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Boasting
a location just 100 miles northwest of New York City in the pristine
mountain landscape of the Poconos in northeastern Pennsylvania, Woodloch
Springs (part of the Country Club at Woodloch Springs), which opened in 1992 to considerable acclaim, is the perfect
complement to the existing Woodloch Pines Resort. The amalgamation of the
two has transformed Woodloch Pines into one of the premier four-season
resorts within an afternoon's drive of most major cities in the Northeast,
and this 6,579-yard Rocky Roquemore design is responsible for much of the
new attention that the resort has garnered.
A quick tour of the layout
explains everything. While not overly long by modern standards, Woodloch
Springs provides a great mix of adrenaline-filled challenges
and playable golf holes, making use of the dramatic elevation changes
and rolling terrain. The old adage that each golfer should play the
proper tee box is more than just a passing phrase here -- holes like the
par-five 14th, where tee shots must carry the aptly named “Hell’s Gate
Gorge,” forces players to carry the ball 220 yards from the back tee
in order to reach the fairway. Giving yourself a margin of error on just
demanding shots can mean the difference between a punishing, nerve-racking
round and a challenging and enjoyable one. The challenge presented by
Roquemore tends to emphasize an accurate tee shot for the longer hitter
and lower handicap, which conversely rewards the average player who puts
the ball in play. Many of the greens at Woodloch Springs are open in
front, so good chances at birdie are available for virtually everyone,
regardless of handicap.
Like many
courses set on rugged and undulating terrain, Woodloch Springs features
dramatic shifts in the landscape, but emphasized moving downhill with a
series of elevated tee shots. The golfer gets the first sense of these
elevation swings on the 558-yard par five third hole. The tee shot on this
hole carries down to a first strip of fairway, from which players must
decide whether to lay-up short of the wetlands or play a tough carry to
the far side. The 100-foot descent makes the hole play significantly
shorter than the yardage indicates, but the direct route to the green
requires a carry over a finger of wetlands and a front bunker. This puts the pressure to lay-up to the
left
squarely on the shoulders of those golfers wishing to convert this birdie
opportunity.
Arriving on the sixth
tee, the player should already be keenly aware of the challenge demanded
from the tee. This is no exception, as the tee shot on the 408-yard
hole must draw around the dogleg to avoid the bunkers, while a hook will
leave you in the water hazard left. Greenside bunkers protect the
approach, but the relatively large green is fairly easy to find.
Seven is a perfect
example of how par fives of modest length can still be incredibly
challenging. Measuring 499 yards and playing downhill, the hole would seem
to cry for eagle tries, but a demanding driving area and an approach,
which must carry scrub and bunkers, would dictate otherwise. The short
distance demands that the player go for the green if left with the
opportunity, however birdie is more certain with a well-played lay-up and
a short pitch to the green.
The front nine draws
to a close with one of the more challenging tee shots on the course. The
deep ravine in front of the golfer requires a well-struck tee shot to set
up an approach to the elevated green, which is often the subject of
conversation for those eating on the clubhouse veranda.
The back nine begins
with the same drama displayed on tee shots like those at three and seven. The 524-yard hole once again
crosses a dramatic gorge, before playing back uphill to the green. The
cant of the green will accept ambitious second shots played with a long
iron or fairway wood, which can be the wise play if the shot is played
toward the opening at the right edge of the green. Balls finding the front
edge will feed toward the hole.
The signature 14th is
worthy of all its praises as one of the most challenging holes in the
Northeast. Assuming a well-struck tee shot carries the fear-inspiring
gorge, the golfers work is far from done. The long second must find a
lay-up area to set up for the third to a green surrounded by trouble.
The two closing holes
play parallel to the eighth and ninth holes, however while characteristics
are similar in both they are not the mirror images they might appear to be
at first glance. The 17th,
while slightly shorter that the eighth, requires a well-struck short iron
to avoid the cavernous bunkers that guard the green. The green is tricky,
with movement from left to the right, making the opening on the right side
even more attractive from the tee, so the birdie putt will be uphill.
Closing with a bang,
the tee shot at the 18th must once again traverse a massive gully before turning
left toward the final green. Playing uphill, the hole plays longer then its
stated yardage of 435 yards. Three bunkers draw approaches away from the
two-tiered green, which can be a devilish endeavour if attacking from the wrong tier.
Woodloch
Springs offers the entire thrill that resort courses are renowned for
having. However, most of those aforementioned resorts are located in
tropical climates where the dramatic movement of land is more common. In
this northeastern corner of Pennsylvania, the course awaits golfers from
the most populous region of the United States, who are in search of
great golf and something distinct and unique to more familiar golf
options.
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