A Perfect Practice Place

Bethlehem Golf Club Executive Course
Bethlehem, Pa.
Yards: 2325/2581 - 4906
Par: 34/34 - 68
Rating: 63.3, Slope: 109
Score: 46/44 = 90
Date: August 4, 2018

While visiting family in the Easton, Pa., on Saturday, I had a chance to play 18 holes at Bethlehem Golf Club's Executive Course. The nine-hole Executive Course, along with the 18-hole Monocacy Course and Driving Range, comprises the City of Bethlehem's wonderful public golfing complex along Illicks Mill Road.

Bethlehem Golf Club Executive Course Scorecard

I have played the challenging 18-hole Monocacy Course, which used to play 6,679 yards from the white tees in the past, but on this occasion I opted for the nine-hole course instead. I like the shorter course because it offers a great opportunity to work on your game while getting in a round at the same time. For only $19--the non-resident rate--I could play as many holes as I would have liked and I have played 27 at the EC in the past. Also, there are no carts on the Executive Course, which meant I walked a round for the second time this season.

First Hole from the Tee Box

Due to severe rain storms late last week, the course was very soft, making it play a bit longer, and puddles could be found around the course, although none affected play. On this Saturday, they only had one set of tee markers, so the nine holes played the same both times around. The one thing I didn't like was there are no yardage markers in the fairway, so approach shot distances are strictly by feel. I often under-clubbed during my round, but this also gave me the opportunity to practice my short game on almost every hole. I also used my 4-wood and hybrids off of most of the tees on the Par 4s.

The iconic Bethlehem Steel Building looms a short distance away

I was a bit disappointed with my play on the front nine. I had some good holes and a couple of very bad holes. I did make two pars, but I wasn't happy with my 46. The back nine was better, but my score was almost identical with a 44. I was happy in the fact that as I approached my closing three holes--16 (Par 4), 17 (Par 3) and 18 (Par 4)--I pretended I needed to shoot no worse than two-over-par to score a 90. I parred 17 and bogeyed 16 and 18 to shoot 90!

More photos of the Bethlehem Golf Club's Executive Course:

The downhill Par 4 4th Hole

The Par 3 8th Hole, which plays uphill

Photos by The Muni Golfer

2010: The Year in Review

This past golf year can best be summed up as the year that almost wasn't. Because Mrs. Muni Golfer and I moved to a new clubhouse in June, my time of the course was severely limited during the season. I didn't play my first round of the year until May 2 and didn't play my third round until July 18. In all, I managed to play my lowest number of rounds since I began playing 18 years ago. I didn't play any practice rounds in the early part of the season, which hurt when I actually was able to play on a more steady basis later in the summer.

 The Fourth Hole/John F. Byrne

Overall, I played 13 rounds on 8 different courses. One round was canceled after four holes because of severe weather. For the first time in a long time, I didn't play any new courses this past season. I played at Juniata, Bethlehem Executive Course, The Fairways, Old Landing, Horsham Valley, John F. Byrne, Walnut Lane and Cobbs Creek.

 The Second Hole/Horsham Valley

Overall, I played 238 holes this past season, took 1,215 strokes and averaged 93.4 for the 13 rounds I played. I made par of better on nearly one-quarter of the holes I played; 57 out of 238. I also recorded 4 birdies this year: the 8th and 16th at Juniata, the 11th at Old Landing and the 13th at John Byrne.

 Eighteenth Hole/Old Landing

My lowest round of the year was an 85 at Horsham Valley on Aug. 29, while my highest round was a 110 shot in the rain at Cobbs Creek on Oct. 5. I only failed to break 100 twice this past year: 104 on Aug. 14 at Old Landing and the 110 at Cobbs Creek.

 Driving Range/Bensalem Country Club

I did manage to get to the driving range 7 times this season, although it didn't seem to help much since I played so infrequently. I hope I can combine more trips to the range with more rounds of golf in the 2011 season.

Working 9 for 5 in Bethlehem

Bethlehem Golf Club/Executive Course
Bethlehem, Pa.
Yards: 2325/2581 - 4906
Par 34/34 - 68
Score: 45/Front Nine
Date: May 22, 2010

Yesterday, while in Easton, Pa., for a family event, I managed to get a rare nine holes of golf. Because of time constraints, I ventured over to Bethlehem Golf Club's Executive Course. This 9-hole facilty, loctade acoss the street from Bethlehem's wonderful 18-hole course, is a great place to practice and work on your game. It features seven Par 4s and two Par 3s. Holes play uphill, downhill or doglegs, while the greens are small and often elevated. There is a forward tee for playing the first nine and back tee for the back nine. And it only cost $16 on a Saturday afternoon to play as many holes as you want.

 My Bethlehem GC Executive Course Scorecard

Considering I have only played 27 holes until yesterday, my game wasn't as rusty as I thought it would be. I hit it faily well off the tee and generally hit my irons crisply. My short game was better than it has been so far this year, but my putting still needs some work as I burned the edge numerous times. One of my big mistakes thoughout the round was failing to take into consideration the distance the ball carries because of the altitude change. I have found that when I play in and around this area, I am usually one club longer minimum. This, and a steady breeze, caused me to overhit a few greens.  What I found interesting was that I made a 5 on all nine holes I played, a feat I didn't think I've ever before accomplished.

 Downhill tee shot at the Second Hole

There was one really neat moment that occured while I was playing.  Through the first four holes, I had a father and son playing in front of me. The son was probably in his early 20s and it was easy to tell he was new to the game.  After waiting on the tee and in the fairway on each shot for them to finish ahead of me, the father told me to play through when I had reached the Fifth Hole, a very short Par 3.  I had heard them tee off while I was on the Fourth Green, but the father told me his son was a beginner and they didn't want to hold me up. I had heard the father pull two tee shots into the woods to the left and exclaim "nice shot" when his son had teed off.  Normally, I would have asked to play with them, but I needed to get back to the family event as soon as possible, so I thanked them, hit a poor tee shot and took two chips to get on the green. As I went to remove the flagstick before putting, I noticed a Maxfli golf ball in the cup. I didn't remove the pin, but walked to the front of the green and yelled back to ask if the son was playing a Maxfli. He yelled back yes and I hollared, "You made a hole-in-one!"  They looked at each other then quickly made their way to the green.  The young man looked in the cup and confirmed it was his ball. His father said it was only his second time playing golf. I congratulated him on his rare achievement before putting out and moving to the next hole.

 The Par 3 Fifth Hole which was aced

After my round, I stopped by the local Dicks Sporting Goods, which has a really great golf section. I picked up a TaylorMade Burner 5-Wood on sale to match my Driver and 3-Wood. I plan to alternate this 18-degree fairway club with my 17-degree Nickent 3DX DC Utility 2-Hybrid depending on the course and the conditions.

TaylorMade Burner Fairway Wood

I will now be cleaning my clubs and packing them up as this will probably be my last round of golf until July as Mrs. Muni Golfer and I pack our clubhouse in preparation for moving to a new clubhouse later in June. While I'm looking forward to our new clubhouse, I'm not looking forward to the packing, moving and unpacking.  But at least I'll be able to keep playing my favorite courses from my new location.

Photos by The Muni Golfer

Stealing Some Practice in Bethlehem

Bethlehem Golf Club/Executive Course
Bethlehem, Pa.
Yards: 4906, Par 68
Score: Practice Round/Front Nine
Date: May 30, 2009

Saturday we were in Easton, Pa., to watch our nephew's middle school matinee performance of You're a Good Man Charlie Brown. Following the play, while the rest of the family were doing the barbecue thing, I grabbed my clubs and headed off to Bethlehem Golf Club's Executive Course for a nine-hole practice round. The Executive Course is part of the City of Bethlehem's municipal golf complex, which includes the 18-hole Monocacy Course, the 9-hole Executive Course and a 36-bay Driving Range. The Monocacy Course, which I've played three times, has been rated four stars by Golf Digest. Greens fees for the Executive Course range from $16 for non-Bethlehem residents on weekends and holidays to a $9 weekday twilight rate for residents. Since I didn't arrive at the course until 5 p.m., I paid $13 to walk.

Bethlehem G.C. Executive Course Scorecard

Like most nine-hole courses, Bethlehem's Executive Course features split tees: white for the front nine and blue for the back nine. The front plays shorter at 2325 yards, while the back nine plays from 2581 yards. There are seven Par 4s and two Par 3s for a Par of 34 per nine holes. Total, the Bethlehem Executive Course plays to an 18 hole Par 68 at a total of just over 4900 yards. While the course is fairly wide open, several holes play either uphill or downhill, and the greens are small, raised, undulating. They weren't as fast as usual given the recent rains, but they were a bit firmer and harder to hold than I expected. Because of the recent rains, the rough was moderately thick.

1st Hole, a 319 yard Par 4

I met up with Bill, a local resident who works for the City of Bethlehem's water department on the 3rd Tee and we played the rest of the nine together. Bill and I enjoyed our pairing, although we each struggled off the tee and with club selection due to the wind. Because Bethlehem Golf Club's Executive Course sits atop and hill and is rather open, wind is often a factor during a round.

The 4th Green from the fairway

As I mentioned, I struggled off the tee, and often came up short on approach shots. One reason for the shortness with my irons is the difficulty in finding yardage markers and determining yardages. My pitching and chipping was fair, but I missed too many short putts. I seriously need to devote a practice session to chipping and putting.

The 7th (foreground) and 5th Greens from the 9th Tee

Overall, the Executive Course is a great place to practice your game. But keep in mind, because of the rates, and the fact that the Executive Course is not a bear like the neighboring Monocacy Course, it gets a lot of play from higher handicappers, beginners and junior golfers, so rounds can very, very slow.

Bethlehem Steel Building looms over the Practice Range

Photos by The Muni Golfer

Practice is a Washout

My wife and I went to Easton, Pa. this weekend for a family function. I was hoping to play a practice round today at Bethlehem Golf Club's Executive Course, but Mother Nature didn't cooperate. That means getting to the Driving Range this week will be even more critical as I continue to fine tune my game for this season.

Looking for the Secret on the Mat

Fishers Glen Driving Range
4717 Fishers Lane
Philadelphia, Pa
215/533-9466

Ben Hogan said that the secret was in dirt. What he meant was the secret to the golf swing was working on it at the practice range. Well, Fishers Glen doesn't have a grass hitting area, it has mats, so I found myself with a medium size bucket of balls this evening looking for my swing. I put my old TaylorMade 200 irons, 300 Series 7-wood and Burner Driver back in the bag to see that might help. I did hit the ball a little bit better, but I am still hitting more of a slight fade as opposed to my normal draw. But I do feel I am getting closer to finding the secret. Tonight I started with hitting eight balls with my Gap Wedge, then 10 each with my 9-, 7-, 5- and 4-irons. I then hit eight balls with my 4-wood, before finishing with the Driver. I hit nine with my TaylorMade Burner and eight with my Wilson Staff Spine. It was not my best practice session, but it was certainly encouraging. I am hoping to play one more practice round--perhaps this Sunday at the Bethlehem Golf Club's Executive Course.

This Practice Round was a Bethlehem Steal

Bethlehem Golf Club/Executive Course
Bethlehem, Pa.
Yards: 4906, Par 68
Score: Practice Round
Date: May 24, 2008

While doing the "family thing" in the Lehigh Valley over the Memorial Day weekend, I got an opportunity to get in an 18 hole practice round at the Bethlehem Golf Club's nine-hole Executive Course on Saturday. The course is part of a the City of Bethlehem's magnificent golf facility located along Illicks Mill Road. In addition to the Executive Course, there is a 36 bay Driving Range (second picture below) and an 18-hole course that plays over 6200 yards from the white tees (down from its original 6674 yards). But with my lack of on-course experience this season, I decided on a practice round at the Executive Course, which I considered a steal at only $14 for green fees.
Like most nine-hole courses, Bethlehem's Executive Course features split tees: white for the front nine and blue for the back nine. The front plays shorter at 2325 yards, while the back nine plays from 2581 yards. There are seven Par 4s and two Par 3s for a Par of 34 per nine holes. Total, the Bethlehem Executive Course plays to an 18 hole Par 68 at a total of just over 4900 yards. While the course is fairly wide open, several holes play either uphill or downhill, and the greens are small, raised, undulating and very fast; it's almost like trying to putt on uneven linoleum. Because of the recent rains, the rough was also a bit thick.

For this particular practice round, I left my 3-Wood out of the bag, opting instead for my 15-degree Nickent 3DX DC Utility hybrid. I drove the ball fairly well off the tee, but because there are no yardage markers on the fairways, I often found myself under-clubbing on my second shots. The windy conditions didn't help matters, as it was often difficult to judge what direction the wind was coming from. My short game was also extremely rusty and putting was a nightmare. But it felt good to be out on the course hitting shots and trying to get the ball in the hole.

Here's a short breakdown on the holes at Bethlehem's Executive Course (the yardages are listed for the front and back nine):

Hole #1/10, 319/338 yards -- A slight dogleg left (first picture above), the fairway is guarded by pine trees on the left and right. Two bunkers guard the raised green.

Hole #2/11, 274/300 yards -- From an elevated tee, the hole plays downhill with the fairway sloping to the right. The green (below) sits atop a mound, with a bunker to the right.
Hole #3/12, 276/303 yards -- This hole plays uphill, with a row of pines protecting Illicks Mill Road down the left side. The fairway slopes to the left and the green is also raised, with a shallow bunker short and the right of the green.

Hole #4/13, 265/288 yards -- From an elevated tee, the hole straight downhill to a green that is a slight dogleg left. Rough protects the whole left side, with a bunker short of the green to the left. Behind the raise green is an extreme drop-off and certain death for any approach shot that is long.

Hole #5/14, 109/127 yards -- The first Par 3 is a wide, but shallow green that is raised and slopes severely from right to left.

Hole #6/15, 360/372 yards -- The longest Par 4 on the course, it doglegs left. Rough and trees hinder shots on the left that don't reach the dogleg or run through the fairway on the right. The green is two-tiered with a severe back-to-front slope.

Hole #7/16, 320/350 yards -- A fairway bunker on the right side can collect short tee shots, but the fairway is generous. The green is again raised and undulating; second shots should land short and run up on the green.

Hole #8/17, 132/151 yards -- An uphill Par 3 (below) that features a small raised green that slopes severely from back to front. A bunker short right and three large pines can interfere with stray shots.
Hole #9/18, 324/352 yards -- A straight away Par 4 that plays slightly downhill to another raised, undulating green. A few pine trees left and right of the fairway can hinder approach shots if you stray far enough from the fairway.

Photos by The Muni Golfer

Practice Round

Bethlehem Golf Club Executive Course
Bethlehem, Pa.
Yards: 4906, Par: 68
Score: Practice Round
Date: May 26, 2007

My Sunday golf with Brian Morris was canceled on Friday, so I played a practice round at Bethlehem Golf Club's Executive Course on Saturday afternoon when we arrived at my sister-in-law's house near Easton, Pa. The Executive Course was a great opportunity for me to work on my game, especially the new hybrids and the 4 wood. I was really pleased with how these clubs performed. The 4 wood was good off the tee and the hybrids were really good from some squirrely lies in the rough and off the tee. The greens had been aerated, so putting was iffy. Because the greens there are elevated and small, I had ample opportunity to practice my chipping. I worked a bit on opening the blade of my sand wedge to land the ball softer and the results were promising. I played some holes very well, some okay, and some pretty poorly. But the practice was good and I feel I am gaining some confidence for the rest of the season.