Omni Bedford Springs Resort - Old Course (Bedford, PA)

Driving from Cleveland, it takes just over three hours to reach Bedford Springs. It’s a straight shot down the Ohio and Pennsylvania turnpikes, and the verdant Allegheny mountains will make it seem like a leisurely Sunday stroll. It’s a step back in time with history oozing from its magical springs. The hotel has been visited by a dozen sitting presidents, and James Buchanan made it the summer White House during his term. The golf course enjoys a history just as rich with names like Oldham, Tillinghast, and Ross. 

Golf has been played at Bedford Springs since 1895. Spencer Oldham staked out the original eighteen holes and in 1907 Tillinghast condensed it to nine. Donald Ross arrived and expanded it back to eighteen holes in 1923.  (This is the second course I’ve seen where both Tillinghast and Ross had a hand in the architecture. Wanango was the first.) After falling on hard times, Bedford Springs was brought back to prominence when Omni purchased it and had Ron Forse restore it 2007. 

(The 310/302 yard par four first hole starts off the round in thrilling fashion. The prudent play is laying up and taking a chance with a short iron but what longer hitter can resist busting it over the bunkers in an attempt to get on or close to the green?) 

Bedford Springs is laid out in a secluded valley with Shobers Run weaving its way through the bottom. The creek’s presence is felt for the entire round as it accompanies the player from the clubhouse to the far end of the property. Typically on terrain like this, most of the holes play on the hillside away from the water, but here it’s embraced with multiple tee boxes close to it. 

(The 192/178 yard par three second hole plays over Shobers Run to a green that is wide open in the front. A flighted ball that covers the hazard can run onto the putting surface.) 

(The 223/212 yard par three fourth is a classic Donald Ross Volcano hole. The green has falloffs on every side and it plays UP-hill! It’s incredibly difficult to hit in regulation, and finding yourself in one of the bunkers is more probable. For aficionados, this may be one of the best holes of its kind.) 

When Ron Forse restored Bedford Springs, his biggest project was revamping Shobers Run. He widened it out and fortified it with natural vegetation. This slows water flow and helps it drain better. Bedford Springs used to be prone to flooding but now water is moved more efficiently downstream. It all adds up to a great setting and relaxing atmosphere that makes the course a wonderful place. 

(The 387/372 yard par four seventh plays in the heart of the valley with the creek fronting the green. It’s a small target with falloffs on the sides.) 

(This is the view of eleven from the back of ten tee. It’s a 467/440 yard par four that plays from an elevated tee box to a wide landing area. Even from this distance, one can tell the green slopes to the front left corner. The beautiful vista down the valley shows off the charm and allure of Bedford Springs.) 

While the valley holes are attractive, the ones that play higher on the slope are the best. 1,4,10,and 18 all have this feature and play to an elevated green while 11 & 14 are the only ones that play downhill from an elevated position. Not surprisingly, three of these six holes are par threes. Tillinghast and Ross were both great at finding engaging one shotters, and I love the fact that two of these are devilish short par threes. 

(The 124/112 yard par three tenth is nearly an island green with steep falloffs everywhere but long. The imposing gap between both hills is accentuated by the bridge spanning the divide. The two tier green demands an excellent shot. Putting from one level to the next will be a challenge.)

(Nicknamed “Tiny Tim”, the 136/129 yard par three fourteenth plays downhill to a green surrounded by trouble. Tillinghast wrote exclusively about this hole in his book. The spring fed pond may prod one into taking an extra club which brings all the bunkers behind the green into play.) 

The other twelve holes play in the valley. If there’s any criticism lobbied towards Bedford Springs then it’s the flatness of these holes. There’s no significant land movement to challenge the player off the tee, so one can drive with impunity. The test comes from hitting the small well bunkered greens. The shoulders extending from the traps strategically tuck the pins into tight areas that require quality shots. Indifferent approaches are left with the same conundrum as one tries to gauge the weight of putting over these features. 

(This photo of fifteen green illustrates just how accurate one must be to have a reasonable birdie opportunity.) 

(The 356/346 yard par four eighteenth hole is well defended off the tee by four sand traps including the serpentine bunker on the right. It’s a short hole so plenty of options exist...
...the green is elevated atop a shelf with two levels of bunkers confusing the ones depth perception. The hotel in the background adds to the confusion making it important to trust ones yardage. The small green has several great pin positions. Birdie is well earned.)  

Bedford Springs is an impressive golf course and makes my short list of best places to play on a day trip. A couple national publications rank it as the second best public course in Pennsylvania. I concur with this only because I’m a huge fan of golden age architecture but I can see another giving that nod to modern layouts like Old Stonewall or Glen Mill. Regardless it’s a top three public course and worthy of the drive. I give Bedford Springs a 7 (great)(worth driving 3-4 hours to play). 

[After the round, we ate at a stone and mortar tavern called Jean Bonnet which dates back to 1790 and the Whiskey Rebellion. The inside is like a scene from Game of Thrones. There are no windows, just a couple fireplaces with cast iron gates to swing a cauldron into the flames. It’s recognized on the National Historical Register.]

Grand View Golf Club (North Braddock, PA)

The word “unique” hooked me. I’d never seen it used before to describe a golf course. I’ve seen the word quirky, which if you ever read Golfclubatlas seems to be the buzzword many aficionados use to seek out interesting places, but never unique. It turned out to be the perfect adjective because this place is unlike any course I’ve seen. 

(The edge of the world 153 yard par three fifth hole captures your attention immediately. The green is literally a ledge flanking off the side of the hill. The abyss left is chocked full of trees with an endless view beyond that ...
...wow is the green really that small or is it an illusion of being next to the hill? Hopefully the wind is not blowing too hard. So many thoughts go through your mind but what an exhilarating feeling watching your ball land on the putting surface!!) 

Nicknamed “The Monster on the Mons,”  Grand View inhabits the top of Matta’s Hill overlooking the Mon Valley. One can see the skyline of downtown Pittsburgh, the Cathedral of Learning, Kennywood, the Edgar Thompson Steel Mill, and other points of interest including the Monongahela River. It actually took me back to when I was in San Francisco and I was on Telegraph Hill where the one side had awe inspiring bay views and the other had jaw dropping city views. 

(The 292 yard par four sixth hole curves against the slope of the hill. The timid have a backstop at their disposal to safely hit but the long hitter can take it over the ravine and drive the green. It’s an exciting hole that can produce a wide variety of scores. Regardless of what you make, the vista behind the green makes everyone a winner.)

Being on a property with this extreme topography, holes are not going to be standard fare. Several dogleg around big slopes with aiming flags stuck high on the hillside. They’re not suggestions either. In fact the further one hits it, the higher one must take it up the slope. Where the ball ends up is the real mystery. A well shaped ball will be fine but overcook it or hit it the wrong way and finding it becomes problematic. 

(This picture perfectly exemplifies the challenges one faces off the tee. One can shape it into the slope or let the ball feed off it. There’s plenty of choices and options.)

On courses of this nature, the par threes should really shine, and here at Grand View they are the showstopper. Two of them are unlike any you’ve see. The fifth is so insane, you won’t believe they placed a green there. Remember the old golf calendars with the fictional crazy holes?! It reminds me of that! Then the fourteenth with its 100’ drop will make you smile from ear to ear. The green sits down in a valley with a rock walls as the background and the fifteenth tee elevated behind it. You literally have to walk to the end of the tee box and jump up to see the pin. How cool is that?! 

(The 125 yard par three ninth is not as intimidating as the fifth. Players can err long and the hill will keep the ball in play. Wind is the real hazard here and the ball will be more exposed since it’s just a short iron or even pitching wedge shot. It’s a definite birdie hole on a calm day.)

(The 154 yard par three fourteenth is an absolute blast! It drops 100’! The tee box is way up there...
...as you make your way down the hill, the green comes into view. Being atop the hill for the entire front nine and the first few holes on the back, this drop into the valley really catches you off guard. It’s a terrific change of scenery.)

The holes on the very top of Matta’s Hill are more traditional. Both ten and eighteen are par fives that have plenty of width. The eleventh is a solid par three that plays on top too. I like the change of pace on the back as it works it’s way down before plunging completely on the par three fourteenth. These expansive views all of a sudden become intimate. It’s a cool twist as the fifteenth plays in a tight canyon of rock before clawing it’s way back up on the black diamond slope called the sixteenth. 

(The 350 yard fifteenth plays in one of tightest corridors I’ve seen. Rock outcroppings on both sides hem in the fairway like a ribbon. A bunker fronts the green making the long iron, because you hit a conservative shot off the tee, even more exacting.) 

(Most of the back nine overlooks the neighborhood and town of Braddock.)

Grand View is never going to win over the pencil and paper type. It does too many things that go against the established rules of design. But for most golfers who just want to have fun, this place provides for an intoxicating ride. All these years reading about quirky little courses all over the British Isles, I found one right here at home. It’s only two hours away. 

(The third green overlooks Kennywood’s Steel Curtain roller coaster.) 

Over the past several years, Golf has seen a metamorphosis. Par three courses are all the rage, nine holers are deemed the elixir to the time crunch, and places like TopGolf and indoor golf are as popular as ever. This knowledge gives me confidence in recommending a course that’s far from traditional. I have no trepidation in my opinion.  It’s an absolute blast to play. I give Grand View a 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play). It’s “Uniquely Pittsburgh!”

 

Bear Slide Golf Club ( Cicero, IN)

Bear Slide was designed by PGA Tour winner Dean Refram in 1989. It would be understandable if a gluttony of long tenacious par fours was the main challenge, but Refram’s appreciation of mastering all the shots boldly shows with a wonderful routing that showcases three short two shotters on the last eight holes. . 

(The 583/523 yard par five thirteenth has multiple options to the green. A central bunker complex forces your hand in taking a risk to obtain a good angle. The route to the water’s edge is unprotected but the third shot is over the hazard.For those who keep it on the upper plateau, a clear view is afforded into the green.) 

Bear Slide has two distinctly different nines. The front is built on farmland and is heavily mounded while the back is more traditional and plays between trees and Bear Slide Creek. Several tough par fours do the heavy lifting on the front but the two holes that I enjoyed the most were six and eight. Both have really cool greens. Six is a par three and the eight is a par five. Six teeters against a slope with a bunker cut into a ridge that hides the putting surface. It’s an interesting visual that will make one second guess the shape to hit off the tee. The eighth has a green that is long and narrow. The grass bunker guarding it looks like a hazard that can cause havoc. Only on a course that was supposed to be private would one find a putting surface like this. 

(The 494/453 yard par four fifth plays uphill to crowned green that is elusive to hit in regulation. Players will often be chipping or pitching to it. Note the fall offs near the edges. This is more like a par five green than a par four.)

(The 469/409 yard par four seventh has a green that sits above a shallow valley. It’s a long iron to this somewhat elevated green. There’s just enough room on the right to land it next to the sand and have it bounce on.) 

(The 533/514 yard par five eighth has one of my favorite greens. The back left corner is very small. I can see differing strategies between a front and rear pin. The picture fails to show the dynamic grass bunker fronting it.)

The back nine stands out, in my opinion, because of the three short par fours. Instead of looking to stretch out the yardage, Refram looked to change up the challenge. I love holes like these. They give the most pleasure to the most amount of people. Good players have to decide how aggressive they want to be, and momentum can begin or end on them. 

(The 344/331 yard par four eleventh doglegs right to an elevated green up the hill. A creek and bunker guard the direct approach line. One best be in the proper position in the fairway otherwise it’s a very tight window. Note how narrow the front portion of the green is. Today’s pin is not easily accessible.) 

(The 337/325 yard par four fifteenth is possibly my favorite hole on the course. Long hitters can take a rip at the green, but for short hitters like myself, it’s a blast carrying over both creeks! The reward is a wedge while laying back is a mid iron. Eagle birdie bogey or double, it’s all possible!! What a fun hole!) 

(The uphill 376/368 yard seventeenth might not actually be a short par four, but one can cut off yardage by challenging the inside corner. I think the original green was just over the bunker, but a new green is fifty yards deeper. The original must’ve been a bear to hit. It’s small...
...the new one is beautifully situated atop a knoll. The approach can be anywhere from 125-175 yards depending on the line from the tee. Such a disparity can change the complexity of the shot. Birdie is well earned.) 

The back nine also has superb terrain. There’s a good deal of elevation change and Bear Slide Creek (which gives the course its name) twists and turns throughout. Several wooden bridges help traverse the property and add texture to the landscape. The best part of the property is just behind the clubhouse, and it’s no coincidence that ten tee, sixteen green, seventeen tee, and eighteen green all are in viewing distance of the pro shop. It’s an old school routing. 

(The view of the sixteenth hole from the clubhouse. It’ll definitely whet your appetite before the round.) 

(The 449/422 yard par four eighteenth hole is a brutal finisher. The elevated tee plays down into the valley before stretching uphill to the amphitheater green. The creek dominates the view and adds a few degrees of difficulty to an intimidating shot. A poor drive lays back 100 yards from the green. Note how the line approaching on the left must carry all the way to the putting surface. A four is a great score.) 

Bear Slide has received plenty of national and regional recognition, and is routinely listed as one of the top ten public courses in Indiana. I feel if the entire course was like the back nine then it would have a chance to be a top 100 public course nationally. The front nine however doesn’t differentiate itself from the other great courses that surround Indianapolis. I give Bear Slide a 6 (very good)(worth driving two hours to play). 

(The 186/166 par three sixth green is partially hidden by this bunker and the ridge its located in. The green slopes from front left to back right.)