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.