The Phoenix at Buffalo Valley, CLOSED 2012

Detailed description of The Phoenix at Buffalo Valley, CLOSED 2012

The Phoenix at Buffalo Valley, previously a private course named Buffalo Valley Country Club is a Public 18 hole golf course located in Freeport, Pennsylvania. A short 40-minute drive along the Allegheny River from Pittsburgh, the course is conveniently located and easily accessible.

The original Buffalo Valley Country Club opened for play in 1967. It closed in 2007.

The course was reopened in 2011 as The Phoenix Golf Course at Buffalo Valley. The completely redesigned course features widened fairways, championship greens, and signature white sand traps. Offering fun, challenging play for both the seasoned and novice player alike, The Phoenix offers picturesque rolling hills, mature trees, and eight lakes.

By far the most drastic change occurs right off the bat with the original #1 tee box being demolished and being moved back and towards the trees to make the fairway, green and a previously hidden lake visible on this dramatic and lengthy par 5 from the white Buffalo tees. The clearing of the tree line on the left side of the fairway revealed this 2nd water feature to accompany the lake near the green on this opening hole.

No two holes are alike at the Phoenix. The layout goes from wide open fairways to bottlenecked greens. The topography moves from the floor of the Allegheny Valley to the back nine providing vistas from high atop the ridge line. Each hole is distinctly different and challenging. The newly trimmed Hole # 9 has you firing from deep out of the woods from the tees and trying to cut the left side of the more open fairway. Then you have to fire uphill and onto the Scottish style green with two newly added bunkers in the front.

The use of the natural topography is evident on the back nine.. Hole # 10, previously a par 5, has been changed into a brilliant par 4 in at 458 yards. Off the tees beware of the pond to your left. Then suddenly the fairway drops off into a hillside on the left. Now you are set for your second shot into "The Devil's Green". The green is encircled by trees, is narrow, skinny and long. Doomed shaped, your shot must play into the center of the green or you will find yourself rolling off into one of the sand trap that guards on the right.

# 11 is a 161 yard, par-3 with an elevated green with a lovely rock formation and 100 ft. high pine trees surrounding it.

# 18 will make challenge you to the very end. Originally a par 4, #18 has been expanded with new tee boxes to a par 5 playing 520 yards from the back Phoenix Tees. Teeing off into a gradually inclining fairway that doglegs left is your first task. Risk/Reward is a way of life at the Phoenix. The green is fronted by a mammoth sand trap. Go for it and you just might win. Come up short and get ready to add strokes to your card.

Par for the course is 71/72. From the back tees, the course plays to 6,845 yards. From the forward tees the course measures 5,130 yards. The longest hole on the course is # 14, a par-5 that plays to 640 yards. The shortest hole on the course is # 11, a par-3 that plays to 161 yards from the back tees.

Watch out for # 17, the 455-yard par-4 challenge is the #1 handicap hole on the course. The easiest hole at Buffalo Valley Country Club is # 1, a 508 yard par-4.

The course closed in 2012.