Berkshire Country Club

Detailed description of Berkshire Country Club

Berkshire Country Club is a Private 18 hole golf course located in Reading, Pennsylvania.

The Berkshire Country Club, founded in 1899, began as a 9-hole course in the Reading suburb of Wyomissing, and was designed by John Reid. In May of 1902, the Club purchased 60 acres of land in Bern Township. John Reid was again employed and laid out a 3,000 yard, 9-hole course. Reid stayed on briefly as the Club's first golf professional. The original 9 holes basically followed present holes 1 through 6. The 7th hole teed off behind the present 8th green to an area behind today's practice tee. Numbers 8 and 9 followed a line similar to the present 17 and 18.

In 1916, world renowned architect Willie Park, Jr. was hired to lay out an 18-hole course on the existing course and additionally purchased property. Golf, tennis on two courts, swimming in the Schuylkill River, and Saturday night dinner-dances with tuxedos and flowing gowns, were the main activities of the day at the Berkshire.

The Berkshire Country Club golf course has tree-lined fairways are narrow and undulating. There are no water hazards on the course, but the greens are undulating and well bunkered.

Par for the course is 71. From the back tees the course plays to 6325 yards. From the forward tees the course measures 5512 yards. The longest hole on the course is # 12, a par-5 that plays to 552 yards. The shortest hole on the course is # 9, a par-3 that plays to 117 yards from the back tees.

Watch out for # 5, a 470 yard par-4 challenge and the #2 handicap hole on the course. The easiest hole is # 9, a 117 yard par-3.