Golf courses you have played that no longer exist?

[87 Penn St8]

Growing up we were members at Hercules Golf & Country Club in Wilmington, DE. The company had been the gunpowder/ammunition wing of Du Pont before being spun off. Fun 27 hole course. Very much a step-child to the Du Pont links and the many more established private clubs in Delaware- but a great place for kids go to out and swing clubs with their dad on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon (we weren't allowed out until after the more serious duffers were done their rounds). Company floundered and got sold off in chunks. Land sat vacant for maybe 10-15 years. Condos now. RIP

 

[LongJakk]

Bucks County has a population close to 650,000 people with only 4 private clubs Doylestown,Indian Valley,Jericho and Lookaway.

My brother who was club pro at Silver Springs in Mechanicsburg left there to be assistant at Indian Valley. This was back in the late 70s into the 80s.

 

[KnightWhoSaysNit]

Waterwood National on Lake Livingston just north of Houston.

It was a Pete Dye design and an absolute gem. Really the top course I have played other than perhaps Oakmont.

The property was sold and the new owner apparently had financial trouble, so he harvested the trees. So sad because every hole on that course had something special about it. Many were lake views. Many had small, sloping greens, which designers just don't do anymore as they cater to golfers with no short game. And of course there was the railroad ties.

This stunned me because it was relatively close to a major metropolitan area, certainly great for short, quick getaways. It was also in a retirement community, which apparently, being remote, ran into crime problems. It concerns me as this was not too different from my current living situation. We should have strong growth as the pandemic forces many into retirement and people flee the cities over escalating crime.

 

[pabornandraised]

Center Valley GC-Lower Saucon Twp. Site of Nike Tour event in mid-90's. Very nice design.
Very depressing to drive by.

Locust Valley up near Coopersburg.......closed last October.

 

[heckmans]

Locust Valley was a beautiful layout which could have been spectacular if in good condition. I actually met Joe DiMaggio and Chuck Bednarik there at some time in the 80's at some special event. Course was private at one point. They had some really tough long holes with narrow treelined fairways.

Hadn't heard Locust Valley was closing...used to play HS golf there against Southern Lehigh

 

[heckmans]

In New England golf doesn’t seem to be losing steam. I can’t get onto any decent public or semi private if I don’t have a tee time by Tuesday or Wednesday before the weekend. Also, I heard anecdotally that lots of people were getting into golf due to COVID because it was social distancing friendly. Clubs at local Dick’s Sporting Goods and independents were back ordered for weeks. I think golf is more of a function of the local economy. If the economy is struggling, golf will struggle. Except for Pittsburgh and Philly burbs, is much of PA really thriving anymore? Another one I though of was the lower course at Peek n Peak.
For some good public courses in northwest PA:

Cable Hollow
Blueberry Hill
Jackson Valley
Overlake
Whispering Woods
Peek n Peak
Riverside
North Hills

Golf boomed in the 90s. Tons of courses were built and created too much supply. Course closures were inevitable, with pressure on those located in high-growth population centers where the land values exploded.

 

[FHSPSU67]

I grew up outside Windber but no golf in my day.

Hi Ron! I guess it was 1959 or so when Windber Country Club was open with 9 holes. Played a lot there after it was 18. I enjoyed playing with your dad! That course is now nicer than ever and not as long.

 

[81b&w]

Anyone ever play Champion Lakes near Ligonier? It was owned by two former PBurg Pirates, Jerry Lynch and Dick Groat if I remember correctly. No idea if it's still open ?

 

[FHSPSU67]

Champion Lakes is still going strong, Dick is in his '90s and Jerry is long gone.

 

[MrDibbs]

I cut my teeth playing on a 9 hole course called Ohioview, located in Ohioville, PA (between Beaver and Midland).

Another course played was Venango Trail which became an interchange on I79 near Cranberry.

The Moon Golf Club used to be Bon Air Golf Course. Once played a round behind a foursome of Frenchy Fuqua, Henry Davis, Glen Edward's and another 70s era Steeler.

 

[PSUHarry33]

We played that yes @PSUHarry33 ?

Yes we did.

 

[baircub1!]

Appledale Public G.C. - Ebensburg
Oakmont East G.C. - Oakmont
Seven Springs G.C. - Elizabeth, PA
Sheraton Greensburg G.C. - Greensburg
Woodlawn G.C. - Tarentum, PA

Pompeii GC - Italy 79AD

 

[Carl Spackler]

Appledale Public G.C. - Ebensburg
Oakmont East G.C. - Oakmont
Seven Springs G.C. - Elizabeth, PA
Sheraton Greensburg G.C. - Greensburg
Woodlawn G.C. - Tarentum, PA

The Sheraton Inn Greensburg Golf LInks. I worked there and finished the grow in and opened the course in 1981. Sad that it no longer exists. I had a lot of fun working there.

Hercules Country Club, Wilmington DE. I worked there 10 years, it no longer exists, mostly housing now. Very sorry to see it gone. I used to talk to Joe Biden as he played golf, alone. He'd call me over to tell me jokes. Actually a very funny guy.

Waiting to hear another former employer, Colonial Country Club Golf & Tennis Club, Linglestown, Harrisburg, PA still running but is in a place were housing threatens the site constantly. I won't be surprised to hear it became a development in the not so far future.

So many wonderful golf courses no longer there. Green spaces lost forever. Either that or I was a jinx?

 

[Fac]

The Putt-Putt on State Street in Sharon, Pa.

Used to ride my bike there on Mondays (Dollar Day - golf all day from 9 to 6 for a dollar).
We would eat lunch next door at the A & W Rootbeer drive-up.

 

[thewholebit]

Any of you boys ever play Liberty National? I’m highly intrigued...

 

[baircub1!]

Any of you boys ever play Liberty National? I’m highly intrigued...

Yes.. view is excellent.. very tight course...

 

[BucksLion52]

Yes.. view is excellent.. very tight course...

I agree, some holes are vert tight. Summer of 2019 for the Deutsche Bank and back a few years for the Presidents Cup.
FYI Justin Rose commercial filmed on the Short Par 3 with Manhattan background..

 

[Nitwit]

Edgemont GC in Delaware county. Was never a member, there or anywhere else for that matter, but it was always clean, in very good condition and fun to play. Passed it just last week and it’s been sold and it looks just awful. A shame, ‘tis.

I used to be in the Army Reserve unit located next to the course. On a nice day we used to take one of the Jeeps down to the end of the property line and sit and watch the golfers tee off.
As for closed courses, there was one in Marmora, NJ right next to the electric power plant called BL England. It was a 9 hole course and I believe was originally built for the electrical workers at the plant. If you’re heading south on the GSP, it’s next to the big smokestack on the right side as you come over the Egg Harbor inlet bridge.

 

[86Engineer]

Didn't notice if Valley Forge Golf Club was mentioned.......huge complex now with office buildings, shops, restaurants and condos/apartments......and still building.