Williamsport Country Club
 Williamsport Country Club in July 2019 | |
| Club information | |
|---|---|
   | |
| Coordinates | 41°14′59″N 76°57′10″W / 41.2496°N 76.9528°WCoordinates: 41°14′59″N 76°57′10″W / 41.2496°N 76.9528°W Fatal error: The format of the coordinate could not be determined. Parsing failed. |
| Location | Loyalsock Township, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Elevation | 260 feet (80 m) |
| Established | 1909 |
| Type | Private |
| Total holes | 18 |
| Fairways | Agrostis |
| Website | Williamsport Country Club |
| Designed by | Herbert Barker (1910), A. W. Tillinghast (1923) |
| Par | 71 |
| Length | 6,489 yards (5,934 m) |
| Course rating | 71.5 |
| Slope rating | 128 |
Williamsport Country Club is a country club in Loyalsock Township, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Williamsport in North Central Pennsylvania. Established as a 9-hole golf club in 1909 at a separate location in northern Williamsport, the first nine holes of the present 18-hole golf course were designed by Herbert Barker in 1910. In 1923, famed golf course architect A.W. Tillinghast redesigned the original nine holes and completed an additional nine to bring the golf course to its present design. The club's additional amenities include a pool, pickleball courts, and a club facility with locker rooms and a restaurant.[1]
History
20th century
The Williamsport Country Club was founded in 1909 in the City of Williamsport, "just north of the present day hospital." The club relocated to its present location in Loyalsock Township in 1910 following the purchase of the Hepburn Farm plot for $25,000. Herbert Barker, winner of the 1908 Irish Open and golf course architect, was contracted to build the original nine-hole course, which are the present holes no. 1, 2, and 12-18. Later, following increased demand for golf in Williamsport, the Neece farm and the Rothfuss land were purchased from $5,511 and $2,220, respectively. In 1923, these demands were met when renowned course architect A. W. Tillinghast was contracted to redesign H. H. Barker's original nine holes and add an additional nine holes to bring the course up to full 18-course design. Tillinghast's design includes the present course holes no. 3-11. Williamsport's design follows Tillinghast design staples, focusing on utilizing the natural terrain of the area, which in this case are the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains; Williamsport is situated at the confluence of the Ridge and Valley section of the Appalachians and the Alleghany Plateau, fostering exciting terrain for competition courses. [1]
Other notable Tillinghast courses from this period include Aronimik, Baltusrol, San Francisco Golf Club, and Winged Foot.
21st century
In 2020 the course upgraded its fairway grass from rye grass to bent grass. In 2023, following heavy storms and continued tree damage on the course, 90 pine trees and 100 hardwood trees were removed.
Rankings
The course has been consistently rated as one of the top golf courses in the Lycoming County area, as well as North Central Pennsylvania. USGA has provided the course with a rating of 71.5, a bogey rating of 95.2, and a slope rating of 128 for the Blue tees.[2] The course's rich heritage as a A. W. Tillinghast design has left its mark, and many consider it to be a "hidden gem".[3]
Williamsport Country Club scorecard
| Tee | Rating/Slope | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue | M:71.5 / 128 | 321 | 430 | 235 | 381 | 361 | 456 | 417 | 448 | 414 | 3463 | 182 | 358 | 399 | 421 | 432 | 165 | 514 | 141 | 508 | 3120 | 6583 |
| White | M:69.9 / 124 W:75.4 / 130 |
314 | 419 | 207 | 370 | 353 | 452 | 411 | 439 | 390 | 3355 | 143 | 346 | 381 | 377 | 370 | 153 | 507 | 124 | 503 | 2904 | 6259 |
| Gold | M:67.3 / 119 W:72.1 / 123 |
305 | 392 | 165 | 320 | 295 | 431 | 334 | 414 | 377 | 3033 | 134 | 301 | 378 | 300 | 307 | 144 | 468 | 108 | 426 | 2566 | 5599 |
| Red | M:66.3 / 117 W:71.0 / 121 |
302 | 386 | 161 | 314 | 292 | 426 | 331 | 409 | 302 | 2932 | 134 | 301 | 326 | 295 | 301 | 136 | 468 | 105 | 420 | 2486 | 5409 |
| Green | M:62.4 / 110 W:65.6 / 109 |
302 | 342 | 158 | 310 | 292 | 369 | 328 | 372 | 298 | 2771 | 124 | 301 | 324 | 295 | 297 | 130 | 422 | 102 | 418 | 2413 | 5184 |
| Par | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 36 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 35 | 71 | |
| Handicap | Men's | 15 | 5 | 17 | 7 | 13 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 9 | 18 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 14 | 2 | 16 | 10 | |||
| Handicap | Women's | 11 | 9 | 17 | 5 | 15 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 13 | 18 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 12 | 14 | 2 | 16 | 10 |
Williamsport Invitational Tournament
The Williamsport Invitational is an annual invitational tournament which is currently limited to 96 teams and males over the age of 18. The tournament's history began in 1928 under the leadership of J. C. Watson, a founding member of the club. Initially structured with five flights, in 1930 the tournament expanded to include six flights. The tournament is a staple invitational tournament for amateur players in Pennsylvania and has only been interrupted by World War II (1944-1945) and the COVID-19 pandemic (2020). The tournament employs a better-ball format for qualifying and match play for all rounds of the tournament.
Notable tournaments
Williamsport has hosted a number of amateur and qualifying events in its history, including the 2002 Pennsylvania Middle Amateur Championship, 2012 Pennsylvania State Girls Championship, 2012 Pennsylvania Middle Amateur Championship, 2015 US Open Qualifier, 2017 Pennsylvania State Senior Four Ball Championship, and 2023 Pennsylvania State Senior Open.
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "About us". Williamsport Country Club. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
- ↑ "National Course Rating Database". United States Golf Association. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
- ↑ "Facilities". Lycoming College Athletics. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
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