A story like this should make the golf course irrelevant, except Bobby Weed designed what many consider to be the best public golf course in Phillidelphia. It is laid out over a pretty rugged stretch of property highlighted by a creek, severe elevation change, and beautiful views of the countryside.
I have never played a Bobby Weed course before so I was quite excited to play Glen Mills. The holes that I liked the most were the ones in the open. The first five holes and several holes on the back fit this profile. The ones that were forced into the tight corridors lacked options and were inferior.
Being a protege of Pete Dye, I knew the bunkered side of the fairway was usually the best angle into the green. The first five reaffirmed that notion and I loved the width given to the player. One had a tilt in the fairway from right to left. The bunkers were edged into the hillside on the right, and if the player could turn his ball over then the tilt would run the ball down to a a very short distance from the green. The second had even more advantage. The line over the far left trap, which was more manageable than I knew, left an unhindered shot into the green. I was on the right side, and a cluster bunker blocked my view, forcing me to hit over it and judge the distance to the flag. It was a great hole. The best on the front in my opinion.
Four was a serpentine par five that went straight, turned left, and then went back right. From tee to green, it was basically straight, but Weed felt that was too simple. The guys in my foursome praised it, but I wasn't fond of it. It made the second shot more interesting for the modest hitter, but the longer player is playing it straight regardless. Five is then a nice looking par three downhill with a large bunker fronting the green. The trap is elevated above the putting surface, so the key is to just carry the sand, and let ball funnel to the hole.
Now this is where things get a little weird. Six is flat out not a good hole. It's too tight and the land is too severe. The hole doglegs right with a tree guarding the inside corner. If you can't carry the tree or cut it around, then the play is to the left up on the hill and hope it comes down. The second shot is even crazier. Anything even slightly right kicks into the hazard. And if the ball didn't kick off the hill, then that's most likely where the ball will go on the second. The options are really limited.
The seventh is then a 220+ yard par three uphill. 
The kick plate on the left looks like a great place to aim, but if the ball stays up then there is no chance to up n down for par. Hit short and play for a chip or pitch is a viable option, or flat out hit right over the trap. It was a really good par three.
The eighth followed with a grossly poor short par four. I didn't understand it, and being in the rough in the right was better than the fairway. I was asking myself where are these holes coming from?! Great holes interspersed with some lousy ones.
The back followed that same trend. Ten was an awesome par downhill par three. 
Gorgeous views of the valley, a large green with a couple tiers, and a exciting tee shot. This is what you want to find! Great hole!!
Then comes eleven.... This is a love/hate type of hole. It's beautiful, tough... and very very tight. 
Options are really limited on eleven. Where the 150 marker is positioned marks the widest part of the fairway. Hit it here and hit the approach. Players who try to get too much are the ones who make double and triple bogey. The sad part is this hole gets a lot of attention as being one of the best at Glen Mills, yet I find it to be over the top. Twelve is pretty much just like it. The fairway is literally only ten yards wide, if you choose or can't carry it up and over the fairway traps. 
The player who can carry the traps is hitting into a wide fairway. 
And if you look closely at the pic above, you'll notice what I call the wall, where a long ball (or my second shot) can tumble down onto the green. Maybe my partners didn't explain the hole very well to me, or I would have chosen to drive the ball over the sand, but the layup option is ridiculous.
13-16 are the best holes on the back. Thirteen was a wonderful long par four. 
Not for the faint of heart, the drive is right over the bunker. The longer player can take it left and try to carry more of the hazard. The approach is then straightforward with a single trap guarding the right side. Along with ten, my second favorite hole on the course. Fourteen is then a beautiful par three with rhe green elevated at an angle atop a rock ledge. 
I read where someone called it a Redan, but it is not. There's little slope on the right to propel the ball left. I felt the play was an extra club hit at the hole. My ball hit into the slope and spun off. Fortunately I was able to up n down for par. I played a simple chip with an open wedge. I think that settled my opinion. Redan it is not.
Fifteen is a great par five with one crazy green. Well, I guess a barritz on any hole would be labeled crazy. The front and back tiers are divided by a deep, and I mean deep, swale. Putting from out of the swale is very difficult. I was in awe because I never seen this type of green. I wish I could ve played several balls. It would've been fun. Sixteen is the last of this sequence of holes. 
It's a beautiful setting, played across the only pond on the course, and was fun shot to hit. Being a short iron, I thought it was a birdie opportunity too.
The last two holes went back to the very narrow tactic. Seventeen is a sub 500 yard par five but the fairway has got to be less than twenty yards. It was just boring in my opinion. And eighteen followed up with a hole that didn't incorporate all the qualities found in the previous ones. Nonetheless, it's a long par four and the drive has to challenge the bunker to gain the best angle to the green.
Off the top of my head, I didn't think Glen Mills was better than Olde Stonewall which I just played a few weeks beforehand. I liked individual holes much more, but overall, the poor holes stood out at Glen Mills. As a course said to be Phillidelphia s best, I still thought it was a very good golf course. I would not hesitate to play it again. I give Glen Mills a 6 (very good) rating.
(Golfweek has it rated as #5 in state of Pennsylvania.)
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