Melrose at Melrose Country Club

Melrose Country Club sits in Cheltenham, a Philadelphia suburb, and carries the rare distinction of being a collaboration between Alister MacKenzie and Perry Maxwell. MacKenzie routed the course in the late 1920s during one of his American tours, while Maxwell executed the design and construction, bringing his own considerable shaping skills to the project. This partnership occurred during a period when MacKenzie was designing several courses in the Mid-Atlantic region, and Maxwell—who had worked with MacKenzie on other projects—was establishing himself as a master architect in his own right.

The course occupies rolling terrain typical of the Pennsylvania countryside, with mature tree-lined corridors and natural elevation changes that create variety in both shot values and visual interest. The routing takes advantage of the property's topography to present a mix of uphill, downhill, and sidehill lies. MacKenzie's strategic principles are evident in the hole designs, which reward thoughtful positioning and offer multiple routes of play, while Maxwell's characteristic green complexes feature subtle contours and strategic bunkering that demand precision in the short game.

Melrose has served as a private club for nearly a century, maintaining a traditional membership culture focused on golf and family activities. The course has hosted various regional amateur competitions over the decades, though it remains primarily a members' club rather than a tournament venue. The layout has undergone periodic restoration work to preserve the original design intent of both architects.