Toftrees - Pennsylvania - USA

As an unabashed Penn State homer I'm thrilled to write a review for Toftrees. Considering the State College area is surprisingly repleat with interesting - though not necessarily exceptional golf - from the likes of Willie Park, Jr. and Alex Findlay, it is a testament to the quality of work at Toftrees from Ed Ault to be the best in the area.

The resort golf motif of accessible golf is not in play here. Frankly, Toftrees is a high-intensity examination that is quite thorough from tee-to-green. Some reprieve is found at the putting surface, but the balance tipping so deeply toward such high demand from the tee is what keeps the course from achieving the interest/repeat playability found in the upper echelon of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh courses. Despite this, the longer holes are examples of how good such holes can be, and your grandmother would be perfectly capable to traverse the property with little chance for frustration.

Conversely, with the exception of the inverted bunker on the shorter Par-4 fourth hole, the drive-and-pitch holes are largely without charm or quirk (For that, head to Penn State's White Course, Centre Hills Country Club, or whatever the old Elks Club is called these days!). Likewise, the quartet of one-shot holes lack whimsy, though the downhill tenth is bound to pique your fancy.

If anything, Toftrees is worth a few plays as a reminder of an era where good, demanding Par 4s were the norm and the occasional short hole was more meant to provide a breather instead of an opportunity for an eagle or a double-bogey. There is room for that in the golf world and Toftrees does it well.

The interesting thing about golf in the Keystone State is how much of a discrepancy there is between the elite roster of private clubs and those open to the public. No State exceeds that gap wider than Pennsy with the lone exception of neighboring New York.

Finding engaging public golf in Pennsylvania is no small feat although there has been some progress on this front in recent years but the main frame of golf is still overwhelmingly on the private side.

Toftrees is a resort located in the heart of Pennsy -- State College to be precise and the home location for Penn State University. The resort is well-prepared to handle the needs of its guests.

The golf design is a thorough test from the handiwork of Ed Ault. The land has movement and the lack of adjoining clutter allows the golf experience to be enjoyed. The architecture is from 1968 and it showcases a style that was in vogue then -- large flanking bunkers protecting big greens. The key to success rests on being able to drive the ball well. A number of the fairways are protected by towering trees and failure to pay them a good deal of respect can mean a steady diet of playing ricochet rabbit off them.

You will see that clearly with such stout holes as the par-4 1st and 5th holes. On the inward half you get that noteworthy challenge at the long par-5 14th and the fine closing hole -- a par-4 of 438 yards.

The issue with the design is that the details are fairly straightforward to the point of being rather pedestrian. By no means does that mean the test of golf is rudimentary. The need for solid play is called upon but the juice of design is nailing down the subtle elements -- bringing to life a robust mixture of high-end inclusions that spark the emotions and cause a sense of unremitting rapture.

On that front, Toftees has a few such moments but the layout would really benefit from a detailed makeover that could shape the layout in intersecting with a real 21st century connection where the embracing of classic architecture is brought front and center. For the architectural intelligentsia a round at Toftrees will be enjoyable but hardly memorable.

M. James Ward