OF THE EARLIEST GOLF CLUBS in the United States, Philmont Country Club opened in 1906 when prominent businessmen with nationally recognized names like Gimbel and Strawbridge decided to build a country club. Its location on the Reading Railroad line made it easily accessible to the titans of Philadelphia industry. Originally offering nine holes, the course later expanded to 36, forming the North and South courses. Concert Golf recently purchased Philmont, bringing the capital and infrastructure investment needed to restore and enhance the North Course.
Before Concert’s involvement, the South Course suffered from neglect and overgrowth. With new investment, significant tree pruning and selective removals will open sightlines and restore the original character. Bunkers are slated to be rebuilt in keeping with Willie Park Jr.’s 1923 design revisions. Park, a prolific golf course designer, club and ball maker, and writer, twice won the U.S. Open; his Sunningdale Old Course southwest of London is widely regarded as one of the world’s finest.
For Philmont’s centennial the club produced a thoughtful commemorative volume, Philmont Country Club: The First Hundred Years, which I read from cover to cover and found both informative and nostalgic.
I teed up one clear day, June 14, with Chris “Yammi” Ottaunick, Lucky Bob Hancock and Paul Gosselin to see how the course played. After an enjoyable lunch at the clubhouse grill and a few warmup shots on the driving range, we set out for an afternoon round.
HOLE 2 | 415 yards, par 4
From the tee this hole presents a surprisingly narrow fairway, and without prior course knowledge the line to the green is deceptive. There’s a pond short of the green that forces commitment or a conservative layup. Our drives were solid, but Bob and I misjudged approach shots and found the water. Yammi and Paul avoided trouble and posted the best scores; the hole would play very differently with experience and local knowledge.
HOLE 3 | 160 yards, par 3
After recovering from the previous hole, I struck an 8-iron that carried well and held the green — leaving a good birdie opportunity. The tee shot is blind, but the green’s multiple bunkers define the landing area and demand accuracy. Paul and Bob struggled to find the putting surface while Yammi hit a tidy shot behind mine. The green’s subtle undulations took birdie chances away, and a par was a welcome result after the water on No. 2.
HOLE 5 | 439 yards, par 4
Paul and I hit excellent drives, his just a bit longer. Yammi and Bob didn’t find the fairway initially; both topped their tee shots, leaving awkward lies near a creek bed. Yammi recovered with a strong second to get back in play, while Bob battled back with a bold 3-wood that landed him behind the creek and led to a string of challenging shots. The hole climbs to a green guarded by large bunkers and, because of the elevation change, the green is hidden from the fairway. Yammi and I salvaged bogeys; Paul’s approach missed left, costing his chance at par.
HOLE 9 | 574 yards, par 5
This closing hole of the front nine is a true test. It doglegs severely right and the fairway narrows with tall trees lining both sides. Reaching the green in two is practically impossible. I clipped a tree on my second shot and struggled from there. Paul’s second ball hugged the left trees while Yammi and Bob’s drives pushed a bit too far right, leaving difficult angles around a rising fairway toward the clubhouse. The hole produced no heroics for us — two bogeys and two double bogeys — and felt like Willy Park’s design giving a wry smile.
PHOTO: © FRANCIS X. GALLAGHER
HOLE 11 | 245 yards, par 3
After a solid warmup on No. 10, I hit a 5-wood that found the green, surprising everyone. This long par 3 is played from an elevated tee to a slightly higher green and is protected by bunkers front-left and front-right. The green itself is generous, but Yammi overcooked his tee shot and sent it left onto the Hole 12 tee box, turning what should have been a routine hole into a comedy of errors and eventually a par 6 for him. The rest of the group came up a touch short, finishing with bogeys, while I missed a short birdie putt and settled for par.
HOLE 14 | 488 yards, par 4
A long uphill par 4 where carding a 5 is a respectable outcome. The fairway doglegs right fairly early, so placement off the tee is crucial. A well-placed drive left in the fairway sets up an approach of more than 200 yards, which few of us managed. We relied on chipping and scrambling to save par on this, the course’s second-most difficult hole.
HOLE 18 | 394 yards, par 4
The finishing hole offers a fine view of the clubhouse, but it demands accurate ball striking. I missed my drive to the right, fortunately avoiding the trees but losing angle and distance. Yammi and Bob hunted for drives with the carts and tracked balls farther right, adding to the chaos. With the fairway sloping left to right most tee shots finish on the right side, and the green at No. 18 is one of the smaller surfaces on the property, so precision is essential. After a couple of chips I reached the green and we finished with some routine putting. It was a satisfying end to a round that showcased Philmont’s classic architecture and the work needed to preserve its character.