Brandywine Country Club, Championship Course

$26 (cart included), played on Wednesday, April 2023 at 8:40 AM

Was a Private course till 2020 and now it's open to Public BUT, still has the Country Club dress code inforced. This 1967 Arthur Hills designed layout has mostly narrow treelined fairways that meander along a creek with good use of elevation changes and greenside white sand bunkers. Sculptured fairways are full of good tight cut grass with the first 10' of rough very thick to catch those balls running through the fairway. Greens are firm, smooth and fast that were rolling very true today at 9-10 and hard to hold. Sand traps had great soft white sand and were well placed protecting those smaller than normal sized greens. The score card has four (4) tees listed from Black @ 6,514yds / 72.2 / 134 down to Silver @ 5,172yds / 71.1 / 128 on this Par 36/35 layout. I bounced between Black and Wine tees @ 6,065yds / 70.2 / 130 playing the Par 4's under 400yds and Par 3's under 200yds because at 70 years old I want to enjoy not struggle. The Front 9 starts out with a straight wide open 305yd Par 4 so you can get that driver warmed up. The #2 Par 3 at 210-135yds is a slightly right with three (3) front/side traps protecting that elevated green. The #5 Par 5 at 525yds has a hidden creek/pond between you and the green ready to grab that 2nd shot, so check the yardage for your layup here. The #5 is a tight Hcp 3 and winding 450yd Par 4 so stay to RH side for a look at the green here with water on LH side. The #8 at 440yds is a tough narrow Par 4 with a creek crossing around 200yds to support it's Hcp 1 ranking. The #9 Par 5 at 485yds is narrow but the creek comes into play on that 2nd shot if your tee shot is under 200yds. The Back 9 starts out following #8 fairway and at 418yds that creek carry on your downhill drive must be 200+ with a elevated green in the distance to try a hold with a long iron. The #12 is a narrow 382yd Par 4 with OB creek down the entire LH side to this Hcp 2 elevated narrow green. The #15 is a 371yd Par 4 that has your fairway about 80' above the tee box with trees both sides and a DEEP ravine on the inside LH corner with many balls in the bottom. The #17 Par 3 at 173yds is a hidden narrow green that you can see the flag but not the sand trap across the front OR the severe drop off if you go long, left or right. (I took the trap by accident) The #18 is a sweeping right Par 4 at 422yds with a elevated green located on the side of a hill that played 2 extra clubs for me today. But landing above the pin in the lefthand corner had be swinging the flat stick three (3) times to end my round. Ended up shooting 39/39 w/ 36putts today as the driver was allowing me to view the greens........unobstructed. For the Senior price of $30 M-F this was a great deal for the challenge and conditions I found here today.