Lancaster Country Club

Favorite Hole

No. 2, par 4, 375 yards

The second at Lancaster might seem an odd choice for my favorite hole on the course, given that it’s not strictly a William Flynn design. Although some version of a hole running along the bluff above the Conestoga River has existed since 1920, the current par 4 did not take shape until 1965, when the club moved the green about 40 yards to the left, from a grove of trees to an exposed spot on the edge of the gorge. The intent of the change was to give the green more sunlight. As a side effect, the hole became far more dramatic.

The primary strategic feature is the severe tilt of the fairway from right to left. Players who attempt to shorten the hole by challenging the inside of the dogleg will be left with a blind, uphill approach from a lie that encourages a left miss—a deadly mistake. Those who play their tee shots to the top of the hill on the right, where the second and ninth fairways were recently joined, will have a longer shot into the green but a more level lie and a better view of the target. The increased distance on the approach is a significant disadvantage, however, given that the green is small and tightly guarded. Pick your poison.

The evolution of Lancaster’s second over the past 15 years is a testament to the benefits of tree removal. Formerly encased in large oaks, the hole now offers striking views of the river valley and a vivid sense of the property’s scale.

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Overall Thoughts

The recent PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club sparked a discussion of what 21st-century championship golf should—and shouldn’t—be. Many fans and pundits argued that the compelling finish, featuring a tight battle between three top players, was evidence enough of Valhalla’s worthiness. Others, myself included, maintained that the course failed to test players’ skills adequately.

This raises the question: what should modern championship golf look like? How can today’s elite golfers, better trained and better equipped than ever, be genuinely tested? William Flynn’s course at Lancaster Country Club, which hosts the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open this week, offers a partial answer. Yet it also embodies some traits that, in my opinion, the highest levels of the competitive game should leave behind.

Lancaster’s greatest strength as a championship course is its deft use of the burly terrain around the Conestoga River. The four par 3s—two uphill and two downhill—hit three different points on the compass, with Nos. 8 and 17 running west, No. 6 north, and No. 12 east. On the par 4s and 5s, the landing zones possess a great deal of movement, creating uphill, downhill, and sidehill lies of varying intensities. Rarely will a player hit an approach from a driving-range stance. Like Augusta National and Pebble Beach, Lancaster uses its sweeping topography to put continual pressure on the player’s body and swing. Those with shaky physical conditioning and technique get exposed promptly.

The 15th hole is an example of how Flynn’s design interacts with the land. This difficult par 4 plays from one high point to another and employs a reverse-camber concept, with the fairway tilting left while doglegging right. These dynamics place an emphasis on power and precision from tee to green. A long, accurate tee shot, ideally with a left-to-right shape, is crucial to avoid a lengthy, awkward second shot from the bottom of the hill on the left. Even after a strong drive, players must control their approach from a lie that encourages an overcooked right-to-left miss. Since the green tilts from right to left, those skilled enough to hit a fade from stance that promotes the opposite ball flight gain a significant advantage. Such challenges are consistent throughout the course.

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This is not to say that Flynn’s routing is perfect. On the back nine, six of the seven non-par 3s travel from ridge to ridge, resulting in a repetitive sequence of downhill drives and uphill approaches—not to mention a tough walk. In contrast, the front nine finds variety in the terrain, balancing three ridge-to-ridge holes (Nos. 3, 4, and 8) with downhill (1 and 6), uphill (2 and 9), flattish (7), and up-and-over (5) concepts. On both nines, however, the land is the primary obstacle and unifying theme—as it should be.

While Lancaster’s use of its topography makes for a nuanced test of ball-striking, the course does not examine recovery skill in a similarly refined way. After poor strikes, players typically find themselves in lush rough. This means that the main recovery techniques required are a hack with an iron back to the fairway and a chunk-and-run chip from near the green. In a simple, punitive way, this aspect of the course rewards accurate driving and approach play. The problem is, it also dumbs down the recovery game, preventing golfers with a diverse repertoire of escape and short-game shots from showing the extent of their abilities.

Lancaster didn’t always rely on rough to this degree. It had significantly wider fairways during William Flynn’s lifetime, as the 1940 aerial below shows. The rough itself was also probably patchier and less irrigated than today’s stuff. Considering the club’s stated reverence for the history of its Flynn design, perhaps these old setup choices will one day return.

For now, though, Lancaster has its feet in two eras of championship golf. The efforts of Ron Forse and Jim Nagle have positioned the course within the recent restoration trend exemplified by top-tier major venues such as Pinehurst No. 2, Oakmont, Shinnecock Hills, The Country Club, and Oakland Hills. At the same time, Lancaster’s relatively narrow fairways, small greens, and ball-devouring rough bespeak an attachment to a mid-20th-century philosophy of tournament design. If the members are satisfied with this blended identity, that’s their prerogative. But I can’t help imagining how great the course would be with a more thorough restoration.

1 Egg

William Flynn’s Meadowcreek and Dogwood nines at Lancaster Country Club present a muscular test of golf on a gorgeous piece of land. Forse and Nagle’s work since 2005, particularly the gradual tree removal, has improved the course tremendously, bringing back some of its vintage character. However, the club’s continuing fondness for narrow fairways and thick rough conceals the true naturalness and sophistication of Flynn’s design.

Course Tour

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