Public

Walnut Lane Course

Walnut Lane Golf Club

Philadelphia, PA, USA
ehslover
tristan.hogan
kmarcorodriguez
phil
colewhite80
+20
18 holesPar 624,509 yds62.3/101

About this course

Walnut Lane Golf Club, established in 1899, occupies a distinctive hillside site in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia. Scottish professional Alex Findlay laid out the original course, making it one of the earliest designs in the Philadelphia area and part of the first wave of American golf course construction. Findlay, who came to the United States in the 1880s and became an influential figure in spreading the game, created a routing that works with the property's natural elevation changes and the Wissahickon Valley landscape. The course plays across rolling, wooded terrain with significant topographical variation. Holes move up and down the hillside, requiring golfers to manage uneven lies and elevation changes throughout the round. The compact routing reflects the design sensibilities of early American golf, where architects worked with available land and natural contours rather than extensive earthmoving. Views extend across the surrounding valley and residential neighborhoods that have developed around the course over more than a century. As a municipal facility operated by the City of Philadelphia, Walnut Lane serves a broad cross-section of local golfers. The course represents an important piece of Philadelphia's golf history, maintaining its place as one of the region's oldest continuously operating layouts. Its hillside character and mature tree-lined corridors give it a distinct identity among Philadelphia's public golf options, though the routing and playing characteristics remain rooted in its turn-of-the-century origins.

Rankings

Ranked by CV ratings from golfers who've played this course. Positions are shown worldwide, by country, and by state; the Public column compares courses anyone can play.

4158

Best in World

3915

Best in USA

176

Best in PA

Quick facts

Location
Philadelphia, PA, USA
Access
Public
Year built
1940
Holes
18
Designer
Alex Findlay
Par
62
Length
4,509 yards
Difficulty
62.3/101
Course Vaults score
5.0

Getting there

Most visitors to Walnut Lane Golf Club arrive through Philadelphia International Airport, a straightforward twenty-minute drive to the northwest into the city's Roxborough neighborhood. The route follows the Schuylkill Expressway as it traces the river's bend, then climbs into the rolling, wooded hills that rise above the urban grid. Walnut Lane sits tucked into this elevated pocket of Northwest Philadelphia, where the transition from highway to quiet residential streets feels abrupt and complete - a municipal course that has occupied its hillside perch since 1940, offering a surprisingly secluded retreat within city limits.

FAQ

Common questions about Walnut Lane

Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.

Walnut Lane has a Course Vaults score of 5.0 out of 10 based on 25 logged golfers.

Walnut Lane was designed by Alex Findlay.

Yes. Walnut Lane is listed as welcoming public or guest play on Course Vaults.

Par at Walnut Lane is 62.

Walnut Lane plays 4,509 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.

The slope rating at Walnut Lane is 101.

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