The Poconos offer stunning golf, but so few know

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.

The Poconos have courses 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 plays

Great Bear Golf and Country Club

The Jack Nicklaus signature course 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 Golf Resort

It's 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 title 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. The course 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

The course 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 and Country Club

The course is in Kresgeville about 30 miles north of Allentown. The course 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.

The best of the rest

Skytop Lodge is a regal resort with an outstanding old course. Tamiment Resort features a Robert Trent Jones course that plays more than 6,600 yards from the white tees. Pocono Manor 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. Mount Airy Resort Golf Course opened in 1980 with a layout based on a book that described the '18 best' holes in golf.

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. More info at tannersvilleinn.com. 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. Their phone number is (570) 992-2255. Many more culinary choices are available at 800poconos.com.

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, visitbushkillfalls.com, just off Route 209 in Bushkill Falls. It's called "The Niagara of Pennsylvania" and features 8 waterfalls and miles of hiking trial. 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, pacoalhistory.com (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, cherryvalleyvineyards.com, in Saylorsburg and sample some of their local product.

If You Go

Great Bear Golf and Country Club,
Marshall's Creek, PA
(570) 223-2000
greatbeargolf.com

Shawnee Golf Resort,
Shawnee-On-The-Delaware, PA
(570) 424-4050
shawneeinn.com

Buck Hill Falls Golf Club,
Buck Hill Falls, PA
(570) 595-7730
buckhillfalls.com

Country Club at Woodloch Springs,
Hawley, PA
(570) 685-8102
woodloch.com

Hideaway Hills Golf and Country Club,
Kresgeville, PA
(610) 681-6000
hideawaygolf.com

Skytop Lodge Golf Course,
Skytop, PA
(570) 595-8910
skytop.com

Tamiment Resort Golf Course,
Tamiment, PA
(800) 233-8105
tamiment.com

Pocono Manor Golf Resort,
Pocono Manor, PA
(570) 839-7111
poconomanor.com

Water Gap Country Club,
Delaware Water Gap, PA
(570) 476-0300
watergapcountryclub.com

Mount Airy Resort Golf Course,
Mount Pocono, PA
(570) 839-8811

May 13, 2005