#95 Top 100 USA Classic (Golfweek)
The Philadelphia school of architecture has always been a phrase I’ve read but never conceptualized until I had the opportunity to see William Flynn’s Mill Spring course. It sits on a robust piece of property with a bold routing that flows naturally over the most dramatic parts. Instead of eschewing the slopes and the abrupt rise and fall of the ridgeline, the fairways plunge, scale, and slide across them. It’s a conscientious decision to get the most out of the golfer and promote a strong repertoire of shots.
(The 601/535 yard par five third was the finishing hole during the 1939 U.S. Open. Sam Snead needed par to win, bogey to tie, but believed he needed a birdie. He found two traps on his way to the green ultimately making a triple bogey eight to miss the playoff by two strokes.)
Philadephia Country Club was established in 1890 and is one of the six founding members of the USGA. In 1899 it held the U.S. Women’s Amateur on the Bala course (Ruth Underhill 2&1 over Margaret Fox). The club decided they needed a new championship course and moved to their present day location where William Flynn and Howard Toomey designed the Spring Mill course in 1927. Twelve years later, it hosted the U.S. Open (1939). Byron Nelson won in two eighteen hole playoffs over Denny Shute and Craig Wood. The U.S. Women’s Amateur came in 2003 where Thailand native Virada Nirapathpongporn won 2&1 over Jane Park. In 2005, it co-hosted the men’s U.S. Amateur with Merion during the stroke play portion. This summer, in 2026, it will once again co-host the U.S. Amateur with Merion.
(The 500/470 yard sixth is a par five for members but will play as a par four for the Amateur. The climb up the hill is steeper than it looks, and anything short of the putting surface will roll back 40-60 yards to the left. I love the look of the cross bunkers visually highlighting the rise of the terrain.)
(From the tee of the 193/175 yard par three eleventh, one can see the green, the cascading sixteenth to the left, and uphill tee shot of the twelth in the background…
…with a creek flowing in valley below, the entire hole pops in this natural setting. The left greenside trap is 10-12 feet below the putting surface. As the pin slides further to the left, the player will have to be more aggressive to get close. It is a terrific hole that serves as the centerpiece of the club with a comfort station complete with tables and chairs for those to watch the action…
…the look back to the tee box reveals the steps for walkers and the proximity of the clubhouse.)
Playing Spring Mill, the biggest reveal to me was how great Flynn routed the golf course. The dominant feature is a long ridge with an expansive valley between it and the clubhouse. Both nines tack out to the ridge but each returns to ensure one plays in the beautiful setting of the valley regardless of which side you’re on. On the front, those holes are five and six while the back is eleven, sixteen, and seventeen.
Tom Doak pointed out in the Confidential Guide that Flynn designed Spring Mill with the intent of making the most interesting holes and not necessarily the most difficult. I agree with this view as some of the holes are unlike any I’ve seen, however, it is still a stiff challenge. The greens are angled with tight entrances and the tilted putting surfaces have plenty of contouring. As the caddy was giving me reads, I noted to myself that I would have read it the other way. The bunkering is very deceptive. Even when you see it, the depth of it is not evident. The concave design flattens out to the eye, and one can be goaded into attempting a shot that is more dangerous than one realizes. The fairway traps are short to mid iron advances. It’s a real punishment to be in them. It’s also very difficult to pitch over them when you’re by the green.
(The 401/375 yard par four sixteenth plummets downhill to a slender green that arcs behind a set of bunkers…
…this view shows just how severe the fairway tumbles. My playing partner hit a shot well short of the cross bunker where it took the contour and trundled all the way onto the putting surface. When I was in the left greenside bunker, I purposely hit backwards so the ball would go the hill and back onto the green. It’ll be very interesting to see how the youngsters play it at the Amateur.)
(The 434/420 yard par four seventeenth is the best hole on the course, and arguably, the best in the Philadelphia area. It’s an uphill tee shot to a roundhouse fairway that bends around a deep ravine. An aggressive drive over the inside traps can find the speed slot and roll into mid iron range…
…the second is then struck to a green tucked against the hillside. It was here during the second playoff that Byron Nelson holed out a 1-iron for an eagle to essentially win the U.S. Open…
…the view looking back shows how much bend and slope the fairway has. A par is a very good score.)
I feel very fortunate to play Philadelphia Country Club. I’ve always said that truly great courses have an aura about them that you can’t put your finger on. And, believe it or not, even the ones high on the rankings lack that characteristic too. Overall, even though there are a few bland holes (8,9,13) and not enough great holes, the course is one I’d place high on my list. I give it an 8 (excellent)(worth spending a weekend to play).
(This was my first Fried Egg event. We had two rounds of golf (net best ball)(alternate shot), breakfast, lunch, hors d’eouvre, and a goodie bag. The cost was $800. At first glance, that’s a pricey day of golf, but when you compare it to a day at Bandon, or Sand Valley, or any other high end destination, then it’s actually reasonable. Would I do it again? Was it worth it? Unequivocally yes! It was a fantastic experience.)
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