Despite the rather commonly used name of Stonewall Golf Club, there are very few golf clubs (not a country club, to be sure) in the world that have managed to get every aspect of the golfing experience absolutely as right as has Stonewall Golf Club in Elverson, PA. Stonewall exudes understated elegance. The club entrance is subtle, the entrance drive pastoral, the clubhouse and associated outbuildings authentic stonybatter construction. As for the golf courses, the Old Course is an enthralling championship track and the “udder course” is a kindler, gentler version of the Old. Refreshingly, Stonewall Golf Club is a truly underrated Club that stands up to any top course worldwide.
In studying the criteria for golf course rankings, Golf Digest and Golfweek provide categories that allow for much subjective scoring. Golf Digest breaks down its ranking system as follows:
1. Shot Values – How well does the course pose risks and rewards and equally test length, accuracy and finesse?
2. Resistance to Scoring – How difficult, while still being fair, is the course for a scratch player from the back tees?
3. Design Variety – How varied are the golf course’s holes in differing lengths, configurations, hazard placements, green shapes and green contours?
4. Memorability – How well do the design features (tees, fairways, greens, hazards, vegetation and terrain) provide individuality to each hole, yet a collective continuity to the entire 18?
5. Aesthetics- How well do the scenic values of the course (including landscaping, vegetation, water features and backdrops) add to the pleasure of a round?
6. Conditioning – How firm, fast and rolling were the fairways, and how firm yet receptive were the greens on the day you played the course?
7. Ambience – How well does the overall feel and atmosphere of the course reflect or uphold the traditional values of the game?
Note: In totaling a score, shot value tally counts double
Factor into the system above, the ranking categories in Golfweek that add appropriate criteria, such as:
- Ease & Intimacy of Routing
- Quality of feature shaping
- Natural setting and overall land plan
- Interest of greens and surrounding contours
- Walk In the Park Test
Combining the selected Golfweek categories with the Golf Digest criteria, the twelve scores for Stonewall Golf Club shake out as follows:
| Criteria | Score |
| 1. Shot Values | 8 x 2 = 16 |
| 2. Resistance to Scoring | 9 |
| 3. Design Variety | 9 |
| 4. Memorability | 9 |
| 5. Aesthetics | 9 |
| 6. Conditioning | 9 |
| 7. Ambiance | 9 |
| 8. Ease and Intimacy of Routing | 9 |
| 9. Quality of feature shaping | 9 |
| 10. Natural setting and overall land plan | 9 |
| 11. Interest of greens and surrounding contours | 8 |
| 12.Walk in the park test | 9 |
So, Stonewall, according to my tally, is the #1 course in the world. Naturally, its no Augusta National or Cypress Point, but is a really good golf course with first class golf club amenities to match. Tom Doak designed the Old Course with flair and imagination. Doak did not disturb a wonderful piece of ground, but built the course into this ideal tract. The routing is superb, the challenge all you can handle and the walk in the park factor at the top of the charts – and the Old course is walking only. Granted, there is no swimming pool, skeet range or tennis court at Stonewall Golf Club but the rankings do not address such diversions. Perhaps a near perfect score is why I am not a course rater, yet there are many, many, many courses and clubs that appear in “best of lists” that do not measure up to Stonewall. Add to the Old Course’s stoutness, the charm of the second 18 and it’s a top something course.
A magnificent day awaits with a 36 hole tour, a beer and a steak in the bar and a soft pillow in one of the Club’s guest rooms.
Ben