Continued Woes at Walnut Lane

Walnut Lane Golf Club
Philadelphia, Pal
Yards: 2173/2098 – 4271
Par: 31/31 = 62
Rating: 59, Slope: 91
Score: 50/48 = 98
Date: September 19, 2009

Hoping to get my game turned around after some awful golf at the Delaware Shore, I ventured back to my familiar surroundings at Juniata Golf Club. However, because of a golf outing, I was forced to go play at Walnut Lane Golf Club in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia. Designed by legendary architect Alex Findlay, the course opened in 1940 and is set among the Wissahickon Valley Park, which is part of Philadelphia's Fairmount Park. Although it is short at just over 4200 yards and only a par 62, Walnut Lane overs a good test with elevation changes, tight driving holes and long difficult Par 3s. I felt this would be a good change to really test my new TaylorMade Tour Burner irons.

Walnut Lane Scorecard

I was paired up with Charles and Tyrell on the First Tee, and Gregory later joined us on the Second Hole. My problems began from the start. On the first four holes, I pushed my tee shots straight right, although I was always in a position to stay in the hole. My short game wasn't too bad and I chipped pretty well. I worked on my swing and finally started to draw the ball at the Sixth Hole. My biggest problem, as it has been all season, was with my putting. Two-putting was a triumph. It got so bad on the back nine that I actually began putting cross-handed in an effort to find anything that resembled a good putting stroke. It seemed to help a bit and after a few holes, I went back to conventional and putted a bit better. Still, a 50-48 for the two nines was very disappointing.

The Fourth Hole, a 218-yard downhill Par 3

The blind tee shot at the Par 4 Seventh Hole

Walnut Lane was in pretty good shape. It, like Juniata, has gone on its own when Billy Casper Golf did not take over its management as part of their deal with the Fairmount Park Commission, which still owns the course. One of the big problems that Walnut Lane has long suffered is many golfers only play the first seven holes, which are on the clubhouse side of Walnut Lane, the Philadelphia street from which the course derives its name. Because of this, the other 11 holes can sometimes suffer vandalism by people riding motorbikes or ATVs through the Wissahickon Valley Park. Many trails pass on the very edge of the course, and it is not usual to be on a green and have several mountain bikers come speeding past. We witnessed such vandalism yesterday as tires prints ran in circles across the Twelfth and Thirteenth Greens.

The tight tee shot at the Ninth Hole

Damage on the Twelfth Green

As for my irons, I am very happy with them so far. They hit the ball with a very crisp feel, almost like a blade iron. The distance is loooong and the feel is soft and easy to control around the greens. Although you don't need to hit Driver often at Walnut Lane, I hit it three times yesterday and found the fairway each time. Last week, I cut an inch off my Driver shaft, making its length 44.5-inches, as opposed to the 45.5 that I purchased it as. I was hoping that the shorter shaft would help with control and accuracy and it seemed to make quite the difference yesterday. I am hoping that it will also help eliminate the slice that has crept into my drives from time-to-time this year.

More photos of Walnut Lane:

The 186-yard Par 3 Second Hole

The approach to the Third Hole

The Eleventh Hole, a narrow, uphill Par 3

Two large bunkers guard the short Thirteenth Hole

The Sixteenth Hole, a 152-yard Par 3

Photos by The Muni Golfer