The hardest golf courses in Pennsylvania

The hardest 18-hole golf courses in Pennsylvania, ranked by USGA slope rating from each course's longest men's tees, with course rating as the tiebreaker. 175 courses have complete, verified tee data.

  1. LedgeRock

    Ledgerock Golf Club

    Mohnton, PA, USA
    8.0

    Slope rating 153, 75.6 course rating, Rock tees, 7,245 yds

    PrivateRees Jones

    • 4.5Conditions
    • 4.0Layout
    • 5.0Scenery
    • 2.8Facilities
    • Pristine
    • Views
    • Driving range
  2. Commonwealth National

    Commonwealth National Golf Club

    Horsham, PA, USA
    7.1

    Slope rating 151, 74.7 course rating, Championship tees, 7,117 yds

    PrivateArnold Palmer

    • 4.0Conditions
    • 2.0Layout
    • 1.0Scenery
    • NRFacilities

    Course moves in and out through a corporate center. The putting green was in very poor shape and did not accurately reflect green speeds. The course had a lot of strategic holes in which you had to lay up on par 4s.

    Written by

    @Teddy

    • Driving range
    • Strategic
    • Restaurant
  3. Olde Stonewall

    Olde Stonewall Golf Club

    Elwood City, PA, USA
    7.7

    Slope rating 149, 74.3 course rating, Epic tees, 7,103 yds

    PublicDr. Michael Hurdzan & Dana Fry

    • 4.0Conditions
    • 3.7Layout
    • 2.8Value
    • 4.3Scenery
    • 3.6Facilities

    We played Olde Stonewall while visiting Pittsburgh in August 2024 for a Bruce Springsteen concert with my brothers and dad — and of course, we packed the clubs. This course was such a fun surprise. It’s carved through rolling hills with tons of elevation change and character.

    Written by

    @TGUN312

    • Views
    • Challenging
    • Fast greens
  4. East

    East

    Merion Golf Club

    Ardmore, PA, USA
    9.6

    Slope rating 149, 73.5 course rating, Back tees, 6,592 yds

    PrivateHugh Wilson & Perry Maxwell

    • 4.8Conditions
    • 4.7Layout
    • 4.1Scenery
    • 4.4Facilities

    The tee shot off the first is one of the most intimidating shots in golf. Right next to the lunch patio, golfers are forced to hit less than driver to kick off their round at one of the most esteemed courses in the world.

    Written by

    @rev

    • Must play
    • Pristine
    • Walkable
  5. Mystic Rock

    Mystic Rock

    Nemacolin Woodlands Resort

    Farmington, PA, USA
    8.3

    Slope rating 146, 77.2 course rating, Championship tees, 7,526 yds

    PublicPete Dye

    • 5.0Conditions
    • 4.5Layout
    • 3.3Value
    • 3.8Scenery
    • 4.4Facilities

    Mystic Rock has been billed as a top public course in PA for years and I finally had the chance to see if it lived up to the hype. This track did not disappoint. Pete Dye on a mountain with what feels like unlimited land.

    Written by

    @Tom Doakito

    • Challenging
    • Driving range
    • Must play
  6. Union League Liberty Hill

    Lafayette Hill, PA, USA

    Slope rating 146, 76.2 course rating, Black tees, 7,471 yds

    7.7
  7. (Spring/Mill (Championship)) Philadelphia Country Club

    Gladwyne, PA, USA

    Slope rating 145, 74.7 course rating, Black tees, 6,976 yds

    8.6
  8. Seven Oaks Country Club

    Beaver, PA, USA

    Slope rating 145, 74.4 course rating, Yellow tees, 6,865 yds

    7.8
  9. Sunnybrook Golf Club

    Plymouth Meeting, PA, USA

    Slope rating 144, 74.8 course rating, Black tees, 7,027 yds

    7.9
  10. Southpointe Golf Club

    Canonsburg, PA, USA

    Slope rating 144, 74.7 course rating, Black tees, 6,912 yds

    7.8
  11. The Links at Gettysburg

    Gettysburg, PA, USA

    Slope rating 144, 74.1 course rating, Gold tees, 7,069 yds

    7.1
  12. Montour Heights Country Club

    Coraopolis, PA, USA

    Slope rating 144, 72.9 course rating, Black tees, 6,634 yds

    7.4
  13. Rolling Green Golf Club

    Springfield, PA, USA

    Slope rating 143, 74.7 course rating, Black tees, 6,941 yds

    8.8
  14. Lookaway Golf Club

    Buckingham, PA, USA

    Slope rating 143, 73.8 course rating, Black tees, 6,968 yds

    7.8
  15. Great Bear Golf Club

    East Stroudsburg, PA, USA

    Slope rating 143, 73.5 course rating, Black tees, 7,025 yds

    7.4

How we rank

This ranking uses published scorecard data from each course’s longest men’s tees, the same tee set for every course. Only 18-hole courses with a yardage for every hole, a total that matches the hole-by-hole sum, and a par between 54 and 80 are included, and the tees must carry a single slope rating (55–155) and course rating. Courses whose scorecard duplicates another course’s are left out until the data is fixed. Courses are ordered by slope rating, then course rating, then Course Vaults score. Only open courses with a published Course Vaults score (at least 5 explicit ratings) are eligible, and a page is published only when at least 5 courses qualify. State pages include courses across Pennsylvania. Rankings refresh about hourly.

FAQ

Ledgerock Golf Club is #1 on Course Vaults in Pennsylvania at Slope 153 (75.6 course rating · Rock tees · 7,245 yds). 175 courses qualify for this list.

This ranking uses published scorecard data from each course’s longest men’s tees, the same tee set for every course. Only 18-hole courses with a yardage for every hole, a total that matches the hole-by-hole sum, and a par between 54 and 80 are included, and the tees must carry a single slope rating (55–155) and course rating. Courses whose scorecard duplicates another course’s are left out until the data is fixed. Courses are ordered by slope rating, then course rating, then Course Vaults score. Only open courses with a published Course Vaults score (at least 5 explicit ratings) are eligible, and a page is published only when at least 5 courses qualify. State pages include courses across Pennsylvania. Rankings refresh about hourly.

Slope rating is the USGA measure of how much harder a course plays for a bogey golfer than for a scratch golfer, from 55 to 155 (113 is average). Course rating is the expected score for a scratch golfer from the same tees.

This page was last generated Nov 12, 2026, 3:52 AM EST. Scores and eligibility are recomputed about every hour.

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