A Reality Check at Juniata

Juniata Golf Club
Philadelphia, Pa
Yards: 4805, Par: 66
Rating: 63.2, Slope: 106
Score: 50/46 = 96
Date: June 3, 2008

A day after watching four of the top 20 golfers in the world play at The ACE Club, I took my game to the ever-improving Juniata Golf Club for a round. I should have payed better attention. While my game off the tee wasn't that bad, my ball striking with my irons was a mixed bag of inconsistency; some good shots, some thin shots and some fat shots. I also struggled with my touch around the greens, but that is to be expected by my lacking of playing. My putting was decent. It all added up to a disappointing 96, especially after I started 4-4 on the first two holes and had a wedge shot of just over 100 yards for my approach on the 390-yard, Par 4 3rd Hole. But it was fun to be hitting a golf ball on a golf course rather than on a driving range. And I did have a good time with my playing partner, Jerry, who I paired up with on the 1st Tee. Hopefully, I get in more rounds in the coming weeks, I'll knock the rust off my game, improve my ball striking and sharpen my touch around and on the greens.

As I have written in previous posts, Juniata Golf Club continues to get better and better. The Juniata Golf Foundation, the non-profit organization which took over management of the 81-year-old course on January 1 of this year, has been doing an outstanding job of transforming the course into a hidden gem among the Delaware's golf community. I took these pictures so you could see how the course is shaping up:

The downhill, Par 3 1st Hole, with the Tacony Creek behind. Just before I took this photo, a deer wandered behind the green and into the bushes.

The view from the green looking back at the 390-yard 3rd Hole.

One of the new benches that can be found on the many of the tee boxes.

The 4th Hole, a 380-yard Par 4. Notice the 200-yard (blue), 150-yard (white) and 100-yard (red) yardage markers lining the right side of the fairway.

The 7th fairway from the elevated tee box. The hole is a sharp dogleg left over wetlands.

The elevated 11th tee looks out over the Tacony Creek to a fairway that doglegs slightly to the right, then plays uphill to a small, elevated green.

The wide open 17th Hole requires a tee shot over the Tacony Creek and plays uphill to a long but narrow green that slopes severely towards the fairway in the front third.

The short Par 3 closing hole plays about a club longer to an elevated green guarded by two deep bunkers.

The 9th (back flag) and 18th (foreground) Holes share a double green.

Photos by The Muni Golfer