Road trip to Pittsburgh, any recommendations ?

[el_rousso]

I'm planning a road trip this summer with my girlfriend (we're both players), starting from Eastern Quebec all the way to Pittsburgh through Buffalo most likely, would you have any recommendations for us to play along the way ? We're not looking for expensive courses, but rather overlooked, well-maintained affordable courses to play. Target date would be mid-summer(likely in late July/early August). Thanks in advance !

[btpd806]

Best public greens in Pittsburgh, Hickory Heights GC. About 15 miles outside Pittsburgh in South Fayette Township. Around 40 per round weekdays

[GoGoErky]

Links at Ivy ridge is a 30 mins from buffalo

[jstandard18]

Best public greens in Pittsburgh, Hickory Heights GC. About 15 miles outside Pittsburgh in South Fayette Township. Around 40 per round weekdays

 

That course makes me so angry. Cant miss anywhere, if you miss the greens or fairway by 3 yards anywhere your ball is gone

 

Around Pittsburgh I would go with Totteridge, one of my all time favorite courses. Lindenwood is always nice too.

[GoGoErky]

Best public greens in Pittsburgh, Hickory Heights GC. About 15 miles outside Pittsburgh in South Fayette Township. Around 40 per round weekdays

 

That course makes me so angry. Cant miss anywhere, if you miss the greens or fairway by 3 yards anywhere your ball is gone

 

Around Pittsburgh I would go with Totteridge, one of my all time favorite courses. Lindenwood is always nice too.

 

Played totteridge a few years ago and enjoyed it.

[howellhandmade]

Totteridge is very good. Really good practice area, too. For $14 you can hit balls all day. Gave me tendinitis last year. Since you said not expensive we’ll skip Nemacolin. Well maintained, that’s a tough one. For public golf, Totteridge is about as good as it gets. Birdsfoot GC is, in my opinion, a very good course, memorable layout — no bad holes and several really good ones — but can suffer from poor drainage and lots of play. Pittsburgh is rich in courses that are good enough for who they’re for but outside of country clubs doesn’t have a lot of really well-maintained courses.

 

I’d have a look at the Links at Spring Church. If you’re stuck IN Pittsburgh, have a look at Quicksilver. Some of my haunts include Pittsburgh National (haven’t been there since a redesign), Meadowink (homey, shaggy, but ok), Rolling Fields, River Forest, Pittsburgh North, 3 Lakes. My wife and I play Buffalo GC a few times a year. Open, farmland course, a break from the woods where you can lose lots of balls, and since we walk it’s dead cheap. Linden Hall is actually pretty well maintained. Kind of out of the way, nice views. Can be buggy.

[Hateto3Putt]

Green Meadows is on your way about 10 minutes off of Route 79 about an hour north of Pittsburgh.

 

Fun course, great greens and budget friendly.

 

 

http://golfgreenmeadows.com/

[Carolina Golfer 2]

Old Stonewall NW of the city was a Phenominal course with some very dramatic elevation changes. And a Castle as a Clubhouse. Pretty cool.

[Hateto3Putt]

I agree, Olde Stonewall is a great track. It just doesn't fall into the OP's "budget friendly" requirement.

[snoilr1]

Tam O’Shanter in Hermitage, PA is ~90 mi north of Pittsburgh just off of I-80. Is very nice, and weekday rates are about $30 with weekend about $40. Not far from there, Oak Tree CC is the nicest course in that area and takes public play. They charge $50-70 depending on the day and time.

[PoconoGolfer]

The #1 and #2 rated golf courses in Pennsylvania many times are Old Course at Bedford Springs and Olde Stonewall which is up near Butler, Joe Namath country (northwest of Pittsburgh). Two completely different kind of courses, both awesome in their own way. Check them out, you won't be disappointed.

[snoilr1]

The #1 and #2 rated golf courses in Pennsylvania many times are Old Course at Bedford Springs and Olde Stonewall which is up near Butler, Joe Namath country (northwest of Pittsburgh). Two completely different kind of courses, both awesome in their own way. Check them out, you won't be disappointed.

 

Both of those courses are $100-150 in peak season and Bedford is close to 3 hours out of the way from Buffalo to Pittsburgh. Other than that, they’re perfect.

[TheLarch]

Primanti Brothers should be your top priority.

[howellhandmade]

Primanti Brothers should be your top priority.

 

Disagree. Pittsburgh is now a great food city. Primanti’s and Vincent’s Pizza are the old Pittsburgh, which had a fascination with greasy, revolting food. Sure, go to Primanti’s, if one is close, but I’d go to any of the dozens of microbreweries (which are competing on food just as much as beer) first.

[PoconoGolfer]

Food wars! Bring it. Just had daughter graduate from PITT last summer and having spent past 5 or so years back-and-forth from Poconos would agree that Pittsburgh has some great restaurants and bars that are NOT Primanti Brothers. Anyway, Philly has way better cheesesteaks and hoagies ("subs" for all you foreigners) than other pretender contenders.

 

Yes, Old Stonewall is expensive BUT what a great and exciting golf experience.

[mshills]

Digging this one back up for an update.

 

Played Totteridge on Saturday — first time out there and I will be back. Really fun golf course. Great vistas, no stupid holes, a short drivable par 4, every par 5 forces you to make a decision. Large greens with subtle and not so subtle breaks. Would be a reasonable test for a good player to go deep, but it’s also totally playable for someone not threatening the good side of 72. It is the kind of course I could play every week and never get bored — just wish it didn’t take an hour to get to from where I live. Only bummer is it would be a very tough walk, and the carts are gas powered which I don’t care for. 
 

Intended to hit Olde Stonewall on Sunday, but the weather was not good so I hit The Club at Shadow Lakes in Aliquippa. Also enjoyable — old school compact layout, walkable, and the greens were in really nice shape. I’d like to go play it again when it’s not steady rain for a better assessment. 

[markheardjr]

If you're taking I-90 west/south check out Peak n Peek in extreme SW New York. Of take 90 to 79 and check out Whispering Woods in Erie, PA near the junction.

[DoughBack18]

I haven’t played it personally but I know Foxburg Country Club has some cool history as the oldest golf course in continuous use in the country. Pretty sure it has public tee times. Maybe some western PA’ers can chime in on condition or if that worth a visit. Wouldn’t be terribly out of the way going between Buffalo and Pittsburgh.

Safe travels!!

[DoughBack18]

And by safe travels, I mean 3 years ago when this originally came up! 😂😂

[mattt987]

Terry Hills and Batavia Country Club (not a country club) are both reasonably priced and well conditioned courses in Batavia, you should drive through there on your way to Buffalo. Diamond Hawk and Harvest Hill are great courses just outside Buffalo. 

[JCarl]

I have a work trip in Pittsburgh later this week and this certainly cemented that I should be thinking about Bedford Springs and Olde Stonewall. 

[charli]

On 3/10/2019 at 4:30 PM, PoconoGolfer said:

The #1 and #2 rated golf courses in Pennsylvania many times are Old Course at Bedford Springs and Olde Stonewall which is up near Butler, Joe Namath country (northwest of Pittsburgh). Two completely different kind of courses, both awesome in their own way. Check them out, you won't be disappointed.

Shocked Bedford is on there.