Union League Liberty Hill

The Philadelphia area is rife with golf courses by acclaimed architects of the game, and surely Gary Player could not refuse the opportunity to add his name to that list. Union League - Liberty Hill (formerly known as the ACE Club) promises a forested retreat from the hustle and bustle...but think again if you believe its title score is a guarantee. A series of dramatic carries and significant drops makes such a score admirable.

The property features rolling terrain as the course extends away from the clubhouse down toward the Schuylkill River on its west side. Player uses such changes in gravity to offer a series of alternate fairways across the property. The downhill tee shot on No. 5 makes the left fairway seem eligible from the 385-yard tees, but many would do well to stay right and take the longer, straighter angle into the green.

The final par five on the front nine utilizes altitude change less, but uses a creek splitting the two fairways to test the mettle of players. Although most will start at the left fairway and head rightward to set up a wise pitch, some may opt to stay left and attempt the 546-yard green in two (at nearly 7,500 yards from the tips, Union League - Liberty Hill is clearly intended to host golfers who hit a touch farther than most).