Golf courses in the Poconos offer stunning play - but too few know

By Darryl Berger, Contributor

The Pocono Mountains are tucked into Pennsylvania's northeast corner. They have long been known for skiing and in the mid-20th Century they gained notoriety (or infamy) for tacky honeymoon resorts. What the region should be noted for is some outstanding golf courses.

There are golf courses in the Poconos from such widely known and highly regarded architects as Donald Ross, A.W. Tillinghast, Robert Trent Jones and Jack Nicklaus.

From late spring (after things warm up a little) to the fall, the cool mountain air creates a fantastic environment for golf. The polish may be worn on some of the older resorts, but there is no shortage of accommodations if you planning a golf getaway.

Some of the older resort courses are not as 'amenity rich' as newer resort courses, but it doesn't detract from the quality of the golf. If you know which mountain to look behind, you can find a treasure trove of great golf in the Poconos.

Must-play golf courses in the Poconos

Great Bear Golf and Country Club

The Jack Nicklaus signature golf course at Great Bear Golf and Country Club is one of the best in the region. There are no parallel fairways and the course winds over gently rolling terrain. For a course in the mountains, the elevation changes are fairly tame. The course has a great finishing hole. The par-5 18th is a sweeping dogleg and the approach must be hit over marshland to an island green. The owners have been threatening to take the course private since it opened in 1996, but membership roles have yet to reach point where that has happened. The course is in Marshall's Creek, north of East Stroudsburg.

Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort

Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort is one of the grand old resorts of the region and boasts a grand old golf course. Most of the 27 holes sit on an island in the Delaware River. Two holes require shots across the river from tee to green. Shawnee was the first course laid out by legendary architect A.W. Tillinghast and it retains the feeling of a bygone era. Tons of history here. Paul Runyan upset Sam Snead to win the 1938 PGA Championship there. In 1967, a young college golfer named Hale Irwin won the NCAA championship at Shawnee. The course is located at Shawnee-On-The-Delaware, north of East Stroudsburg.

Buck Hill Falls Golf Club

This is another course that's stood the test of time. Donald Ross laid out 18 of the 27 holes in 1921. Buck Hill Falls Golf Club is the essence of mountain golf with holes playing up and down. Not a lot of frills at Buck Hill Falls, but plenty of golfing thrills. And as you might suspect from the name, lots of deer roaming the courses as well. The course is in the village of Buck Hill Falls, about 20 miles southeast of Scranton.

The Country Club at Woodloch Springs

Woodloch Springs Country Club is outside of the small town of Hawley which is about 35 miles east of Scranton. Play is limited to guests of the Woodloch Pines Resort. This is a "country club for day" experience. The course has all the amenities and a challenging design as well. It opened in 1992 and sports the modern target golf design. There are plenty of forced carries and it is one of the more demanding courses in the Pocono region.

Hideaway Hills Golf Club

The course is in Kresgeville about 30 miles north of Allentown. Hideway Hills Golf Club boasts a solid collection of holes that play up and down some steep terrain. Tee Boxes at Nos. 7 and 10 are perched high on the sides of hills making for dramatic shots. The course provides a number of vistas that are quite stunning.

Golf in the Poconos: The best of the rest

Skytop Lodge is a regal resort with an outstanding old course. Tamiment Resort & Conference Center features a Robert Trent Jones course that plays more than 6,600 yards from the white tees. Manor Inn & Golf Resort has 36 holes. Donald Ross designed the older course. The newer layout was built in the 1960s and designed by George Fazio. Water Gap Country Club was built in the 1920s and long ago hosted a PGA tour stop called the Eastern Open. Walter Hagen's 64 remains the course record.

Golf in the Poconos: Stay and play

The region offers a wide range of accommodations from economy to all-inclusive resorts. The Pocono Mountain Vacation Bureau can out line stay and play options at their Web site 800poconos.com.

The Legendary Tannersville Inn has been serving travelers for more than 170 years, since becoming a stop along a stage coach line. The French Manor in South Sterling offers up authentic French cuisine and a very respectable wine selection. It's housed in a chateau in a dramatic mountain top setting.

Golf in the Poconos: Off course

The Pocono Mountains has been a tourist destination for more than a century so there is no shortage of things to do. Visit Bushkill Falls just off Route 209 in Bushkill Falls. It's called "The Niagara of Pennsylvania" and features eight waterfalls and miles of hiking trails. Another watery attraction is Lake Wallenpaupack along the border of Wayne and Pike counties. It's one of the state's largest manmade lakes and a great place for fishing and boating. You can stroll the streets of historic Jim Thorpe (obviously named for the legendary athlete who, ironically, had no real connection to the town). During the industrial revolution the town was at the center of Pennsylvania's coal boom. The Poconos are not known as wine country, but you can visit the Cherry Valley Vineyards in Saylorsburg and sample some of their local product.

May 13, 2005