A Long Afternoon at FDR

Franklin D. Roosevelt Golf Club
Philadelphia, Pa
Yards: 2865/2855 - 5720
Par: 35/34 - 69
Rating: 63.9, Slope: 105
Score: 49/54 = 103
Date: June 16, 2012


Saturday I continued by tour of Philadelphia's muni golf courses by playing a round at Franklin D. Roosevelt Golf Club in South Philadelphia. Located across the street from Philadelphia's sports complex, FDR was  built as WPA project during the Great Depression, the course opened in 1940 and is affectionately know as "The Lakes" to many native South Philadelphians. The course is managed by Billy Casper Golf for the Fairmount Park Commission. While the course shows improve from the last few times I played there, I think charging $29 to walk at 2:30 on a Saturday afternoon is a little high. The course does ofter a unique layout and is a challenge to play, but the tee boxes were well chewed up to the point that finding a good spot can be a challenge. The greens are in very good condition and the rough is thick if you miss a fairway or green.

 FDR Scorecard

As for my round, it was a step back from last Monday's round a John F. Byrne Golf Club. Getting off the tee continues to be a problem, particularly with the driver. I repeatedly put myself into trouble off the tee, which makes scoring difficult. And even when I did hit a good tee shot, I was unable to take advantage of it. The only hole I played well was the 403-yard Par 4 Ninth Hole, where I crushed my driver off the tee and actually found a fairway. I then hit a 5-iron from 165 yards that hopped onto the green, where I made a 25-foot putt for birdie. But I only managed two other pars the rest of the round. I shot 54 on the back nine, which included three triple bogeys and a quadruple bogey. It was a long and disappointing round.

Par 4 Ninth Hole

The only part of my game that has been consistent so far has been my putting. I put a Winn jumbo-sized pistol grip on my Snake Eyes putter at the beginning of the season and it has helped my feel and speed. During Saturday's round I had one-putts on at least seven of the greens. I also added an Adams Golf Speedline Fast 12 3-wood to my bag before the round. I bought the club on sale at Dick's Sporting Goods using a gift card I received for my birthday. The club is long off the tee and I think I need to start using more off the tee in place of my driver until I can get things figured out.

Adams Speedline Fast 12 3-wood

Bringing it Back at Byrne

John F. Byrne Golf Club
Philadelphia, Pa
Yards: 2273/2658 - 4931
Par: 33/34 - 67
Rating: 63.9, Slope: 116
Score: 44/50= 94
Date: June 11, 2012

Feeling some consistency developing in my swing during my last round at Juniata Golf Club, I teed it up Monday for a round at John F. Byrne Golf Club. Formerly Holmesburg Country Club, the course was designed by Alex Findlay, and sits in a valley formed by the Torresdale Creek. The creek comes into play on no less than eight holes as it meanders through the course. The course is one of the three golf courses owned by the City of Philadelphia's Fairmount Park Commission, but managed by Billy Casper Golf. I played my round with three students from Father Judge High School, including Steve, a member of the school's golf team who played all 18 holes with me.

My round got off to a rather typical start with my tee shot being blocked out to the right of the first fairway. This led to a double bogey 6 after I hit my third shot from one bunker across the green into another. At the Second Hole, I again blocked my tee shot way right, but managed to escape with a bogey. I hit a 5-wood off the third tee and two-putted for a par at the short 254-yard Par 4. Then came my nightmare hole, the 293-yard Par 4 Fourth Hole in which you must hit your tee shot over the creek through a narrow opening in the tree line. I accomplished this and lipped out a 20-foot birdie putt, but made my second par. I was feeling really good about my swing, even though I wasn't hitting the best off the tee. However, my short game and putting were working. I two-putted for bogey after missing the green left at the Fifth Hole, but then hit my tee shot long and left at the 142-yard Par 3 Sixth Hole. This led to a double bogey. I made another par at the short Par 4 Seventh Hole and a bogey at the 162-yard Par 3 Eighth Hole, which plays longer since it plays uphill. Another pushed tee shot at the Ninth Hole caused me problems and led to an 8 at the uphill 376-yard Par 4. Even with the 8 I scored a very good 44 on the front nine, with three pars.

 The Fourth Hole

The back started with another missed fairway left, but I managed to scramble for a bogey. I hit my tee shot at the uphill Par 3 Eleventh Hole to about 20 feet, but lipped out my second birdie attempt of the round. I again went left at the Par 5 Twelfth Hole and made another bogey, before my third birdie putt of the round lipped out at the short Par 3 Thirteenth. I double bogeyed the next two holes--both Par 3--after poor tee shots. I thing at this point, fatigue was beginning to set in because I wasn't staying down and through the ball on my shots. I made a 10 at the 495-yard Par 5 Sixteenth as I repeatedly topped the ball while trying to lay up after missing yet another fairway. I then hit my tee shot at the Seventeenth Hole off the heel of my 4-wood and hacked my way up the fairway for a 7. I hit my best drive of the day at the 338-yard Par 4 Eighteenth, which played over the creek then straight uphill. But I pulled my second shot wide of the green and made a double bogey. My back nine was a 50 after taking 23 strokes on the last three holes.

 The Eighteenth Green

My round of 94 was only one stroke higher than the 93 I posted at Byrne nearly a year ago. This isn't too bad since the course has been lengthened by nearly 50 yards since then. While I'm still not hitting it off the tee as consistently as I'd like, I was hitting my irons and wedges much better this round. So I feel the game is coming along. I did make a slight change in my equipment for the round, exchanged my Callway Warbird 3- and 5-woods for an Adams Redline RPM 4-wood and Fast 10 5-wood. As for John F. Byrne, I payed $29 to walk on a Monday. The course is in decent, playable shape shape. There are spots , particularly in the rough, where you will get lies that will penalize you. But overall, Byrne is worth a visit.

A Return to My Roots

Juniata Golf Club
Philadelphia, Pa
Yards: 2805/2185 - 4990
Par: 34/31 - 65
Rating: 63.2, Slope: 106
Score: 50/45 = 95
Date: June 8, 2012

Whenever I am having trouble with my game, I like to go back and play a round at Juniata Golf Course. My familiarity with the course where I learned to play golf always helps me steer my game in the right direction. So on Friday, I teed it up looking to re-kindle my game from 2011. Although the golf course is still technically owned by Fairmount Park Commission, Juniata has been undergoing a stunning transformation the past few years under the guidance of the Juniata Golf Foundation. What was once a laughingstock to many golfers is suddenly a hidden jewel.  You can see everywhere the work that is being done. Tee boxes that no longer look like a chewed up football field, defined fairways, rough is penal yet fair, new cart paths and fencing, and greens that could compete with many high-fee suburban courses. If you haven't played Juniata in a while, you be in for a surprising treat.

 Juniata Scorecard

As for my round, my struggles continued through most of the front nine. I hit my opening tee shot fat and the downhill Par 3 First Hole. At the Second, I hit a 5-wood off the tee into the Eleventh fairway, took three to get out of a bunker and made a 9. In fact, I didn't hit a fairway until the Ninth Hole, an uphill, 380-yard Par 4. I am putting a lot of pressure on myself by continually missing fairway. By the Sixth Hole, I was setting up to hit a fade instead of my natural draw. At least I cashed in at the Ninth by making a par after finally landing my tee shot in the short grass.

 The Fourth Hole now has a fairway bunker

The back nine was a lot better than the front, even if my score wasn't that much better. I made a second part at the 165-yard Par 3 Tenth Hole after just missing the green short, then pitching to tap-in range. I lost ball at the Eleventh led to a double bogey, which could have been a lot worse. I made bogeys at the three holes, before hitting my tee shot at the 150-yard Par 5 Fifteenth Hole way right. But I got up and down for a par. The Sixteenth Hole now features an elevated tee, which has stretched the hole to 400 yards. This has caused my a real problem as the tee shot comes out of a narrow chute, with no room to the right for me to set up and play my draw. Two balls hit into those woods led to another 9. I hit a good draw at the Seventeenth, but three putted for another bogey, but fatigue led to a triple bogey 6 to close out a back nine 45.

 New tee box at the Sixteenth Hole

Although I shot a 95, I felt my swing got much better as the round progressed. I started hitting better tee shots from the Ninth Hole on, except for the Sixteenth and Eighteenth Holes. While I am not happy with the 95, I am happy with the way I feel my swing and my game responded. The magic tonic of Juniata Golf Club strikes again.

Roundup of Recent Rounds

Walnut Lane Golf Club
Philadelphia, Pal
Yards: 2173/2098 – 4271
Par: 31/31 = 62
Rating: 59.9, Slope: 91
Score: 39/51 = 90
Date: September 11, 2010

I had hoped to play yesterday at Juniata Golf Club since I haven't played there since July, but an outing forced me to move my round to Walnut Lane Golf Club in Roxborough. Walnut Lane is not very long, but it is a very hilly course that plays tight, especially on the back nine.  It has 10 Par 3s and 8 Par 4s. Many of the Par 3s play either uphill, downhill or over ravines, while the Par 4s--while short--often are doglegs with sloping fairways; it's not unusual to have a sidehill lie for your approach shot. The summer heat does not look like it has been kind to Walnut Lane either. Many of the fairways and greens feature large bare spots and the tee boxes were so hard it was difficult to get a tee into the ground.

My Walnut Lane Scorecard

My round was a tale of two nines. On the front nine, I played pretty well, keeping the ball in play, pitching chipping and putting well. I bogeyed the first two holes, but then made three solid pars at holes 3-5. After hitting long at the Sixth Hole, I made double bogey after a poor chip, but made a bogey and par at the enxt two holes. After getting a good break on a tee shot I hit right at the Ninth Hole, I skulled my third shot over the bunker  and out of play, which resulted in a 7. Still, I went out in 39 and visions of a very good score statred to dance--prematurely--in my head. As everyone knows, you want to stay in the moment when playing golf. The minute you start thinking score, you can quickly become undone.

The Par 3 Eleventh Hole

I started fairly well on the back nine with a solid par at the downhill Tenth Hole, even after a tree limb caught my drive as it was drawing around the slight dogleg. The came the Eleventh Hole, one of my "nightmare nine." Although it is faily short, 134 yards, it plays straight uphill thriugh a narrow chute; miss left or right and you are dead. Of course, I pulled my tee shot left, had to take a drop, pitching uphill short, chipped on and two-putted for a 7. "No swaet," I told myself as I headed to the Twelfth Hole, which plays uphill over a ravine off the tee to a sloping fairway that doglegs left. I again caught a tree with my drive, but was still in the fairway. I hit a poor seond shot left over the hill and lost my second ball in two holes. A drop, weak pitch, two bad chips and two putts left me with an 8. A little upset with myself, but still OK, I went to the Thirteenth Hole, a short Par 3 where the green is protected by two large bunkers. I underclubbed and didn't turn the ball over, which put me in the right bunker. From there I skulled my sand shot across the green and through the chain link fence (how do you do that?) for my third lost ball in three holes! After my 6 I moved to the Fourteenth Hole, where I began to get my game back under control, playing bogey golf the next four holes. I came to the Eighteenth Hole feeling good that I had gotten things back on track. But a mediocre tee shot left me with a long approach off a bare lie. I tried to hit my hybrid, but it went dead right into the brush; another lost ball, my fourth of the back nine. Demoralized, I hacked it around until I tapped in for a 9 and a back nince score of 51; 12 stroles higher than my front nine.

The tee shot at the Twelfth Hole

Except for the brief lapses on the back nine, I felt my play is continuing to improve. I could have done a little better off the tee and been a bit more aggressive in my short game, but I felt I played consistently and my putting continues to be very good. I made a couple of minor changes to my golf bag before the round, replacing my 3-wood with an Adams 4-wood and my 2-hybrid with a 3-hybrid.

My 9-11 Tribute Golf Shirt

Since yesterday was the 9th Anniversary of 9-11, I wore my Tabasco golf shirt that was made for Scott Hoch to wear at the 2002 U.S. Open held at Bethpage's Black Course in New York. The shirt features the New York skyline over the U.S. flag.

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John F. Byrne Golf Club
Philadelphia, Pa
Yards: 2273/2610 - 4883
Par: 33/34 - 67
Rating: 63.9, Slope: 105
Score: 43/46 = 89
Date: September 7, 2010

Last Tuesday, I played a post-Labor Day round at John F. Byrne Golf Course in Northeast Philadelphia. This is a far cry from my usual post-Labor Day rounds down at the Delaware Shore, but since Mrs. Muni Golfer and I stayed home this year, it a local round of golf. Byrne is the former Homesburg Country Club that has been part of Philadelphia's Municipal Courses since the late 1960s. It has been managed by Billy Casper Golf for the past few years under contract with the Fairmount Park Commission. Located in a valley just west of Frankford Avenue, and across Grant Avenue from the more storied, Donald Ross-designed Torresdale-Frankford Country Club, Byrne is not overly long, but a good, challenging course.

My John F. Byrne Scorecard

Coming off an excellent 85 at Horsham Valley the previous week, my round at Byrne started off with a tee shot that went dead right. Although I wasn't in a bad location, I still took a double bogey 6 to start. From there, things brightened quickly. Back-to-back pars at the Second and Third Holes brought me to the Fourth, another hole from my "nightmare nine." From the tee, you hit your shot across the creek through a narrow opening in the tree line to a fairway that slopes severely from left to right. Of course, I made double bogey, as I did at the Fifth Hole after hitting into the fairway bunker about 20 yards short of the green. At the Sixth, a 142-yard Par 3 over the creek, I hit my tee shot pin high, about 15 feet left of the pin and made par. I played bogey golf the last 3 holes to shoot a very respectable 43 on the front nine.

The opening tee shot

On the back nine, I hit my tee shot into the creek that crosses the valley, but after a drop, managed to get and down for only a bogey 5. A par at the uphill, Par 3 Eleventh was followed by a double bogey 7 at the 516-yard Par 5 Twelfth Hole. Another par at the very short (89-yards) Thirteenth was followed by a disappointing 6 at the long, 219-yard Par 3 Fourhteenth. Yet an par at the Fifteenth, a 156-yard Par 3 was followed by a par at the back nine second Par 5, the 465-yard Sixteenth. Then came the hole that always manages to find a way to trip me up. The Seventheenth, Byrne's #1 rated handicap hole, is a 371-yard Par 4 that angles to the left and then slightly back to the right. The creek runs down the right side, but begins moving in a bit to the left around 150 yards off the tee. A fade would be the best shot off the tee, but since that is not a shot I can easily pull off due to my natural draw, this hole presents quite a challenge off the tee. I hit my hybrid through theline of trees on the left, then hit a tree while trying to hit a low runner down the fairway. My ball went forward, but kept me on the left of the trees. I then dumped a short pitch into the bunker on the left of the green and took three shot to get out. My second shot actually got out of the bunker and hung in the grass, but then fell back into the bunker. I then three-putted for a 9. I managed to regroup and make a 5 at the uphill, 338-yard Eighteenth for a back nine 46 and a total of 89.

The Fourth Tee viewed from the Green

Overall, I continued to play well from the round at Horsham Valley. I was particularly pleased with how I scored on Byrne's Par 3s, parring five of the seven on the course. In addition, I played the two Par 5s in two over par. My putting has really been good and I have been striking the ball solidly. I hope to build on the consistency through the fall as I begin to look forward to next golf season.

Photos by The Muni Golfer

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

Sweet Home Juniata

Juniata Golf Club
Philadelphia, Pa
Yards: 2735/1945 - 4680
Par: 34/31 - 65
Rating: 63.2, Slope: 106
Score: 47/41 = 88
Date: September 14, 2008

After playing four rounds in Delaware and five consecutive rounds at different courses, I decided to give myself a respite and return to the friendly fairways of my home course: Juniata Golf Club. There's nothing like playing 18 very familiar holes after several rounds at courses that you play maybe once every year or two, or are playing for the first time. So I packed my clubs and shoes in the trunk and headed to the rolling terrain of Juniata. As I chronicled repeatedly this year in my posts, Juniata has undergone a wonderful transformation under the guidance of the Juniata Golf Foundation, a non-profit organization that was set up to lease and manage the course from the City of Philadelphia's Fairmount Park Commission.

Juniata Golf Club Scorecard

The temperature was unseasonably high on Sunday; the low-to-mid 90s, with the heat index well over 100. And once again, the hot weather took its toll. I started out playing the back nine because of a backup on the 1st Tee. I made four 3s on the back, with a birdie at the short, 240-yard 14th Hole; and pars at 10, 13 and 18. I had two hiccups on the back; bad drives at 16 and 17--both Par 4s--led to 7s and going out in a respectable, yet disappointing 41. One major course change on the back nine is the now completed conversion of the 12th Hole, formerly a 300-yard, downhill Par 4 into a downhill, roughly 185-yard Par 3.

The new tees at the 12th Hole, making the hole play now as a Par 3

I was gassed after nine holes, and sat on a bench at 1st Hole for about 20 minutes debating with myself on whether to continue the round. But after eating a granola bar and drinking a bottle of water, I decided to continue, coming home in 47 for a score of 88 on my round. On my second nine, I had one par at the 380-yard 4th Hole, and played steady golf considering the weather. My two worst holes came at the 5th, where I came up short on my second shot then skulled my chip over the green for a 7, and the 7th, where I pulled my tee shot left into the trees and made a 6. But I'm happy with my 88 as my putting was much better than it has been in well over a month. I switched back to my Odyssey XG #9 before the round and felt much more comfortable on the greens. I'm also pleased with the way I once again grinded out my round over the second nine holes.

One of the new water dispensers at Juniata

The conditions at Juniata this time around were not quite what they had been earlier this summer, but some of that could probably be attributed to the lack of rain and increased rounds the course is experiencing. Still they are better than I have experienced in the not too distant past. The quarrel I might have is that the new tee box at the 12th Hole needs a lot of work. It was very uneven and needs grass. It seems like this hole has been converted from a Par 4 into a Par 3 before it was truly ready. On a more positive note, the water dispensers on the course are how housed in much nicer wooden structures, as opposed to just being coolers chained to poles as they were in the past. And it seems one or two have been added, particularly at the 10th tee.

Photos by The Muni Golfer

A Story of Re-Birth

The front page of today's Philadelphia Inquirer sports section had a great story, "With the labor of love, Juniata on way back," by their golf writer Joe Logan. The story details the transformation happening at Juniata Golf Club, which I consider my home course. As I have recounted in previous posts, the course is now being run by a non-profit foundation created by a few of Juniata's regulars since the beginning of the year. This is because Billy Casper Golf, which is now managing four of Philadelphia's six municipal courses for the Fairmount Park Commission, declined to take over operation of Juniata and Walnut Lane Golf Club. I have also noted in previous posts that Juniata is in the best shape I have encountered in several years, the old cart barn converted into a servicable clubhouse, new carts paths have been added, bridges have been refurbished, new hole signs have been posted on each tee box and new benches are present around the course. Kudos go out to Bob "Wheels" Wheeler and his staff at Juniata for a job well done. Keep up the great work!

Billy Casper Golf Meets Philadelphia's City Council

The plan by Philadelphia's Fairmount Park Commission to contract with Billy Casper Golf to manage four of the City's six municipal golf courses found the rough a couple of weeks ago. Billy Casper Golf took over management of the four courses--John F Byrne, FDR, and the two at Cobbs Creek--on Jan. 1, but any agreement must be approved by Philadelphia's City Council, who voiced some concerns at a hearing before the Council's Parks and Recreation Committee. As Billy Casper Golf has learned, dealing with Philadelphia's City Council can be as tough as conditions at a U.S. Open golf course. According to a story in The Philadelphia Inquirer, "Fairmount Park will save $500,000 annually under the Billy Casper arrangement and is guaranteed $3.5 million in fees and improvements over 10 years" and will also operate the City Line Sports Center at 7900 City Ave., which includes a driving range, miniature golf and batting cages. But "City Council members briefed last week insisted, however, that Billy Casper formulate plans to incorporate high schools near the courses, and even come up with reduced prices for family members of students there," reported The Inquirer. Council set a deadline of June 1 for BCG to formulate their new plans and comply with minority hiring demands or else they default on the contract. A spokesman for Billy Casper Golf, one of the country's largest operators of municipal golf courses, was quoted as saying Council's requests "won't be a problem." Read the entire Inquirer article here.

A Beef-and-Beer to Save Juniata Golf Club

A beef-and-beer will be held on Friday, Jan. 18, from 7 p.m. to midnight in an effort to raise funds to save Juniata Golf Club. As I reported in an earlier post, the City of Philadelphia, through the Fairmount Park Commission, is leasing Juniata to the newly formed Juniata Golf Foundation, which will manage the course. The beef-and-beer fundraiser is being held at the Juniata Boys Club, 1001 E. Cayuga Street, adjacent to the course's main entrance. The cost is $25 per person and will feature, in addition to roast beef sandwiches and beer, a variety of other foods, set-ups for mixed drinks (the event is BYOB), a DeeJay and door prizes.

The online history of Juniata Golf Club, which was designed by renowned golf architect Ed Ault, states that, "In December of 1923, the Fairmount Park Commissioners decided that the development of a new public golf course would be located on a 66-acre tract along Tacony Creek extending to Juniata Park. The course was laid out on 66 acres plus 40 acres from Tacony Creek park as planned by Alan D. Corson, Fairmount Park's Chief Engineer 'in conjunction with local golf architects.' In commenting in 1925 on the design, Mr. Corson said, 'a public course should be easy to play around and with this in mind we planned the links in Tacony Creek Park to be less difficult than Cobb's Creek... An easy course permits more people to play on it.' Juniata Golf Club opened to the public on July 14, 1927, with 9 holes completed. By Memorial Day, 1930, all 18 holes were completed and open to the public."

Tickets for the Jan. 18 beef-and-beer may be purchased at the door. For more information contact Bob Wheeler, Juniata's general manager and head golf professional, at 215/743-4060.

A New Era Dawns for Philadelphia's Courses in 2008

January 1, 2008 will usher in a new era for all six of Philadelphia's municipal golf courses. Four of the courses (Cobbs Creek, Karakung, FDR and John Byrne) will begin being managed on behalf of the Fairmount Park Commision by Billy Casper Golf. My home course, Juniata, and Walnut Lane will be leased to two non-profits for essentially $1 annually. Juniata will be managed by the Juniata Golf Foundation under the direction of Bob Wheeler, who has served as the GM at Juniata for the past few years. Bob is a great guy and is very dedicated to Juniata Golf Club and its golfers. Walnut Lane will be managed by Impact Services, headed by John McDonald, the former Temple golf coach who is also executive director of the First Tee of Philadelphia and the Greater Philadelphia Scholastic Golf Association. You can read all of the details in this story by The Philadelphia Inquirer's excellent golf writer, Joe Logan.