Inniscrone GC
Avondale, PA
The par-3 11th
Public
1998, Gil Hanse
Back Tees 6630 72.2 140 70
Middle Tees 6016 69.6 135 70
Directions:
Route 1 S to Rt 41, Avondale
41 S (past big WaWa) to center of Avondale to first light, make a right
Go over train tracks, road forks, take left fork up the hill (there is a little sign at the fork)
Go ~1 mile, road takes sharp left, DON'T GO THAT WAY, just go straight up the hill
Club is on your right at the top of the hill.
'12 Fees: $55 Weekend Ride, $45 after Noon
2012 Update: Inniscrone is a quirky, hilly target course that has contantly flip-flopped between private club, semi-private, public, and bankruptcy since it's opening 14 years ago. It tends to illicit strong reactions. My buddy Rob and I played it on a breezy April afternoon, and to demonstrate, here are some quotes from our round (Rob's 2nd time playing here, my 3rd):
-On the phone beforehand: "Hard to believe it's only $45 to play Inniscrone, even after Noon in early April."
-In the pro shop: "You're running a half hour behind because you ran out of carts?"
-On the 1st tee: "Nice hole. Here we go!"
-On the 2nd tee: "Do you remember where this hole goes?"
-Near the 2nd green: "It's April. We're more or less into the golf season. Why does it look like these bunkers haven't been dragged since 2011?"
-On the 3rd fairway: "I couldn't see, did that come up short, or go in the bunker in the back?"
-On the 4th green: "Dang these greens are brown and crusty, especially for spring!"
-On the 94-yard downhill 5th tee: "Is that really the green for this hole?"
-On the 5th green: "Wow, this is one of the worst greens I've seen in awhile."
-On the 6th tee: "This is a nice hole. Finally!"
-On the 7th tee: "I like this hole. Tough into the wind!"
-Driving up to the 9th green, to the group in front of us: "Sorry for hitting into you, we couldn't see you from back in the fairway."
-On the 10th tee: "I hate this friggin' hole."
-Driving up to the 11th tee: "This is a nice little par 3 coming up here."
-On the 12th fairway: "I've been in that greenside bunker. You do not want to be in that bunker."
-On the 13th tee: "I guess it dogs left? Where's the green?"
-On the 13th fairway: "This is one of the worst marked courses I've ever played for yardage. Oh right, it was designed as a member's course."
-On the 14th tee: "This course is 9 really good holes and 9 really bad holes all mixed together."
-On the 15th fairway: "Wow, fun second shot here. Tough. Hook it in from the right and let it trundle down there, you think?"
-On the 16th green, surrounded by dropoffs and moonscape, looking back at the split fairway: "Is this, or is this not, the most ridiculous hole design you've ever seen?"
-On the 17th tee: "Nice hole. Wish they were all this nice."
-On the 18th tee: "Hey, nice short par-4, nice finishing hole. The way we're playing, you want to just go for the green?"
-Driving away from the 18th green: "Hard to believe Gil Hanse designed some great courses, then laid this thing out. Didn't he just get the Olympic course? He'd probably blame this design on the piece of ground or the acreage he had to work with. But all these hills and woods and streams? How could you screw this up?"
Fat Guy Review, 2009: A once-private course somewhere shy of a Stonewall or a Fieldstone but in that mold. The first two attempts at taking the fledgling club private have struggled financially. The course is a nice blend of minimalism, rugged course design, and mostly good conditions, although plans for a new clubhouse could change the vibe somewhat. No pool, no tennis courts, and houses along just a few holes. Mostly Inniscrone is just about golf. The website describes the course as "spectacular vistas… with a devilish Irish flair." A fair refererence.
Gil Hanse used the rugged, hilly terrain to the max. Between some online reviews I've read and a Philly Inquirer article by local golf writer Joe Logan, many seem to feel Inniscrone is too tricked up, and that its unconventional routing was largely responsible for the club's struggles with going private and staying liquid. Indeed, while a first visit left me thinking the critics were too harsh, a second round played from the shortish White tees changed my opinion somewhat, despite the fact that I shot a better score the second time around. Hanse demands accurate approaches and course management from tee to green, and he wants you to think about which half of the mostly generous fairways you'll hit before you tee it up. The catch is that it's often hard to tell what strategy is best from the tee without a few laps around the track under your belt. This was designed to be a private club, a member's course. Blind shots, false fronts, hidden crossing bunkers, and deceptive elevation changes all add to the wrinkle that's deepening in your forehead on each tee. Tucking a bunker or three out of sight and sniggering is one thing. Hiding greens, landing areas, and the width and direction of the fairway is another. Put it this way: when the head pro feels the need to put together a handout of strategy tips on how to play each hole to speed up play, the designer has failed by hiding too many features.
Some of the holes are obviously shoe-horned into less-than-ideal space and/or terrain. While I loved the short downhill par-3 5th in concept, Hanse built a green so shallow as to be nearly unhittable, and even balls that catch the front fringe will kick straight off the back, with a back side drop-off that's utterly ridiculous to recover from unless you've got Lefty's flop wedge in your bag. The 10th is a great example of the design flaws. Hanse obvioulsy needed two holes to start near the clubhouse and two more to end there, but only had sufficient terrain for three good holes. While the 1st is a strong opening salvo, the 10th is a Mickey Mouse downhill long-iron to a semi-blind landing area, with another long-iron from an awkward downhill lie for an all-carry approach over scrub brush. From the 6100 yard White tees, I hit something less than driver on at least 4 of the par-4s and par-5s. The semi-blind approach from the split fairway on 16 is as deceiving and unfair a setup as I've seen, even from the preferred lower fairway (which I only know after hitting what I thought was a pin dart approach from the upper fairway that ended up lost on my first visit). There are some strong golf holes, particularly the short par-3 11th, and the soft dogleg par-4 12th featuring Hanse's trademark cavernous bunkers. But by the time you hit the driveable par-4 18th, you'd kill your Aunt Connie for a level lie. Overall conditions were good except for a few tees that were pretty chewed up under the shade of the numerous trees. It's a shame their attempts to go and stay private have been fraught with financial issues, but the good thing for schmos like me is we can play this quirky layout til they get their act together. Limited public tee times available last I checked. A love-it-or-hate-it type of an experience. Rating: 7.5
By contrast, here's a good article I found detailing Gil Hanse's architectual nuance on a varied terrain property: http://golfclubatlas.com/courses-by-country/usa/inniscrone-golf-club
Best Bar Nearby: Head 2 or 3 exits north on Rt 1 and bang a right onto 82 S for 5 minutes to a great sports bar/restaurant, Giordano's in Kennett Square. The sports bar upstairs is a multi-level sports-watching orgy centered around a circular bar, with screens visible from every seat and every angle. A crow's nest above the bar has pool tables. Also, the restaurant side downstairs is seperate from the sports bar, so you can enjoy the food without dealing with all the smoke and screaming fans. Try the wings, they're a unique, perfect balance between BBQ and spicy. They don't seem hot when you first bite in, but they have a nice cumulative effect over a 20 piece order (although $12 for 20 wings is one of the steepest prices I've ever seen). $3.50 22-ounce drafts.
Where To Grub: Philadelphia Magazine's "Best of Philly" recommends nearby El Sombrero (on Rt. 41, 1 mi. S. Of Rt. 1, 610-268-3553, 437 Gap Newport Pike). Described as "Cinco de Mayo meets Mel's Diner" and serving the local population of Mexican mushroom farmers, this vibrant roadside store is part restaurant, part groceria, and part newsstand. Menu in Spanish and English lists bargain-priced tortas, tacos, burritos, and platters. Try a torta, a Mexican sandwich consisting of a big, sweet roll layered with refried beans, avocado, mustard, lettuce, tomato, and shredded beef. Or try a simple, spicy chorizo-filled taco, dressed with pickled onions and peppers from the wooden condiment cart in the center of the dining room. On your way out, stock up on dried peppers, fresh papaya, homemade pastries, and bargain hot sauces. OR, OR, Philadelphia Magazine likes Half Moon Restaurant and Saloon, with it's roofdeck overlooking Kennett Square's scenic surroundings.
Golfcourse.com Review: This course was built on the rolling hills of Pennsylvania. Each hole offers a golfer with a new perspective, rather than the same theme. Memberships are required to play on weekends. Weekday golfers may enjoy this course with the sponsorship of a member. Information on becoming a member is available through the pro shop.
Avg. Golfcourse.com Player Review: 4.3/5.0 "Exceptionally phenominal… No longer private and I can see why, who would want to play a tricked up couse on a regular basis, blind holes throughout, buried elephant greens, all they need is the windmill, one fairway so steep the ball rolled 50 yards back towards the tee, a lot of leaves on greens for $90 greens fees… A perfect example of doing way too much with a great piece of land, too short doglegs left the driver in the bag, then a 180 carry to the green, some of the most gimmicky golf holes I've ever played… Despite not being fond of the short 5th, the downhill 10th, or the approaches on 16 & 17, I found much to like here, a must play for Philly golfers… Very enjoyable course over a tough piece of land, good use of the natural topography."