When you think of Donald Ross designed courses this one is probably not on the top of your list. The Par 70 "municipal course" is located about 25 miles west of Philadelphia in the town of Jeffersonville.
The original course was designed in 1931 by Ross and in 2001, Ron Pritchard restored it to what we have today. Pritchard is famous for restoring Ross courses and maintaining the Ross feel to them. When you play this course, you can feel Ross designed it.
(A view of the 1st fairway from the tee box. The par 4 is 448 yard dogleg left)
The Course
Like most Ross courses, you'll be expected to think about your shot selection. The combination of doglegs, blind shots, and hazards will force you to be creative and play with brains. If playing from the tips, the course plays 6,443 yards and has a rating/slope of 70.9/128.
The first hole (picture above) is one of the most challenging on the course. The 448 yard, par 4 is a sharp dogleg left. You're required to carry bunkers on the left (Tip: it's 205 yards from the blue tees to carry them) to get into the fairway and make this a reasonably reachable par 4. If you're able to carry them, you'll have around 190 to the hole. If you're closer to the bunker on the right, like yours truly, you'll have close to 230 yards to the hole. The green is guarded by trees on the left, a bunker short, and OB long.
With only two par 5's, there are not many opportunities to make up strokes. The 16th hole may be your best bet, as it's the easiest of the par 4's playing only 390 and it's straightaway. A fairway bunker protects the right side but a good tee shot leaves you a short iron into a fairly easy green. Warning, going long on this green will be trouble.
The two par 5's are no joke. You get your first chance on the 6th hole, a 576 yard, offers golfers more of a challenge than it may seem. A group of 3 small bunkers located about 210 yards out on the right protects the fairway and the right side is entirely OB. If you can cut this corner, you may be able to get to the downhill green in two. The 18th hole requires you to hit your tee shot right to left (something I can't do) to be in the fairway. The 545 yard hole has water protecting the left side of the fairway and a green surrounded by large pine trees. When you eventually get to the green, make sure your ball is below the hole or a 3-putt is likely.
The Par 3's
To prove he's cruel, Donald Ross offers us one of the challenging par 3's you will play. The 8th hole at Jeffersonville Golf Club has an strange similarity to the 8th hole at Aronimink Golf Club located just miles away. I might be willing to say this is one of the most challenging par 3's I have ever played. The 191 yard hole requires a perfect tee shot. A water hazard sits short of the green at about 180 yards and anything to the right is blocked out by trees. The left side has a bunker protecting and if you're above the hole, you're left with a slippery downhill putt. Par here is an incredible score and if you walk away with bogey 4, it's not that bad either.
(The 8th hole is a 191 yard par 3, downhill and protected by water short)
Ross does throw an easy par 3 your way. The 4th hole is a straight forward 140 yard par 3 with bunkers guarding either side. Being short is better than long, the green slopes back towards the tees. The backside par 3's require a long iron or hybrid. The 12th hole plays 197 yards. Short is better than long as trees sit behind the green and can block your next shot. Finally, the 15th hole is a 215 yard par 4 with bunkers on either side. It looks downhill but plays all of the 215.
Tips for Playing Jeffersonville
- Keep your tee shot left on #2. The ball will run down the fairway and leave you with a wedge in.
- The turn here is after #8.
- Your tee shot on #5 will roll to the right.
- Placement on the 5th green is crucial, it has extreme undulations.
- The 18th fairway has a water hazard on the left side. Stay below the hole on the green.
(The 7th green is guarded by deep bunkers on either side)
Overall
I like this course. It's tough but fair and they keep it in good shape. The Ross design makes it slightly better and it's reasonably priced. As with most municipal courses, the pace is a little slow and the difficulty of the par 3's doesn't do anything to speed it up.
The conditions were good as long as you're in the fairway and on the green. The rough could leave you hitting off dirt instead of grass but I guess that's the price you pay for missing the fairway. The bunkers were in excellent shape and sometimes better relief than the dirt near the green.
Location: Jeffersonville, PA
Cost: $42 for the round with cart. There are some hills if you're walking.
Rating/Slope: 70.9/128
Proshop: Yes but minimal stuff
Range: No. There is a small practice green near the 1st tee/pro shop.
My
Score: 90 (45-45) The struggles continue
Play Again: Yes, I would play here again.
Website: Jeffersonville Golf Club
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Posted by: HENRY NIFAH | 11/04/2010 at 04:33 AM