If you’re looking for a great little golfing getaway where you can get to play in the very footsteps of some of the game’s greatest champions, try teeing it up and shooting for the flags at The Poconos golf courses of Shawnee-on-the-Delaware, Wolf Hollow and Great Bear Golf Club.

A fantastic, and famous, place to do things like hiking, camping, boating and river rafting, The Eastern Pennsylvania region right on, and along, the beautiful Delaware River, Shawnee, Wolf Hollow(also known as Water Gap Golf Club) and Jack Nicklaus’ Great Bear GC provide players and golf enthusiasts from near and far and around the world with some of the very best golf in some of the most scenic and idyllic settings that any golfer of any age and would be sure to enjoy and remember and want to go back and play again and again and again.

Perhaps the most picturesque course in the whole, and legendary, Delaware River and Water Gap Region is the iconic Shawnee-on-the-Delaware. Host of the 1938 PGA Championship won by Paul Runyan over Sam Snead, Shawnee opened in 1911 with the first 18 holes of its now 27 designed by World Golf Hall of Fame architect A.W. Tillinghast, architect of Winged Foot and Baltusrol. Shawnee’s undulating greens and lush fairways and the historic Shawnee Inn was, many say, the very place where the idea of a professional golf tour, the PGA, were originally planned. A totally unique and wonderful island golf course, and the first course designed by Tillinghast, resort owner CC Worthington hosted a professional tournament in 1911 which then after became The Shawnee Open which became one of the first events after the PGA was formally founded. Two-time defending US Open Champion John J. McDermott from Philadelphia and Atlantic City Country Club, America’s first native-born US Open champion, won the Shawnee Open in 1913. Band leader Fred Waring, a world-famous entertainer, purchased the Buckwood Inn in 1943 and renamed it The Shawnee Inn. Waring brought in celebrities to vacation at and perform like Bob Hope and Lucille Ball and the game’s best players to play and compete at including a young Arnold Palmer who, as it would turn out would meet his first, and long-time, wife Winnie Walzer, whose family were members of Shawnee, at the club. Adding to the already incredible legacy at Shawnee, Palmer’s fellow Hall of Famer, and multiple US Open champion Hale Irwin, won the 1967 NCAA Championship held at Shawnee.

Shawnee offers many great Stay-and-Play packages including overnight accommodations, a full breakfast and 18 holes of golf on Shawnee Inn’s 27 hole golf course year-round.

Shawnee’s downriver neighbor, located just a short walk from the Appalachian Trail and just a few miles off Route 80, the mountainous Water Gap Golf Club, or Wolf Hollow, is another great place to play some great golf where some of golf’s greatest players ever to play also played. Walking the fairways of Wolf Hollow, opened nearly a hundred years ago(1922), you can almost feel the spirit of maybe the game’s greatest, and most entertaining, professionals, Walter Hagan. Hagan, third all-time in major championship wins to only Jack Nicklaus’ 18 and Tiger Woods’ 15, won the 1927 Eastern Open, one the professional tour’s top stops in the PGA’s early days of

the 1920’s which Water Gap Golf Club hosted from 1926 to 1928. Players today get to test their mettle, and accuracy, as they shoot for the short, and postage-stamped, 120 yard par 3 4th hole which Hagen, winner of 11 major championship tournaments, nearly threw away his ’27 Eastern Open triumph by over-shooting the green and then taking an almost inconceivable 11 on. Playing from an elevated tee to an elevated green with nearly 50 foot drops over and to the left, precision is the name of the game at the tricky little 4th, nick-named Hagen’s Folly ever since, is a shot-makers dream.

“Hagen is one of the biggest legends of our game,” said Wolf Hollow head PGA professional Bill Lee. “ It’s amazing that he played here and won here.”

Known for its hilly terrain, classic old-school style greens and resort clubhouse, Wolf Hollow is a must-play golf course for golfers who like to be challenged and love golf and its history.

And if history and great golf is your pleasure, then playing Great Bear Golf Club, designed by the game’s greatest major champion, and maybe the greatest player who ever lived, Jack Nicklaus, is a terrific treat, as well. One of The Golden Bear’s favorite designs, Great Bear GC integrates three lakes, several streams, and wetlands, with bridges and rolling terrain that is fun-to-play for golfers of all abilities. Playing a shade under 5,000yards from the front tees, and only about 6,100 to 6,500 from the middle tees(blue and gold), Great Bear Golf Club is a fun and player friendly track that’s ideal for any golfer of any ability. Rated a Top 8 Best Golf Course in Pennsylvania by GOLFWEEK magazine, and a Top 100 Women Friendly course in the country by GOLF FOR WOMEN magazine, with onvenient and affordable Stay-and-Play packages, Great Bear Golf Club, located in Stroudsburg, Pa, is, without-a-doubt, a great golf destination for everyone.10en Friendly Courses in the Country – Golf for GolfLink.com

“Only one golf course architect could do justice to the natural beauty at Great Bear Golf Club – the one known worldwide as The Golden Bear, Jack Nicklaus. His 18-hole championship design demonstrates why he’s been considered the master of his game for decades. Nicklaus has taken the natural advantages of the site and worked harmoniously with them to create a course that, besides it’s play, is an experience in itself. Integrating the three lakes, several streams, wetlands, small bridges and rolling terrain, Nicklaus has created a course that presents itself differently to golfers of varying skill. For the experienced player, the course offers interesting challenges and pro tees that will bring out your strongest game. Yet it’s also designed to be a course with the ultimate in playability, ensuring enjoyable round after round, revealing its intricacies and craftsmanship the more you play it. Great Bear is destined to be one of the Golden Bear’s great ones.”

There are dozens of terrific, and maybe more famous, golfing meccas around the country to go and play, but if you want to play some of the most scenic, and serene, golf where legends like Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Walter Hagen played, then the Delaware Water Gap Region in Eastern Pennsylvania is a place the place for you.

By Sean Fawcett

A long golf course that played even longer due to soft fairways. Rough so thick it impeded the swing of even the strongest golfers. Large undulating greens that confounded even the most savvy players. Add gusting winds throughout the afternoon round.

That was the setting as Blue Bell Country Club presented an authentic title test in the 17th Montgomery County Amateur Championship.

For many, the scores were higher than usual. But the cream eventually rose to the top.

A scramble ensued – among some of the best collegiate golfers, and about-to-be collegiate golfers, in the area. When the dust settled, a familiar name was being engraved on the Fazio Trophy – emblematic of golf supremacy in Montgomery County.

Defending champion Ron Robinson, a sophomore-to-be at Monmouth University, rolled in a 15-foot birdie putt on the first sudden death playoff hole to defeat St. Joseph’s University incoming freshman J.T. Spina for the championship.

The Hatfield resident took the lead with an even-par 71 in the morning round at Blue Bell, a course where he has played well in the past. Something during the lunch break must not have agreed with him.

He started the afternoon round with five consecutive bogeys and lost the lead to Spina, who plays out of Spring-Ford CC. His father, John Spina, is one of the highly regarded teaching professionals in the area.

In the meantime, Lamar Saxon of Twin Ponds was on fire. He followed his opening round of 76 with five birdies in the afternoon round. He posted a six-over-par 148 and awaited the leaders. He was joined at 148 by Delaware sophomore Jack Melville, who qualified to play in the U.S. Amateur Championship at Pebble Beach, and LaSalle sophomore-to-be David Kim.

But Robinson and Spina avoided the traffic jam below and moved to the sudden death playoff. Robinson’s winning birdie putt helped to soothe some of the wounds from earlier in the year.

“It’s been a tough year for me,” said Robinson. “I injured my wrist and wasn’t right until mid-July. I feel like I am just starting to come around now.”

He had no trouble hoisting the Fazio Trophy for the second time in two years. It was the fourth time that a player won back-to-back championships. Chet Walsh won the

first two titles in 2002-2003. Logan Terry won repeat titles in 2005-’06. Ben Feld, the current Drexel University golf coach, repeated in 2011-’12.

“That’s a pretty impressive list of players,” said Robinson. “I feel very honored to be in that company.”

Senior Division

LuLu Country Club’s Mark Czerniakowski gets a riding from his fellow competitors for being too old … and too young.

The 51-year-old Czerniakowski competed with the young bucks of the Golf Association of Philadelphia last week and qualified to play in the prestigious Patterson Cup. More than once he heard term “old man.”

Yesterday, at Blue Bell Country Club, he played in the Senior Division of the Montgomery County Amateur Championship and posted a 37-33—70 to rout a strong field of seasoned players. Matt Mingione of The 1912 Club, the 2016 runnerup, finished second again at 77. Andy Lykon of Makefield Highlands was third at 79.

“There was definitely some kidding about me being too young,” said Czerniakowski, who turned things around with a 2-under-par 33 on the back nine. “It was a nice experience. The course was in great shape and I struck the ball well.”

Super-Senior Division

Bruce Gladish of Sandy Run CC, posted a very impressive 74 to capture his fourth Super-Senior Divison title in the Montgomery County Amateur Championship.

Gerald Godshall of Macoby Run, playing in his first County Am, finished second at 78.

Women’s Division

Isabella DiLisio of Hatfield has proven to be one of the great names in Montgomery County Amateur Championship history. She won two Junior Girls Championships, then made history by becoming the first girl in Philadelphia golf history to win a championship playing against the boys, from the same tees. She won the overall Junior Championship in 2015.

Now she is a senior to be at Notre Dame and is embarking on a nine-day adventure to Scotland and Ireland with the entire Fighting Irish golf team.

But first she had to win the County Women’s Championship for a fourth and, possibly, final time. She could turn professional after graduating from Notre Dame next year.

She shot even-par 71 at Blue Bell CC, despite making a quadruple bogey 8 on the par 4 11th hole. Luckily she had a bit of breathing room. Finishing second at 75 was Megan McGowan. West Chester junior-to-be Julia Genuardi finished third at 80.

Montgomery County Amateur Championship, Blue Bell CC
Thursday, August 2, 2018
Championship Division 36 holes

Ron Robinson, Commonwealth Nat. 71-76—147 *(won playoff)

J.T. Spina, Spring-Ford 72-75—147

Lamar Saxon, Twin Ponds 76-72—148

David Kim, Commonwealth Nat. 76-72—148

Jack Melville, LuLu 75-73—148

Curtis Geiger, Raven’s Claw 79-71—150

Brent Schoeller, Huntingdon Valley 75-76—151

Dawson Anders, Indian Valley 75-78—153

Michael Sydnes, Talamore 75-81—156

Greg Welsh, Talamore 82-76—158

Thomas Butler, Indian Valley 76-83—159

Daniel Wu, Blue Bell 78-82—160

JH Park, Blue Bell 76-85—161

John Engle, Twin Ponds 82-80—162

Michael Flatlery Merion 83-82—165

Brent Mudry, Phila. Publinks 81-85—166

Clay Anders, Indian Valley 86-81—167

Joseph Kim, Commonwealth Nat. 85-83—168

Lenny Welch, Indian Valley 86-89—175

Thomas Schaffer, Spring-Ford 87-88—175

Cameron Byrne, Jeffersonville 90-87—177

Matt Milligan, Lederach 96-94—190

John Foley, Raven’s Claw WD

Senior Division

Mark Czerniakowski, LuLu 37-33—70

Matt Mingione, The 1912 Club 40-37—77

Andy Lykon, Makefield Highlands 37-42—79

Craig Melville, LuLu 41-41—82

Henry Wadsworth, Blue Bell 44-39—83

Gerald Henderson, Blue Bell 45-39—84

Steve Frost, Limekiln 49-37—86

Phil Sokol, Flourtown 44-43—87

Jay Catania, Blue Bell 46-42—88

Mark Lauer, Raven’s Claw 48-40—88

Dennis Begley, Flourtown 45-44—89

Steve Purdy, The 1912 Club 44-45—89

Super-Senior Division

Bruce Gladish, Sandy Run 38-36—74

Gerald Godshall, Macoby Run 39-39—78

Chuck Caparo, The 1912 Club 42-42—84

Richard Henseler, Blue Bell 43-45—88

Women’s Division

Isabella DiLisio, Indian Valley 33-38—71

Megan Grosky McGowan, Blue Bell 35-40—75

Julia Genuardi, Applecross 41-39—80