Golfing throughout the United States, I really didn’t expect to be introducing a course with a castle… but… then along came Olde Stonewall…
The introduction to Olde Stonewall is the towering clubhouse. It dominates the setting – an imposing 33,000-square-foot gray castle high above, with pennants flying from the turrets. And as you climb the wide staircase and look up, you can almost see the armored archers standing guard duty at the battlements high atop the ivied walls.
The Great Doors beckon – two massive solid oak doors, 11 feet high and four inches thick, at 800 pounds each so heavy, they had to be mounted on hydraulic lifts. The decorative hinges and bolted locks are of hand-tooled copper, rich with patina. A steady pull on the dragon handle, and the door eases open, and you step onto the bluestone floors and into centuries past.
Golfing at a course with a castle, I didn’t really expect the castle to take a back seat; however, this course really seems to have it all. I’ve played many tiered greens, but terraced fairways??? That’s a little new…
They hit all the marks for awards and recognition as well, for example:
- In Golf Magazine, “Top Ten New Courses 1999.”
- In Golfweek, “America’s Best Courses, State-by-State.”
- In Golf Digest’s rankings, “Number One Public Course in the State,” “Best Courses in the State,” and “America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses.”
Lest you think the name is just about the castle, there are some 750,000 tons of stone scattered throughout the course in the form of picturesque walls and in-course features…
Nor is the course one dimensional, elevated tees (like the “above the tree tops” shot below) and a green protected by about 270 degrees of water highlight some of the playing features of this tremendous track. Pennsylvania will be day 33, and should really be a one of a kind experience!
PS, if all that wasn’t enough… I figure if it’s good enough for this cat…
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