fourteenth green.

Finally, we come to the fifteenth hole. The infamous Moat hole. Before we get to the hole itself, let's get some history. The first island green to exist was at Baltusrol and emerged in 1904 in anticipation of the U.S. Amateur. While it was on a par 4 instead of a par 3, the green was completely encircled by a narrow body of water, just like this one. That hole didn't last long, as it was built over when A.W. Tillinghast did his famous work there. Funny enough, it was deemed to be too easy. However, Mr. Tillinghast must have liked the concept a lot, because he built quite a few island greens in the next few years. Now, reporting from a century ago is sketchy at best, so I'm not entirely sure which island green came first, but this is definitely a strong contender for the title of oldest existing island green.

Anyway, the Moat hole. Originally it was only 130 yards, but apparently a resident pro didn't think a wedge approach to a small green surrounded by a stream was difficult enough, so that pro added a new back tee at a frankly ridiculous 195 yards. That is an incredible task to expect from golfers. Sure, you could move up to the white tees, which are at the original length of the hole, but since the course is only 6,200 yards, quite a few people would have no trouble playing from all the way back. It seems silly to move up for one hole, and besides, there's just something so intriguing about launching a mid or long iron at this green. Would it be better if the back tee was eliminated entirely? Absolutely. But while it's there, you just have to go for it, even though you know you'll probably fail.

The fifteenth hole (aka the Moat hole)

The fifteenth green.

The sixteenth hole is a fairly short par 4, but its 350 yards play uphill the whole way. That's something you'll have to get used to on the three closing holes, after all, you came all the way down on the second hole, and you've got to go back up at some point. I would strongly recommend avoiding the left side of the hole, the green slopes from left to right, and the bunker that guards the left side of the green is not much fun at all.

The sixteenth hole.

Approaching the sixteenth green.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole is 185 yards, but since it plays very uphill, you can count on needing an extra club or two. The green is very difficult to hit, and once you're on it, the surface is absurdly difficult to putt. For whatever reason, the greens on the last two holes are extra undulating, so if you can make a par here, consider yourself lucky.

The seventeenth hole.

The seventeenth green.

You might think that a 480 yard hole without bunkers would be a bit of a pushover, but the eighteenth hole is, to be blunt, quite a handful. For one thing, you have to hit the drive up what can only be called an entire mountain. A good shot will get you to the top of the hill and will provide you with a view of the green. Just watch out going left, there's jungle lurking not too far off the fairway. Even with the 100-foot climb, the green is reachable, but there's no guarantee you'll make a birdie. I've seen some pretty crazy greens in my time, but this one more than holds its own. It's not just that the back is 4 or 5 feet higher than the front, it's the fact that the green manages to all that in such a small area. If you go over the green or end up above the hole, good luck.

There isn't much to see on the final tee.

Approaching the eighteenth green.

The slightly ridiculous eighteenth green.

Galen Hall is not my absolute favorite course in the world, though I think I'd put it in my personal top 10. There are some things I wasn't too thrilled with, namely the speed and size of the greens. They were a bit too fast considering how much they sloped and how small they were. But the course has an undeniable quirk and charm to it, and that's something not many golf courses have. The second, twelfth, and fifteenth holes in particular really stick out. I see some comparison with Copake, both courses are short and not particularly tough from tee to green, but both make up for it by putting an incredible premium on the short game. Given some restoration, Galen Hall could be just as good as Copake is.

Value wise, Galen Hall fits in well with other old Golden Age public courses. It was 30 dollars to play on a Sunday afternoon, which is about right. Not the best, but not the worst. It's a surprisingly tough walk, though, considering it was laid out way before carts were a thing. The clubhouse is something like 200 feet above the course's lowest point, so while I wouldn't recommend a cart, those last three holes can be a burden and aren't the course's strongest point. But otherwise, this is a strong course and I'd recommend playing it if you're in the area.