Golden Age championship golf, fully restored to Tillinghast’s glory

Philadelphia Cricket Club (Wissahickon Course)

Flourtown, Pennsylvania

Amp Score
9.0
Established
1922
Architect
A.W. Tillinghast (original), Keith Foster (2013–2014 restoration)
Access
Private
Par
Par 70
Length
5,500 – 7,119 yds
The verdict

A Tillinghast Classic, Fearless and Demanding

Wissahickon is where championship pedigree, bold strategic hazards, and pure Golden Age character converge. With precise shot values, a legendary Great Hazard, and crisp conditioning, this is Philadelphia golf heritage at its most electrifying. If you score well here, you’ve truly earned it.

Course DNA
Difficulty94
Scenery78
Conditioning92
Shot Variety88
Walkability75
Green Complexity92
Architectural Interest95
At a glance

Quick facts

Course Opened
1922
Architect
A.W. Tillinghast
Restoration
Keith Foster, 2013–2014
Par / Yardage
Par 70 / 7,119 yards
Slope & Rating
140 Slope / 74.8 Rating
Club Founded
1854
Access
Private – members & guests
USGA & PGA Events
2024 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball, 2025 Truist Championship
The lore

How it came to be

  1. 1854

    Club founded as cricket and social club

  2. 1895

    First nine-hole golf course (St. Martins) opened

  3. 1920

    Club purchases 321 acres in Flourtown for new course

  4. 1922

    Tillinghast’s Flourtown (now Wissahickon) Course opens

  5. 2002

    Course officially renamed Wissahickon; Militia Hill Course opens

  6. 2013–2014

    Keith Foster leads full restoration to original Tillinghast style

  7. 2025

    PGA Tour’s Truist Championship staged at Wissahickon

Stories & legends

What makes it special

Design & Restoration

The Return of The Great Hazard

During the 2013–2014 restoration, Keith Foster and the club revived Tillinghast’s dramatic Great Hazard—a sprawling cross-bunker field that slices across the par-5 and headlines the strategy for both members and tour pros alike. It’s a showstopper that embodies Tillinghast’s philosophy of bold, tempting risk-reward.

Club Legacy

Cricket, Golf, and Three Centuries

Few clubs can claim to span eras quite like PCC: starting with cricket in 1854, hosting majors on the early St. Martins course, and evolving to three distinct 18s each from a different century. Wissahickon’s opening in 1922 cemented the club’s place in American golf lore.

Architectural Heritage

A Home Course for a Master

A.W. Tillinghast wasn’t just an architect here—he was a member, bringing intimate knowledge to his design and tweaking it over the years. That personal connection lives on in the individuality of every hole.

Tournament History

A Major Championship Test

The club’s roots in tournament golf stretch from early U.S. Opens at St. Martins to today’s PGA Tour and USGA events at Wissahickon, proving that great design withstands the game's evolution. It’s a course built to crown worthy champions.

The design

The architecture

Wissahickon is Tillinghast at his championship best—long strategic corridors, creek-crossings, contoured greens, and bunkering that demands decisions on every shot. The 2013–2014 restoration left trees only where they belonged, reclaimed original green sizes, and put the iconic Great Hazard back in play, amplifying the course’s golden-age roots. Here, Tillinghast’s home-club creation feels tactical but fair: the architecture tests shot values, rewards courage, and keeps focus on the terrain, never mere trickery.

A.W. Tillinghast was a club member and oversaw development with exceptional personal attention; Keith Foster’s restoration returned the layout to original proportions and strategic intent.

Defining features
  • The revived Great Hazard—an immense, strategic cross-bunker par-5 centerpiece
  • Small, sloping greens that require pinpoint approach play
  • Extensive, deep bunkers influencing both tee shots and approaches
  • Frequent creek crossings and burns that shape decision-making
  • Classic, walkable routing with understated elevation movement
The architect's other work

More from A.W. Tillinghast

Winged Foot Golf Club (West & East)

Mamaroneck, New York

Multiple major championships, revered strategy

Bethpage Black

Farmingdale, New York

U.S. Open/major venue, fearsome public test

Baltusrol Golf Club (Upper & Lower)

Springfield, New Jersey

Major venue, classic championship layouts

San Francisco Golf Club

San Francisco, California

Iconic West Coast Golden Age design

Quaker Ridge Golf Club

Scarsdale, New York

Walker Cup/elite private, strategic brilliance

Ridgewood Country Club

Paramus, New Jersey

PGA Tour and U.S. Amateur site

Hole by hole

Signature holes

Hole 4

The Beast

PAR
4
YARDAGE
498 yds

A former par 5, now a fiercely long par 4 that plays as a true three-shotter for most. Slight dogleg left, with subtle elevation changes and bunkers demanding both length and prudence.

Play it smart

Treat it as a three-shot hole: favor the right side off the tee for a better angle, and focus on placement over brute force.

Where it bites

Anything short or offline brings deep bunkers and a brutally long approach—par here is a major achievement.

Course management

Shots to think about

Uphill tee shot at 1 over the creek
Take enough club, commit to the carry, and trust the right side—safe, not sorry.
Second shot on 4 (long par 4)
Accept a long approach—play for the safest miss and avoid short-sided bunkers.
Decision at the Great Hazard (7 or 15)
Unless you’re certain you can clear it, lay up and wedge close; greed brings disaster.
Approach to raised greens (multiple holes)
Dial in your spin and trajectory—accept a longer putt over risking a miss long or wide.
Downhill drive on 2 with creek crossing
Club down to stay short of the creek, leaving yourself an uphill approach with a manageable number.
Closing approach to 18
Decide if you can take on both the valley and burn, or play conservative and trust your short game for an up-and-down.
On the day

What to expect

Conditions

Firm, fast fairways and superbly maintained, contoured greens; deep, well-raked bunkers and restored sightlines throughout.

Pace

Smooth, member-pace play; expect 4 to 4.25 hours outside major events.

Vibe

Historic, understated, pure golf focus—old-money Philadelphia meets championship test.

Dress code

Traditional private club: collared shirts, tailored golf attire, no denim.

Build the trip

If you're building a Philly golf pilgrimage

CourseAccessWhy it's on the listTrip
Merion Golf Club (East)
Private

US Open pedigree, tight and timeless, golf architecture mecca.

Aronimink Golf Club
Private

Donald Ross original, recently restored and host to PGA events.

Huntingdon Valley Country Club
Private

Regionally revered, 27 holes of rolling parkland.

Manufacturers’ Golf & Country Club
Private

Classic turn-of-the-century design, five minutes from PCC.

Jeffersonville Golf Club
Municipal

Affordable, public Tillinghast-inspired design; strategic and lively.

Chestnut Hill / northwest Philadelphia—charming, convenient, and close to both PCC and the best of the region.

Before you tee off

Your game plan

01

Bring Your Long-Iron Game

Wissahickon's par 3s and 4s are relentlessly long—practice your hybrids, fairway woods, and confident full-swing long irons.

02

Dial in Short-Game Touch

Small, quick greens mean chips, pitches, and sand saves can save your round—prepare to scramble from tight lies and bunkers.

03

Study Club Distances Off Tees

Several holes force lay-ups or require strategic placement—be ready to hit three-woods or less to the right spots, not just bomb driver everywhere.

04

Prepare for Walks and Weather

The parkland setting is walkable but has enough movement and length to challenge stamina—good shoes and fitness help.

For the group chat

Fun facts

1

The Philadelphia Cricket Club is the oldest continuing country club in the U.S., founded in 1854.

2

Wissahickon is one of three 18-hole courses at the club—each built in a different century.

3

Tillinghast was a club member, giving him rare insight into the club’s needs and the land’s potential.

4

The restored Great Hazard spans three-quarters of an acre as one of the boldest cross-bunkers in American golf.

5

Wissahickon has hosted both USGA and PGA Tour-level championships since its restoration.

The clubhouse

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