Horsham Valley Golf Club

215-646-4707

500 Babylon Road, Ambler, Pa 19002

Brief Description:  Public course, 18 holes, par 66, tight fairways, lots of pine trees, water comes into play on a few holes.  Pro shop and bar on site.

General Washington Country Club

610-666-7600

2750 Egypt Rd, Audubon, Pa

Brief Description:  Challenging course-featuring doglegs that require accuracy to reach most greens.

Mermaid Lake Swim and Golf Club

610-275-9191

1002 Jolly Rd., Blue Bell, Pa 19422

Brief Description:  Par 3 9-hole course and mini golf course.

Downingtown Golf Club

610-269-2000

85 Country Club Dr., Downingtown, Pa 19335

Brief Description:  Public course, 18 holes, par 72, challenging course with open fairways.  On site practice facility including putting green as well as pro shop.

Clayton Park Golf Course

610-459-4510

Chonochester Hwy. Route 32, Glen Mills, Pa 19342

Brief Description:  Public course, 18 holes, par 60.  Tree-lined course featuring both open and tight fairways.

Macoby Run

215-541-0161

5275 McLean Station Rd., Green Lane, Pa 18054

Brief Description:  Public course, 18 holes, par 72.  The front nine features elevations changes and the back nine consists of open fairways.  Includes pro shop and dining lounge.

Valley Forge Golf Club

610-337-1776

401 N. Gulph Rd., King of Prussia, Pa

Brief Description:  Public course, 18 holes, par 72.  Open fairways and slight elevation changes make this a course for all skill levels.  Also on site is the Julian Krinsky Golf School which is an indoor year round training facility.

Middletown Country Club

215-757-6943

420 N. Bellvue Ave., Langhorne, Pa 19047

Brief Description:  Public course, 18 holes, par 72.  Challenging and professional layout.  Pro shop, practice facility, restaurant and bar.

Paxon Hollow Golf Course

610-353-0220

850 Paxton Hollow Rd., Media, Pa 19063

Brief Description:  Public course, 18 holes, par 71.  Hilly and wooded course with tight challenging fairways including 6 holes featuring water hazards.  Pro shop on site.

Bob Thatcher’s Old Masters

4600 West Chester Pike, Newtown Square, Pa

Brief Description:  Public course, 9 holes

Par Breakers Golf Academy & Indoor Driving Range

610-666-9000

99 Brower Ave., Oaks, Pa 19456

Brief Description:  Indoor driving range provides group clinics as well as private lessons and summer camps.

Wyncote Golf Club

610-932-8900

50 Wyncote Dr., Oxford, Pa 19363

Brief Description:  Semi-private, 18 holes, par 72.  Links style golf with pot bunkers guarding most greens.  Practice facility on site as well as restaurant and bar.

Walnut Lane Golf Club

215-482-3370

800 Walnut Lane, Philadelphia, Pa 19128

Brief Description:  Public course, 18 holes, par 62.  The hilly terrain demands precision shots.  Great views of the city throughout the course.

John F. Byrne Golf Course

215-632-8666

9500 Lyon St., Philadelphia, Pa 19114

Brief Description:  Public course, 18 holes, par 67.  Difficult elevation changes highlight this course located in a scenic river valley.  The Torresdale Creek cuts through half the holes, coming into play.

Franklin D. Roosevelt Golf Course

215-462-8997

20^th and Pattison Ave., Philadelphia, Pa 19145

Brief Description:  Public course, 18 holes, par 69.  Wide open layout with great views of the Philadelphia skyline.

Cobbs Creek Golf Club

215-877-8707

72^nd and Lansdowne Ave., Philadelphia, Pa 19151

Brief Description:  Public Course, 36 holes.  One of the oldest and most popular golf destinations in the area.  Features two challenging 18 hole courses.

Pickering Valley Golf Club

610-933-2223

450 S. White Horse Rd., Phoenixville, Pa 19460

Brief Description:  Public Course, 18 holes, par 72.  Water hazards and bunkers litter this challenging course featuring multiple changes in terrain.  Pro shop is on site.

Meadow Brook Golf Club

610-933-2929

1416 State Rd., Phoenixville, Pa 19460

Brief Description:  Public course, 18 holes, par 74.  The course uses two layouts on a 9 hole course to create 18 holes.  Pro shop and banquet facilities on site.

Springfield Country Club

610-543-9860

400 West Sproul Rd., Springfield, Pa

Brief Description:  Public course, 18 holes, par 72.  The course features wide-open fairways and water hazards on several holes.  Pro shop and restaurant are on site.

Warminster 5 Ponds Golf Course

215-956-9727

1225 West Street Rd., Warminster, Pa 18974

Brief Description:  Public course, 18 holes, par 72.  Rolling hills, varied terrain and water hazards highlight this course which features a pro shop and snack bar.

PhilColesGolfGuy.wordpress.com

Mission Statement:  This web site is designed as a place for young men to find out what’s going on at the golf courses in the Lehigh and Delaware Valley’s.  We also look forward to providing the best deals in golf, whether it is greens fees or golf gear; we want to hook you up for less, because golf is not just a game for yuppies.

Who is this site for?

This site is a place for people who are passionate about the game of golf but have a limited amount of money to spend on it, like me.  Our target audience is young men, ages 16-34 who like sports, obviously like to golf, like to look good golfing (not necessarily mechanically, but as the saying goes, if you look good, you feel good, and you play good), like to have a good time on the golf course (anyone interested in the best courses to drink on?) and live in the Southeastern corner of Pennsylvania.  It’s not that our target demographic is broke, but like everyone else these days, we are looking for the best deals we can find.(And there are a ton of great deals out there)

What can you expect from this site?

Our audience can expect to find the best deals on golf courses in the Southeastern Pa region.  We are in regular contact with area courses to find out about promotions, reduced greens fees, course construction and area events.  We will provide golf course analysis, with our target audience in mind.  We will provide the information on the latest golf gear including: golf tools that will help you get the ball in the hole in fewer strokes, golf outer wear to keep you looking good even if your game doesn’t, and golf accessories to enhance your enjoyment of the game.  We will provide a comprehensive list of area golf courses with links to their sites to make it easy to find a course near you.  We will be your one stop shop for golf course locations in Southeastern Pa.  With our target audience in mind, we will ranks the best golf courses in the area in regards to afforadability, course layout and upkeep, as well as the best 19^th holes.

Editorial Calendar

Dec. 1, 2009- Our comprehensive list of area golf courses complete with hyperlinks to course websties and contact information.

Jan. 15, 2010-Winter golf guide- A breakdown of all the area courses that offer winter golf including their rates and course playability.

March 15, 2010- Area golf season preview-what courses underwent construction, rate raises and decreases.

April 15, 2010- Golf fashion- The best looks for your budget. (because you have to look good, right?)

May 1, 2010- Golf gear- The best of the new golf equipment, for the budget saavy, of course.

Weekly and Daily Content:

Course Reviews

Product Analysis

Best 19^th Holes

Golf Stories from golfers

Distribution Method and Frequency

We will post weekly during the off-season (Nov. 15-March 15) and daily in-season (March 16-Nov. 14)

Our content is delivered via website, www.philcolesgolfguy.wordpress.com.  Our special features, which are listed on our editorial calendar, will feature multiple posts from several contributors.

Advertising

To advertise with us, please contact Phil Coles directly at coles.phil@gmail, to discuss ad rates.

Future Plans

We expect to be the source of information for area golfers who enjoy the game, even if they shoot in the 100’s.  With the growth of our site, we plan on hiring more writers to deliver more information.  With our growth we will be able to play more courses and give our audience accurate course information, first hand.

My sister’s fiance called me up last week and told me he had won a free tee-time to play Bensalem Country Club on Saturday.  I had to decide whether to play golf or to spend the day with my girlfriend, normally a no-brainer, but it also happened to be her birthday.  So I did what any good man and golf junkie would do, I accepted the invitation.  Here are some quick facts about the golf course:

-Par 70, 18 holes, about 6100 yards from the blue tees

-Course was designed by William Gordon who also designed Saucon Valley Country Club.

-The greens are huge and fast, even though we played through a pretty steady rain until hole 10.  Definitely a good challenge.

-Weekend rates are $55 to ride if you’re a non-resident-which seems a bit outrageous to me.  It’s a nice golf course, no doubt, but I don’t think anybody should have to pay more than $40 to play a public  course.

-The course was crazy crowded for a Saturday in October and we waited 15 minutes past our 9:27 tee-time to get started.  On the second-hole, after the starter saw me duff my tee shot about 60 yards straight down the middle, he came over to me and told me I needed to hurry up, “You guys need to play ready golf today,” he growled at me.  The last thing I want after I embarass myself with a horrible shot that almost had me exposing my beans is to have an old man tell me to hurry up because the older men behind me don’t want to watch some 27-year-old whipper-snapper screw up again.  Meanwhile we waited while the “club members” wiped down their golf clubs meticulously clean after every shot.  Seriously, we waited for 10 minutes on every hole.  You can tell this guy pissed me off.

-This leads me to my biggest gripe about area golf this summer.  I felt rushed way too much.  I don’t know the proper time between tee-times, but it seems to me the courses are not allowing enough time.  It makes below-average golfers like myself feel too rushed.

-Cranky starter aside, the golf course was in great condition and was a pleasure to play.  A good amount of trees line the fairway and force you to hit your tee shots straight.  Most greens are drivable in two.  Not a lot of places to take chances unless you can hit it 300 yards off the box.  There’s not too much sand on the course, which helps my game out.

-I give it 2 and half golf clubs out of 5- mainly for being overpriced.  If the course was $20 cheaper I would give it a 5.

-Here’s the link to the course for more information-www.bensalemtownshipcountryclub.com/index.html

Patiently waiting for your golf balls...