Golf Course Review - Union League Liberty Hill
Architect: Gary Player and Warren Henderson
Year Opened: 2003
Location: Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania
Slope: 146. Rating: 76.1
Par: 72
Yardage: 7,471
Hole-by-Hole: 1 - Par 4 372 Yds 10 - Par 4 471 Yds
2 - Par 4 476 Yds 11 - Par 4 445 Yds
3 - Par 5 610 Yds 12 - Par 3 231 Yds
4 - Par 3 201 Yds 13 - Par 4 441 Yds
5 - Par 4 385 Yds 14 - Par 3 223 Yds
6 - Par 3 193 Yds 15 - Par 4 439 Yds
7 - Par 4 439 Yds 16 - Par 5 594 Yds
8 - Par 4 375 Yds 17 - Par 4 428 Yds
9 - Par 5 546 Yds 18 - Par 5 602 Yds
Par 36 3,597 Yds Par 36 3,874 Yds
Key Events Held: Exelon Invitational (2006-09).
Awards Won: Silver Audubon International Signature Sanctuary.
Website: theaceclubonline.com.
HISTORY: Although The ACE Club has been opened just a short period of time
(2003), the piece of property it sits upon was once site of Eagle Lodge
Country Club, an old Rees Jones redesign. Conference Facilities, Inc., a
subsidiary of ACE INA Properties Inc., owns and operates the club. After
purchasing the property, ACE bought an additional 105 acres and brought in the
"International Ambassador of Golf", Gary Player, to leave his thumbprint in
Pennsylvania. Player did just that, bulldozing the previous course, moving
500,000 cubic feet of earth and using 270 of the 311-acre property to design a
venue like no other. Just his second course in the state, Player incorporated
his philosophies and design principles to craft a course worthy of a tour
event. "This course has been designed with a PGA (Championship), a U.S. Open
or anything else in mind," said Player. The course, which bears no resemblance
to its predecessor, features several signature holes and beauty beyond belief.
It's just a matter of time until The ACE Club becomes part of the national
spotlight.
Only three years after opening its doors, The Ace Club became host of the
Exelon Invitational hosted by PGA Tour player and Pennsylvania native Jim
Furyk. John Daly claimed six skins worth $130,000 to capture the 2006 edition
of this event. Daly birdied the 15th for five skins and $105,000 and went
on to win the 16th with birdie. 2005 Rookie of the Year, Sean O'Hair, a
nearby resident of West Chester, Pa., captured five skins and $87,500
while Adam Scott won $82,500 and seven skins. The charity event raises money
for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Philadelphia. Tournament host Furyk missed
playing due to injuries.
REVIEW: If there is an easy hole at The Ace Club, then the opener is just
that. From an elevated tee, the first bends slightly to the right with a more
than generous fairway that slopes severely to the left. A big tee shot down
the right side can leave just a little pitch to a well-guarded green that's 43
yards in depth. This hole can be had, but only if the pin is in the right
spot.
If you thought there was an elevation change on the first, well the
second hole drops 66 feet to the fairway, thus negating the 476 yardage from
the black tees. Still, a well placed tee ball is required to gain the extra
roll down the fairway and pass the slope in the landing zone. From there, a
mid-iron awaits the player, as he tries to negotiate the longest green on the
course of 50 yards. Not only is the putting surface deep, it features three
distinct sections, so club selection is of the utmost importance.
Life doesn't get any easier at the third. The longest hole on the course at 610 yards, this
monster needs a bomb down the right side of 240 yards just to carry the gaping
bunker. Slightly downhill, your second shot now must traverse a left side
bunker, 43 yards in length, strategically placed in the landing area. The
right side is the play, as it sets up a wedge to a green that opens up from
this angle. The putting surface slopes away in the back and for good measure
from left-to-right. A birdie chance, yes, but par is a good score.
Trees guard the entire right side of the fourth hole, the first par-three on the course.
Three bunkers protect the putting surface in the front, while a collection
area in the rear of the green captures the errant shot that goes long. If
you're going to miss on this hole, favor the left side to give yourself the
best chance of getting up and down.
At 385 yards, you would think that the fifth would be out of reach, however the hole drops an amazing 90 feet from tee-to-green as it winds to the left. A 60-yard bunker is strategically placed
in the center of the landing area, however there is plenty of room to the
right. An iron or fairway-metal to the right will set up an easy pitch and a
really good chance at birdie. The Ace Club has many signature holes and this
certainly could be one of them, as the view from the tee is magnificent and
the risk reward factor is evident. The putting surface is well guarded by sand
and is quite undulating.
After a long cart ride to the sixth tee, passing some
old "cooling" house ruins for food dating back to the 1800s, the golfer faces
the shortest par-three on the course, a "mere" 193 yards in length. The
putting surface is situated uphill with a large bunker blocking the entrance.
The green is sloped from back-to-front and left-to-right and depending upon
the wind, could be quite difficult, especially with a back-left pin. Club
selection will be critical in making birdie, let alone par.
Pick your target and trust your swing when you stand on the seventh tee. This severe, dogleg
left features a large bunker guarding the corner of the dogleg with another
trap on the opposite end snaring shots that stray to the right. The putting
surface, which plays uphill, will require just a short-iron or wedge. The
green, with a bunker front and deep, is multi-tiered and quite slick from
back-to-front. A definite birdie chance with a successful tee ball.
Check your yardage guide when you reach the eighth. Just 375 yards from the back tees,
the eighth needs to be played thoughtfully to make birdie. Three-metal should
be sufficient off the tee to the left side of the fairway, thus setting up the
best angle towards this slightly dogleg right. The fairway bunkers on the
right are more for a target than trouble, as they play short of the landing
area. The second shot is key, as the putting surface is 30 feet above the
fairway, with two bunkers fronting the green and one deep. At least one extra
club will be required to reach the surface, which is quite quick from back-to-
front and right-to-left. Long, and you'll have a tough up and down, short and
your shot will trickle down off the green.
The final hole on the outward nine can also be called a signature hole. The drive from the back tee must carry 205 yards over a lake to the fairway and play left of the meandering creek
that traverses the right side and then cuts in front of the green. With a
solid draw from the elevated tee box, the player may get home in two. May
being the optimum word, as the fairway slopes right towards the water, so any
shot hitting in the right-center might slip into the creek. There are two ways
to play the hole from the fairway. Option one is to play right to the split
fairway and leave yourself a little wedge, as you avoid the trouble. Number
two, is to go for the green with your second shot, but favor the right side of
the putting surface just in case. A back-left pin is not only difficult, but
brings the cascading waterfall into play. Don't let this one slip away, as the
ninth hole can be had.
In contrast, the 10th cannot be had and you'll be happy to escape with just a
par. If this 471-yarder plays into the wind, you might be hard pressed to make
bogey. First off, the tee shot plays over the lake and waterfall, thus
throwing your concentration off. Second, your first shot must play down the
right side, thus avoiding the deep, 30-yard long bunker on the left side of
the landing area. Your next shot will now play uphill to the green, one of the
longest on the course at 48 yards in depth. The putting surface slopes from
right-to-left and if the pin is situated in the back left, then a deep bunker
comes into play. I would have been happy with bogey.
Signature hole number three, the 11th plays downhill from tee-to-green and is more interesting from the back buttons, as it stretches 445 yards. The fairway is ample enough,
however, a short drive will leave a difficult, downhill approach to a green
fronted by a lake. Playing down the right side will open up the hole, leaving
a short-iron to an amphitheater styled green that reaches 50 yards in depth.
For good measure, two large bunkers protect the right and deep, while a
diabolical pot bunker is mid-green left. You'll need to judge your carry just
right to have a shot at birdie.
A monster of a par-three, the 12th is the
longest one-shotter on the course at 231 yards. Although it plays downhill,
your tee shot must carry a ravine, not to mention the 42-foot elevation drop.
Three strategically placed bunkers surround the green, so club selection is
key in making par.
The 13th might be quite unlucky if not played properly. A
drive down the left side of the fairway will set up a short approach to the
smallest green on the course. This might be easier said than done, as two
large bunkers guard the left and one bunker further down the fairway guards
the right. More sand protects the green in the front, and although the surface
is short, it is quite wide and undulating. The key here is to stay out of the
left rough, otherwise you might drop a shot or two.
The par-three 14th starts some of the best golf in Philadelphia. It's hard to believe that this hole is
ranked as the easiest on the course. At 223 yards, this downhill beauty drops
22 feet from the tees. Picking the right stick is quite important, as the
putting surface is 42 yards deep with a pair of U-shaped bunkers on the right
and a pot bunker to the left. To make matters worse, a creek cuts through the
hole and flows quite close to the green. Sloping from the middle of the green
to the front makes any short shot a certain three-putt.
At first look, the 15th seems fairly simple, as its wide fairway would indicate. However this
hole is anything but simple. The landing area slopes from left-to-right and
features a cross bunker right in your line of sight. The choices are simple.
Bombs away if you have the game to clear the bunker (271 from the back tee) or
play left with a three-metal and leave yourself a mid-iron. I'd be remiss if I
forgot to mention that the 15th plays uphill to the green and features more of
the ruins mentioned on the opening nine. So your second shot will require and
extra stick to a putting surface that slopes left-to-right with a bunker and a
steep slope on the right.
The par-five 16th is architecture and artistry at
its best. Yes, another signature hole, this beauty is a demanding, dogleg
right which features a magnificent 18-foot stonewall down the right side and
more stone 100 yards before the green. From the elevated tee, the golfer must
carry the wetlands, wall and bunkers with a power-fade. Your target is three
bunkers framing the left side of the fairway. After a successful tee shot, a
decision must be made, as you enter the go-zone. You'll need to carry another
rock wall and wetlands, roughly 100 yards from the green. By the way, two
bunkers, left and right protect the area short of the putting surface, while
another sand trap guards the right side of the green. The smart play, layup
short of the wall, leaving yourself a full sand-wedge to another green under
30 yards in depth. This will provide the player with a reasonable chance for
birdie and worse case, a par.
The 17th is a straightway, par-four of 428
yards. The challenge here is the series of bunkers jutting out into the
fairway down the left side. Depending upon the wind, a three-metal is all that
is needed to negotiate a successful tee shot down the right, leaving a mid- to
short-iron to the green. This is where it gets tricky, as the putting surface
is elevated with three bunkers lodged in front of the shallow, but long green.
At all costs, avoid the sand to make par or better, otherwise bogey could be
in the cards.
The final hole is what The ACE Club is all about. At 602 yards,
the hole is the second longest on the course. With water protecting the green
and landing area, the 18th is quite a strategic challenge. The waterfall and
magnificent clubhouse provide an amazing backdrop to this outstanding closing
hole. From the back tees, getting home in two is really quite a stretch, so
even with a big blast, you'll still want to layup to the 100-yard mark. A
simple pitch to a large green is not as easy as it sounds, with water right
and a deep bunker, short left. A back-right pin is for tournament play, so
play center-cut, two-putt and be content with par.
FINAL WORD: With some of the finest courses in the country in the
Philadelphia-region, Aronimink, Merion and Philadelphia Country Club to name a
few, The ACE Club has some stiff competition. Gary Player has certainly carved
out a masterpiece to rival some of the most storied venues in the land. "The
course is a testament to strategic design and will present a firm, but fair
test," commented Player. It does just that. From 5,500 to 7,400 yards, The ACE
Club is for all players, not just the touring pro or single-digit
handicappers. Not only that, The ACE Club also offers a state-of-the-art golf
learning center, with a two-tiered tee and six target greens. Let's not forget
a short-game area and a 10,000 square foot practice putting green. The
clubhouse, well, that's a whole other story. Designed by Hillier and
Diedrich/Niles Bolton Associates, its 35,000 square feet of brick, cedar and
glass overlooking the 9th and 18th greens. The amenities are what you expect
and then some. But let's get back to the course. Only two areas come into
question in my eyes. The routing from the fifth green to the sixth tee is
quite long, and although they have a caddie program, walking the course could
be tiresome. Be that as it may, the rolling fairways, majestic trees,
beautiful vistas, perfectly conditioned fairways and greens make this one
impressive place. The ACE Club is not just about golf. There is an executive
conference center, offering meeting facilities, dining and overnight
accommodations. Exclusive memberships for corporations and individuals, plus
non-local business professionals are available. In a word, the course is ACES
in my book.
