Location » Hershey, Pa.
Phone » 717-533-2360
Fees » $130
Par/Yardage/Rating/Slope
71/7115/74.5/136 (East)
73/6860/72.9/135 (West)
72/7009/73.6/137 (Links)
Conditions » 5
Layout » 5
Facilities » 5
Value » 3
* Out of five golf balls
Description » The private club permits public access and includes three 18-hole courses, each vastly different. The West Course, opened in 1929, is short, tree-lined and traditional with small, sloped greens and lots of elevation change. The East Course, opened in 1969, is longer and more open. The Links overlooks the town from bluffs and ravines and is dotted with ponds and pot bunkers.
| Signature hole |
| No. 18, par 4, 456 yards (East) |
| A great setting for a finishing hole, it plays over water and toward the clubhouse. It’s imperative to keep the tee shot in the fairway. Hitting from thick rough and a downhill lie over water and to an elevated green protected by bunkers is a daunting task. The finishing hole for the 2011 PGA Professional National Championship should provide drama. |
Reasons to play » Immaculate conditions, service and amenities. Each of the courses is a tough test for different reasons. Placement is key on the West Course. Length and touch around the greens is imperative on the George Fazio-designed East. The Links, which was opened in 2000 as a private course (Wren Dale) and was incorporated into the Hershey collection in 2007, is all about iron play.
In the beginning … » Scottish course designer Maurice McCarthy incorporated part of the original nine-hole Hershey Golf Club, which opened in 1909, into the West Course.
Historic perspective » PGA Hall of Famers Henry Picard (1934-41) and Ben Hogan (1941-51) served as club pros at Hershey. The club hosted the 1940 PGA Championship, won by Byron Nelson. The LPGA Lady Keystone Open (1978-94) was held on the West Course. The East hosted the Nationwide Tour’s Reese’s Cup Classic (1997-2004).
Spring Creek » The club also includes a short nine-hole course (2,125), excellent for juniors and beginners. It was designed by McCarthy and updated and lengthened by Tom Clark in 2006.
Toughest hole
No. 15, par 4, 467 yards
The longest par 4 on the West or East courses plays downhill off the tee to a fairway which slopes left toward a pond, then uphill to the green. Length is important, but so is accuracy, leading some to hit utility clubs off the tee, even if it leaves more than 200 yards for the approach.
Best hole
No. 15, par 5, 501 yards (West)
Many players will be able to reach this hole in two, especially during the PGA Professional National Championship. But trouble lurks. The approach is to a small, elevated, two-tiered green tucked into one of the most inviting settings on the course, full of surrounding vegetation.
Iconic hole
No. 5, par 3, 176 yards (West)
Magazine ads for Hershey County Club invariably show the green on this hole with Milton S. Hershey‘s former mansion in the backdrop. The home, High Point, served as the clubhouse until the late 1970. This is a fascinating hole as players hit from an elevated tee with railroad tracks behind and the chocolate factory looming to the right.
