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NYC to DC corridor getting some great young courses

There was a time not long ago when heading down to DC, all you had to play was Back Creek in Delaware or the $150 Pine Hill on the Jersey side of the state line near Philly. In the last few years, however, everything has changed for the better.

Located just a few miles from each other and only 75 miles due west of NYC on I-78, Morgan Hill (Kelly Blake Moran) and Architects Club are two of the newest excellent daily-fee options with outstanding golf course architecture. Architect’s was reviewed here. Morgan Hill was one of KBM’s earliest creations and is an excellent frame of reference when compared to his later work at Lederach, just a half-hour away outside of Philly in the sleepy town of Harleysville. The ideas Moran tried out at Morgan – center line bunkering and heavily undulating faorways and green complexes were explored more deeply at Lederach. Moreover, like Jim Engh and Tom Doak, Moran builds excellent par fives, true strong three shotters with center-line hazards and cross-bunkers. His use of elevation change adds character to each hole and makes the player think. One beer swilling fellow I met yesterday cried that Morgan was “Unfair! I didn’t have a flat lie in the fairway all day. I hit in in one part of the fairway and it rolled to another!”

Flat lies are for pansies and if you want to be spoonfed, Center Valley and Tattersall are right up the street. They’ll wet-nurse you to your heart’s content.

Nevertheless, as first stop on the way to Baltimore (and the outstanding designs at Beechtree and Bulle Rock) this tandem just a hop, skip and jump into Jersey/PA will provide intrepid golfers with a satisfying day. Notice it’s “intrepid” not insipid.

On the way to DC or just for a nice weekend with your honey, at a price of around $50-60, Morgan and Architects are a great choice.

I’ll review Lederach again later this week, but that also should be in the menu before heading into DelMarVa and points south. Next stop after DC? Williamsburg for Royal New Kent and Stonehouse!

Meanwhile, here’s Kelly’s website so you can see what he’s doing to restore the Seth raynor design at Rock Spring in West Orange.

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