By Steve Gordon
I’m always on the lookout for opportunities to play new courses so on a hot mid July afternoon I made the hour drive out of Bucks County, PA to meet a friend to play Gambler’s Ridge. After checking out the web site what I was able to determine that this was a relatively short and playable public course.
Heavy thunderstorms were in the weather forecast but not until late afternoon so that wasn’t going to be a factor. Of course the heavy humidity was a little uncomfortable, but as we all know that helps the ball fly a little further than normal.
With the white tees set at 6040 yards (back tees 6294) the course was very comfortable to play where a senior player like myself could play the white tees without having to move up to the 5626 yard gold tees. The forward tees challenge beginners, juniors and the women at 5091 yard.
OK, enough with the analytics of numbers.
The course was an interesting mix of right and left doglegs using trees and ponds to keep you honest while it stretched out the straight holes. Much of it was like an old style course even as it was new to the scene in 1985.
The greens were generally smaller than what we see today and they tilted and crowned without big undulations. I commented at one point that a couple greens looked Donald Ross like. What wasn’t Donald Ross like with the greens was the huge double green serving the 15th and 17th holes. They were in very good shape and the ball rolled smooth. Once you get a feel for of the subtle breaks and the moderate speed you could roll the ball right up to the cup and watch some fall in.
It starts you out with a slight dogleg 337 (white tee) yard par 4 followed with a 359 yarder with OB on the right. After a short 110 yard one shot hole over water the first par five shows up at 521 yards straightaway and slightly uphill.
That seems to be the theme for the front nine with short par 4’s, two short par 3’s and two healthy par 5’s. There aren’t a lot of bunkers on the course but the ones that are there come into play as do a number of small ponds scattered throughout the layout.
The back nine throws a little more yardage at you with only one par 5 and a par of 35. Roughly 200 yards more total distance then the front side and one less stroke to par. The two par threes play from 164/194 depending on which tee is used on 11 and the 14th weighs in at 201 yards.
After the 14th the finishing holes heading to the barn from the white tees play 401, 513, 390 and 383 yards. It’s a stout finish that you may or may not get some help with some wind on. The back nine is without a doubt more of a test.
There are enough trees throughout the course separating the holes but not so many that you feel claustrophobic. There is no underbrush so you can find your ball should you miss the fairway but it is likely a punch out. A few holes have OB around the perimeter of the layout but it isn’t so tight to those holes that it is an issue sans a really bad shot.
Overall it was a fun course to play. The yardage on the par 5’s seems out of proportion to the rest of the course but that isn’t to say they are unplayable. If you move up to the gold tees they play 475, 485 and 490 yards.
My favorite hole was the sixth hole is listed at 286 yards with the scorecard showing a sight dogleg left and water on the left and in front of the green. It makes you think what you want to hit for distance to a spot where you want to hit the approach from. You can’t really see the green from the tee but you can see a big bunker on the right of it. It’s a hole easier to play once you have seen and played it but still everything is out in front of you to play it smart.
If someone suggested a road trip to play there I’d go again. For tee times call them at 800-427-8463 or 609-758-3588.
