For most of the 50+ years I have been playing golf, I’ve known about and wanted to play at least one of the three golf courses at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, PA. I attended college an hour away and my wife and sister attended Cedar Crest College in Allentown, mere minutes from the golf courses. But Saucon Valley is private, and I never made the acquaintance of a member of the club. Yesterday, however, courtesy of a friend whose wife and he are active in the affairs of Cedar Crest, I finally made it Saucon Valley via a fundraiser event for the college.
Saucon Valley is not located in a golf community, although I could see a few homes through the woods during our round. Turf conditions were impeccable, the greens fast and nearly spotless, although firm. We played the Grace Course, the members’ least favorite according to our forecaddie. I suspect the others are more challenging with narrower fairways and slightly more changes in elevation. On our drive back to the clubhouse, we passed the finishing hole on one of the nines, and it was much more elevated than any we played on the Grace layout, with surrounding bunkers that were clearly there for more than eye appeal.
I hope that Cedar Crest repeats the fund raiser next year and moves to one of the other two courses...although I found no fault with Grace layout. I snapped off a few photos with my iPhone. Enjoy.
