Longue Vue Golf Club (Verona, PA)

Longue Vue is a Robert White course located just outside of Pittsburgh. My friend Frank was a member there, and I had the pleasure of playing it. Frank was very proud of Longue Vue, and even though he lived in Concord, he worked in Pittsburgh Monday thru Friday, and thus kept his membership.

He loved golf course architecture as much as me, one reason why he played Manakiki every wknd, and he wanted me to see what he felt was one of the finest courses in Pennsylvania. 

Longue Vue starts with a solid uphill par four that doglegs around a sideslope that drops into a valley. 

It's a pretty simple strategy. Find the natural feature and use it. Then the second does the exact opposite, a downhill left to right par four. 

All the inside angles are covered by bunkers, so the line of charm which is to cut the corner demands a daring shot. It takes discipline to hit out to the left and play in from there. 

The third is a Redan par three played over a large ravine. Typically on this type of template hole, the shot would be to the front right so the slope can propel it left towards the pin locations. 

However you really can't do that here. In the middle of the green in the front is a bowl. I recall my ball finishing here, and unless the pin is there, putting up to the other hole locations is difficult. Also, a back left pin is like on it's own separate tier. It's not a true Redan in my opinion, but it's still a great par three!! 

The fourth follows with spectacular views off the tee and to the green! It's a grand par five!! It plays downhill and turns left with traps guarding the left and a near cliff to the right. 

For the long hitter, it's reachable in two, the risks being very visible. For most players, it's a three shot hole. I holed out of the greenside trap for birdie, a shot that made Frank shake his head. 

The fifth is the Eden hole. A template par three with a strong back to front sloped green that makes being in the bunkers on either side a very difficult recovery. 

The hole plays uphill and anything short will roll down the fairway. Even if the tee shot finds the putting surface, the putt is usually a big bender unless it's directly below the cup. The sixth follows with a good par four that banks off the hill around a deep ravine. The player who can fade the ball off the slope will have a flat lie from the fairway. 

Unfortunately the large tree on the right influences the second shot, and the player must contend with it by cutting the ball into the green. It's purpose is to punish drives missed to the right but it's long branches gets those in the fairway too. 

The seventh is a short par four whose fairway is severely sloped to the right. Being familiar with Pittsburgh, I'm not surprised that the course would eventually transverse this type of terrain. White did a good job making this playable, but it's still an awkward drive and approach. 

Longue Vue is a continuous eighteen holes, but if one decides to only play nine, then there is a shortcut where one walks on the entrance road (eight tee plays over it) and plays a par three whose green is in the far end of the driving range, then plays another par three where the green is at far end of the range tee box. It's the coolest thing I've ever seen on a golf course!!

Now getting back to eight. It's a parfive that plays over more sloped land. 

The main challenge is hitting the second shot with the ball below your feet. If you can, then it's reachable in two. However, playing it safe should give the player a real good chance for birdie. All in all, a beautiful golf hole! 

The ninth is a long par four that plays across a ravine and rumbles all the way to the green. Not a single bunker is needed to protect this hole, a sure sign how strong Robert White felt the hole was. 

The tenth hole is the Tillinghast hole. On his visit, he recommended this change, making this a par three instead of a short par four. Longue Vue put the new greensite in, and instantly had a classic. 

This par three plays right over the edge of a ravine, sloping from high left to low right. Standing on the tee, it's the most intimidating shot on the course. Bailing out left leaves a very testy chip. It's a perfect example how a new set of eyes can envision something not seen before. (Also it's why Tilly is one of the best architects ever) 

The result of that change is a very awkward eleventh, a longish par four that reverse cambers all the way to the green. The driving area is blind, and so is the approach. It's the only hole I dislike. I guess the real question goes back to the tenth. Was it worth it?  

The golfer is faced with another par three at twelve, and like the others, it's a shot across a ravine. 

 This green is fully visible from the tee, and instead of working the ball into a slope, the player has contouring that can be a bit more difficult to handle. Needless to say, there's a look of similarity between the one shotters, something only a miser would complain about. 

Thirteen follows, and from the tee, doesn't distinguish itself as a first class hole. As the player approaches his ball to hit the second shot, he will notice just how cool this hole is! And this  Alps/punchbowl green will have him smiling! 

The green is hidden by a large wall of rough, and on the other side is big punchbowl! Hitting your shot requires guessing the yardage, and figuring out which slope to use to your advantage. It has to be one of best holes at Longue Vue! 

After such a great hole, one will forgive if the next is one is bit of a letdown. It's not a poor one, just not as interesting as what had been presented so far. It's a long par four, and will present it's own challenge to make a par. Of course when you get to fifteen tee, that letdown will not have lasted long! This spectacular par five plays straightaway with traps and endless views the entire length. 

Like four, it can be reached in two, but when a lost ball is a possibility, playing it safe is the best play. 

The sixteenth is the final par three, but instead of hitting over a ravine, this one plays over a rise to a hidden green where only the flagstick is visible. There's fairway short of the green so a low runner can find the putting surface.  

The last two holes are long par fours. This strong finish will keep the pressure on all the way to the end. 

Seventeen is a well designed hole that plays across the hill and goes to the left. Then the player finishes on one of the finest ending holes. The drive is over the crest of the hill, and when the player arrives to his ball, a glorious view awaits! 

The fairway tumbles down the hill, twisting at the end into the green. The clubhouse dominates the shot, a wow moment that makes one realize how much fun Longue Vue is! The second shot is either flown all the way to the pin, or out to the right to allow the slope to take it onto the green. It's awesome! 

Longue Vue is a great golf course. It's hard to believe that hardly anyone knows it's here! I guess courses like Oakmont and Fox Chapel get most of the attention, and rightfully so, but this place makes one appreciate just how good the golf is in Pittsburgh! I give Longue Vue a 7 (great).