This course is a local haunt of mine, only about 20 minutes from my house, although I only play it about once a year due to pricey prime time riding fees. It was designed by George Fazio, 1950 U.S. Open runner-up to Ben Hogan, touring pro for Pine Valley, and uncle and mentor to modern-day course architect Tom Fazio. George also designed some famous classic courses such as the East Course at Hershey Country Club, Pinehurst #6, Butler National outside Chicago, Palmetto Dunes on Hilton Head, Jupiter Hills in Florida, Edgewood Tahoe, and local private club Cedarbrook. Downingtown may not be listed on some rosters of George Fazio designed courses though; he often wouldn’t admit to drawing up the course, as the original owners were stingy and never paid him.

Downingtown is a U.S. Open-style design on a 90% scale. It displays alot of classic characteristics reminiscent of Philly-area USGA championship venues like Merion and Aronomink. Plush fairways with gentle slopes are lined with stately trees, serene ponds, and fescue fields, leading to steep bunkers guarding tough elevated green complexes with fast putting surfaces. Some additional bunkering was added when the course underwent a renovation in the mid-'90's by Philly-based architect Gil Hanse, but much of the bunkering retains the rough-edged, frog-haired look Fazio brought from his Pine Valley days. The routing plays short due to a myriad of thought-provoking crossing hazards and fairway bunkers (anybody who can hit a drive 240 or better should probably play it from the 6,600 yard black tees so you don't have to tee off with 4-iron half the day). Green surrounds are a fun mix of high-lipped white bunker faces and shaved down runoff areas encouraging bump and run recovery chips. As my buddy Rob said in the middle of a recent round here, "I think I've made more decisions today than I have in my last 20 rounds combined."

The visual touches set this place apart. Just walking up to the clubhouse, you notice the subtle brick-and-stone walkways and the artistry of the landscaping. The clubhouse looks stately in stone on the outside, but retains that creaky-floors, converted-from-a-farmhouse feel inside. The staff is made up of friendly retired regular Joe's. Even the putting green is comfortably nested between the tiny halfway house and the restaurant driveway, surrounded by tasteful fauna.

Small theaters of serenity pop up throughout the round: From cozy shaded tees, to the understated gazebo between the 4th & 7th, to the sounds of the fountain standing watch on the downhill signature par-3 12th, to the flowers flanking the quaint split staircase leading up to the elevated 14th tees, to the meandering small creeks and bucolic ponds that surround the 14th & 15th greens shaded by old stands of oaks with tiny bridge crossings that somehow remind you of the nicest old-school kiddie park you've ever seen, to the sweeping collection area that flows straight from the par-3 17th green into the 18th tee box. This course was a good design from the start, but what makes it great today is the care and cohesive vision that have been put into all the little decisions in the intervening 60 years--the addition of a pot bunker here, the trimming of a tree there, the subtle artistry of the peripheral landscaping--all while retaining the classic lines of Fazio's original routing.

Golf snobs may brustle about a couple minor drawbacks. The course has no driving range (only a hitting net for warming up). It's also surrounded by a strip mall, a movie-plex, and a Catholic clergy behavioral health center; but the mature vegitation keeps most of the mall & theater's bland back walls out of sight. Only the pastoral health center next door is overly noticeable once you tee off, and its' old stone farmhouse features and rail fences only compliment Downingtown's overall feel.

Yeah, Downingtown's prime time ride fees are pretty steep, but this is a great little splurge that's well worth the extra $20 a couple times a year if you're from the area, and it's not a bad value at the walking rates. It's easily a Must Play for the Philly 'burbs for out-of-towners, especially if you long for a Philly "U.S. Open" experience but lack local private club connections. Play it early in the slanted morning sunlight to enjoy the full "Serenity Now" vibe and a fast pace of play. Fat Guy Rating: 9.0

Where To Booze Nearby: There's a ton of local and chain options nearby, but since this course is one of my local haunts, let me sort through the haystack for ya. First off, skip the on-site bar... ridiculously slow service and their wings suck. Instead, head just across Business Route 30 to P.J. Wheelihan's Pub (www.pjspub.com). A cavernous sports bar with plasmas galore, a huge selection of microbrews, a great covered patio with its own outdoor plasma-adorned bar, and a hottie waitstaff in too-small baby-T's, yoga pants, and short shorts. The pub food menu features decent wings (fairly hot sauce, but they lose major points for being breaded, despite being the official wing of Philly's Wing Bowl), good salads, and great onion rings. The caveats: Stay away from the cheesesteak, and mixed drinks aren't their specialty either, although their list of syrupy sweet Gen Y happy hour vodka drinks (in flavors like bubble gum, Mountain Dew, and Red Bull) isn't bad. For you suds-swillers with a handcrafted bent, check out tucked-away but nearby Victory Brew Pub (L onto Bus 30W, 1st L onto Lincoln, R @ stop sign, quick L onto Acorn, then look L into industrial park in back right corner of parking lot, 420 Acorn, www.victorybeer.com), a Maxim fave. Old World micro-brews are crafted on-premises, with a sturdy menu of pub food and wood oven pizzas, but their wings are too tangy, not hot, and soggy. Two pool tables and a great quote painted over the bar don't compensate for the bar's farsighted TV set-up if watching sports is on your mind. If it's more of a blender drinks alfresco kinda day, head 10 minutes out Business Route 30 East to the laid back atmosphere at Jimmy Buffet's Cheeseburger In Paradise (Bus 30E to Rt 100N, L @ 2nd light, Exton). I've seen the vibe here fluctuate between bottle-flipping bartenders and live tunes to crickets chirping and no bartender on duty, but Jimmy's boat drinks on their outdoor patio is never a bad thing. Skip the mediocre mojitos for the frozen drink sampler to pick a favorite. The daiquiri stands out, made with real strawberries. If you can resist the urge to order the namesake burger--'I like mine with lettuce and tomato, Heinz 57 and french fried potatoes'--then go for the mini-cheeseburgers or the jerk chicken wrap.

Where To Grub: For good pizza and wings, head for Coco's, but the dining room is spartan and they don't have a liquor license. For steak with the boys, hit the trendy-but-not-too-trendy FireCreek (www.firecreek-restaurant.com, Bus. Rt 30 & 322), and eat on their creekside outdoor deck. Or, Riverstone Café (www.riverstonecafe.com, near the intersection of Rts. 100 & Biz 30) is a loungy Center City experience in the suburbs, with affordable tapas dishes and a great menu of specialty martinis, with Winner's Circle Sports Bar right next door for catching the game.

Further Distractions: So you keep forgetting to make a haircut appointment with your regular guy, and now you're overdue? Or maybe you're looking for a nice Guy's Day Out for those rare Father's Day pamperings, or that once-a-year occurrence when the wife actually admits to owing you one? After your round at D-town, swing by the coolest barbershop I've ever found, called Shaving Grace (Main Street @ Exton, 296 Main, 610-524-6977, www.shavinggracebarbers.com). A peek in the store front window looks more like a bachelor's furniture store than a barbershop: hardwood floors and darkwood walls compliment a sturdy ornamental oak-legged pool table surrounded by deep comfy casual leather chairs. The first thing they do when you walk in is offer you a beer (beverages are included with the $30 haircut). The back room houses old-world barber chairs in the round, with a rotunda ceiling and back-in-the-day guy tunes, heavy on the Sinatra. The new-school-meets-old-school vibe means you can also get a straight razor shave here. Ask for Mike or Drew if they're working. Feel free to hang out after your cut for another brew, and bet on a few games of stick with other patrons, or the barbers themselves if things aren't too busy.

To complete your Dad's Day Out of manscaping and guy pampering, after getting your new lid from Shaving Grace and shooting a few games of pool, stroll up to Borders to browse the shelves for a new novel or CD, followed by alfresco drinks and apps at Appetites On Main across the street, then maybe swing by nearby Riverstone Café for happy hour martinis, and see where the evening takes you.