Glen Mills

Glen Mills is situated a 45-minuute drive southwest of Philadelphia and the 18-hole layout is part of a privately-funded educational establishment for around a thousand troubled teenage boys from all over the country. Opened for play in 2001, the course might be described as an “outdoor vocational classroom” where students can learn about a whole range of golf-related topics, such as agronomy, landscape management, or even maintenance mechanics.

Designed by Florida-based architect Bobby Weed, the course was constructed with almost a hundred and seventy sand hazards (many of them revetted pot bunkers) so shot placement and course management are all important around here. “Most people can’t go to Scotland,” said Weed, “but at least the golfers in and around Philadelphia will now have the feeling of a St Andrews-style bunker.”

Par fives are well defended with hazards on the corner of doglegs, there are a couple of driveable short par fours at the 8th and 12th holes, and the five par three holes are of varying lengths, played uphill, downhill and across water. “Open fields, forested uplands, streams and wetlands provide great diversity for the routing,” says the architect, who also advises golfers to “keep their ego in check to achieve the optimum score.”