Bala Golf Club is a private club set just inside the Philadelphia city limits, close to Bala Cynwyd, the Main Line and the city itself, with a quiet setting a short distance from the surrounding urban streets.
The club dates to 1901, though its story begins in the spring of 1893, when George Reach and Charles Hickman watched a foursome play the original Philadelphia Country Club links and resolved to form a club of their own. Together with a group of fellow Philadelphians, they bought farmland on Belmont Avenue — reachable by trolley or train — and laid out the course there, roughly midway between the early homes of Philadelphia Country Club and Overbrook Country Club.
As the growing city pressed in, many of the clubs once lining City Avenue relocated to outlying counties. When Philadelphia Country Club moved to Gladwyne in 1939, Bala took on a number of its greens, which remain in play for members today.
| Tee | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Out | In | Total | Par | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 33 | 35 | 68 | ||
| Handicap | 11 | 15 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 17 | 3 | 13 | 7 | 14 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 6 | 10 | 18 | 16 | 4 | |||||
| Blue | 336 | 303 | 316 | 195 | 390 | 131 | 380 | 331 | 164 | 487 | 385 | 306 | 174 | 333 | 323 | 97 | 293 | 362 | 2546 | 2760 | 5,306 | 68 | 66.3/129 |
| White | 321 | 293 | 312 | 174 | 381 | 121 | 370 | 309 | 155 | 469 | 371 | 303 | 159 | 324 | 315 | 94 | 287 | 357 | 2436 | 2679 | 5,115 | 68 | 65.4/128 |
| Red | 305 | 283 | 310 | 147 | 374 | 103 | 356 | 271 | 149 | 416 | 359 | 262 | 154 | 317 | 305 | 90 | 281 | 352 | 2298 | 2536 | 4,834 | 68 | 64.3/125 |
| Yellow | 305 | 224 | 235 | 147 | 284 | 103 | 272 | 271 | 149 | 416 | 299 | 264 | 154 | 273 | 238 | 90 | 216 | 273 | 1990 | 2223 | 4,213 | 68 | 62.6/120 |
Tee and scorecard data retrieved from the USGA GHIN course database
How many strokes you get from each tee, by handicap index.
| Tee | Rating | Slope | 0 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 36 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue | 66.3 | 129 | -2 | 4 | 10 | 15 | 21 | 27 | 33 | 39 |
| White | 65.4 | 128 | -3 | 3 | 9 | 14 | 20 | 26 | 31 | 38 |
| Red | 64.3 | 125 | -4 | 2 | 7 | 13 | 18 | 24 | 29 | 36 |
| Yellow | 62.6 | 120 | -5 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 21 | 26 | 33 |
Work out your exact course handicap here, or calculate your handicap index.
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