During the U.S. Open two weeks ago, it was announced that the 2016 Open will be held at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pa.
Coincidently, I was heading to Pennsylvania for a journalism conference in Pittsburgh.
After the destination is chosen for any of the vacations I take, the first thing I do is whip open the latest edition of Zagat American’s Top Golf Courses.
I’d have time for one round and Oakmont was pretty much out of the realm of reality, though it’s listed in Zagat. I viewed several courses listed in the Pittsburgh area and was stopped in my tracks when I spotted the description for Olde Stonewall, a public course that opened in 1999. The course has been quick to garner national status from the most reputable golf publications, including Top Public Course in Pennsylvania and a listing among the Top 100 Greatest Public Courses in America, several years running, according to Golf Digest.
A 45-minute drive north of Pittsburgh, Stonewall is situated in taciturn farm country in Ellwood City. It’s easy to get lost on the way out to the course, but when you drive by the clubhouse, you know you’ve found the right spot. Yeah, it’s the one with the castle, which also houses a restaurant.
The clubhouse is a magnificent, towering site. Owner Richard Hvizdak spared no expense and stuck with his reported influence, Medieval Times. Reportedly, more than 600 million pounds of stone were brought in from a neighboring quarry to complete the project.
The attention to detail takes you to another era: from car to clubhouse, it’s hard to miss the moat, knights in shining armor, and hand-crafted dragon doorknobs on heavy, 12-foot high doors. The dressing room has dozens of animal heads of wild game. It’s otherworldly.
The course is an amazing, sprawling landscape that is wide open on the front nine and takes you up into the hills for some breathtaking vistas and challenges on the back nine. Holes 12-16 were among the best I’ve ever played. There’s plenty of sand, elevation changes and greens that hold well but roll fast with some good break.
Due to the course’s relative isolation, green fees ($160) and the area’s drastic weather change during winter, the course doesn’t get a ton of play. That said, it’s in fantastic shape. I played alone and finished my round in three hours, but wanted to stay longer. I even contemplated a replay, but other commitments wouldn’t allow that. I will return if I’m ever in Pittsburgh again.
For me, the 14th hole was the showstopper. It’s 164 yards from the whites, with an elevated tee box. The par-3 hole has two greenside ponds, one fully of lilly pads and the other housing several orange Koi. The backdrop is stunning.
And hole Nos. 13, 15 and 16 were also amazing. It’s a beautiful mixture of flowing streams, ponds, carries and the greenest trees you’ll see.
There are several carries on the course, which you probably wouldn’t want to walk. The holes are quite far apart and each is another world of paradise.
This course won’t ever host the Open. It can’t facilitate a crowd of such magnitude and isn’t very walkable, but it’s definitely an Open-caliber course, play-wise. What a challenge!
It’s 7,103 yards from the tips (called Epic) with a 147 slope and 74.3 rating. From the black tees (Medieval) it’s 6,681 with a 144 slope and 72.4 rating. The whites (Stonewall), perfect for my game, sat at 6,200 yards with a 140 slope and 70.1 rating.
I putted poorly, and struggled with the irons on my rental clubs to finish with a 105. The GPS couldn’t help me find my seven lost balls. Still, it was the most memorable 105 I’ve shot. Simply amazing.
