South Mountain Golf Course Tour

The History of South Mountain Golf Course

In 1921, a group of doctors at the near by South Mountain Sanatorium built three holes for a recreation area so patients could use golf as therapy. Six more holes were added between 1930-31.

The course remained in that state --- nine holes, each with a sand "green" -- until 1964 when the land passed to what is now the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources, then it sat idle for three years.

In 1967 a local group leased the land from the state and opened the course for play again in 1968. Greens fees for the day were $2.00.

Between 1975 and 1985 the group, South Mountain Golf Course Inc. Gradually gussied up the course. It built nine new greens -- using grass this time instead of sand -- and constructed new tees and a new clubhouse, which was remodeled again in 2007.

Over the last few years more changes have been made -- this time to the layout. No. 1 was changed from a short par 5 into a par 4 and a par 3. No. 7 (par 3) and 8 (par 4) became a par 5.

Now the finish is more difficult, with a short but testy par 3 (No. 7), a dogleg left par 5 (No. 8) and straight finishing hole with a tough green to hit (No. 9).

Because of the difficulty of the last three holes, they have been called "Hells Corner". One customer even put up a sign naming it that at the tee box of the seventh hole.

Best Hole: No. 6, a dog leg par 5 with yardages of 458, 430 and 385.

From an elevated tee, the landing area is huge. But if you hit it too far left, you have no shot at the green and too far right, will put you into some pine trees. The hole turns to the left and all along the left side are large trees you have to avoid. The small green is elevated and it's hard to get an approach to stick.

 

___________________________________________________________