Saucon Valley Country Club facts for kids
| Club information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Upper Saucon Township, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Established | 1920 |
| Type | Private |
| Total holes | 60 |
| Tournaments hosted | U.S. Amateur (1951) U.S. Junior Amateur (1983) U.S. Senior Amateur (1987) U.S. Mid-Amateur (2014) U.S. Senior Open (1992, 2000, 2022) U.S. Women's Open (2009) |
| Website | Saucon Valley Country Club |
| Old Course | |
| Designed by | Herbert Strong |
| Par | 71 |
| Length | 7,126 |
| Course rating | 74.6 |
| Grace Course | |
| Designed by | William Gordon |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 7,091 |
| Course rating | 74.2 |
| Weyhill Course | |
| Designed by | David Gordon and William Gordon |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 7,097 |
| Course rating | 73.7 |
Saucon Valley Country Club is a private club located in Upper Saucon Township in eastern Pennsylvania. It is close to the cities of Allentown and Bethlehem. This club is famous for its large golf facilities. It has three 18-hole golf courses and a smaller six-hole course for beginners.
The club's Old Course has hosted many important golf tournaments. Eight events from the United States Golf Association (USGA) have taken place here. These include the U.S. Senior Open in 1992, 2000, and 2022. In 2009, the U.S. Women's Open was played at Saucon Valley. Five years later, the U.S. Mid-Amateur also came to the club. Saucon Valley Country Club is also the home course for the Lehigh University golf team. All three of its 18-hole courses have been listed among the top courses by golf magazines.
Contents
Saucon Valley Country Club: A Golfing Gem
How Saucon Valley Started
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Saucon Valley Country Club began in 1920. A group of local business people, many from Bethlehem Steel, started it. They hired an architect named Herbert Strong. He designed the first course, which is now called the Old Course. Building the course finished in 1921, and it opened in 1922.
Sadly, a fire destroyed the club's main building in January 1928. But a new building was quickly started and finished in 1929. After World War II, more people wanted to join the club. So, they decided to build a second course. William Gordon and his son David designed it. The first nine holes of the Grace Course opened in 1953. This course was named after Eugene Grace, one of the club's founders. The last nine holes were ready five years later. The Weyhill Course was the third 18-hole course built. It opened in 1968.
Exploring the Golf Courses
Saucon Valley Country Club has three main 18-hole golf courses. Each one offers a different challenge for golfers.
The Old Course: A Challenge
The Old Course used to be 6,799 yards long. After some updates, it is now 7,126 yards. Its par is 71. "Par" means the number of strokes a good golfer should take to finish a hole or a course. This course has three "par-fives" that are over 550 yards long. These are very long holes!
Grace and Weyhill Courses
The Grace Course is 7,091 yards long with a par of 72. Links Magazine said it is "a big hitters' paradise." This means golfers who can hit the ball very far will enjoy it. The Weyhill Course is also a par-72. It measures 7,097 yards.
Big Tournaments Hosted Here
The USGA has held eight national tournaments at Saucon Valley's Old Course. These are very important events in golf.
Major Golf Championships
The first USGA event at Saucon Valley was the 1951 U.S. Amateur. A future professional golfer, Billy Maxwell, won it. In 1983, the Old Course hosted the U.S. Junior Amateur. Tim Straub was the winner that year. Four years later, John Richardson won the U.S. Senior Amateur.
Saucon Valley hosted its first U.S. Senior Open in 1992. This is a major championship for older professional golfers. Larry Laoretti won the tournament by four strokes. He finished with a score of 275, which was nine strokes under par. The U.S. Senior Open came back to Saucon Valley in 2000. Hale Irwin won this time, breaking the tournament's scoring record. He finished 17 strokes under par!
In July 2009, Saucon Valley hosted the U.S. Women's Open. This is a major championship for professional women golfers. South Korean golfer Eun-Hee Ji won by just one stroke. She made a 20-foot putt on the very last hole to win. The players really liked the course after this event.
The Old and Weyhill Courses hosted the U.S. Mid-Amateur in 2014. Both courses were used for the first part of the competition. The final matches were held on the Old Course. Scott Harvey was the champion. In 2022, Saucon Valley became the first club to host the U.S. Senior Open three times. Pádraig Harrington won by one stroke.
College Golf and More
The club is also where the golf team from Lehigh University plays its home matches. Eugene Grace, who helped start the club, went to Lehigh University. Saucon Valley has hosted the men's golf championship for Lehigh's athletic conference, the Patriot League, four times. Lehigh won this championship in 2013. The Old Course has also hosted the Pennsylvania Amateur Championship twice.
Other Fun Things to Do
Besides the three 18-hole courses, Saucon Valley Country Club has a six-hole Short Course. This course is great for golfers who are just starting out. The club also has 16 tennis courts. There are four swimming pools for members to enjoy. You can also find squash courts and platform tennis courts at the club.
Top Golf Course Rankings
The Old and Grace courses have often been listed among the best golf courses in the U.S. by golf magazines. In 1995 and 1997, Golf Magazine named the Grace Course one of the "Top 100 Courses in the U.S." Golfweek magazine also picked it as one of "America's 100 Best Classical Courses" from 1997 to 1999.
The Old Course also joined the "Top 100 Courses in the U.S." list in 1995. Only a few private clubs, like Baltusrol Golf Club and Winged Foot Golf Club, have had more than one course on this famous list. Golfweek also put the Old Course on its "America's 100 Best Classical Courses" list from 1997 to 1999. After updates for the 2009 U.S. Women's Open, the Old Course won an award in 2008. Golf Digest magazine gave it the "Best Remodel" award.
