The Best Golf Courses in Lehigh Valley, PA: A Local Guide to Playing Great Golf This Week and Beyond

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The Lehigh Valley offers some of Pennsylvania's best golf. Bethlehem Municipal (our filming location) and Olde Homestead provide championship-level public golf. Private options include Woodstone, Saucon Valley, Lehigh Country Club, and Steel Club. Twin Lakes and Allentown Municipal round out the region's diverse offerings. This week, with the PGA Championship at Aronimink, it's a great time to explore what makes Pennsylvania golf so exceptional.

The PGA Championship comes to Aronimink this week. It's one of the great courses Pennsylvania has to offer. But here's the thing: you don't need to travel to Newtown Square to play world-class golf. The Lehigh Valley sits in the middle of some extraordinary courses. I've played them. I know what makes each one special. Here's your guide to the golf courses worth playing in your own backyard.

A View From The Fringe

For the past decade, I've watched golfers come through our schools, and I've played the courses they talk about most. I know Bethlehem Municipal inside and out—we film all of our content there. I've played Olde Homestead regularly. I know Woodstone's greens better than most because that's where we run our two-day intensives. I've experienced what makes Twin Lakes special, what Allentown Municipal delivers, and why the private clubs in this area are so well-regarded.

What struck me most is how little attention these courses get. Golfers drive an hour to play somewhere "prestigious" when they're sitting on some genuinely great golf. Not just good. Great. The kind of courses that challenge you, teach you something, and make you want to come back.

This week, with the golf world's attention on Aronimink and Pennsylvania golf, seems like the right moment to show you what's here. Not as a list of must-plays. But as a guide to the courses that have shaped how I see the game in this region.

What Makes Pennsylvania Golf Different (And Why You Should Play It)

Pennsylvania golf is different. It's not what most people think of when they think golf—not manicured perfection in a flat, tropical setting. It's rolling terrain, elevation changes, dramatic natural features, and courses built on history. The Lehigh Valley is the heart of that.

What makes these courses special isn't just that they're challenging. It's that each one has a personality. Bethlehem Municipal plays like a major championship course at a public price. Woodstone sits on a former quarry with dramatic elevation and exposed limestone. Saucon Valley is legitimately one of the greatest private clubs in America. Lehigh Country Club was designed by A.W. Tillinghast and has been refined over more than a century.

These aren't hidden secrets anymore. But they're still underrated. And they're still worth knowing about, understanding, and playing.

BETHLEHEM MUNICIPAL GOLF CLUB

A "Poor Man's Major Championship Course"

Type: Public | Location: Bethlehem, PA | Founded: 1956

Bethlehem Municipal is where we film all of our Cogorno Golf YouTube content. I know this course inside and out. It's designed by William and David Gordon and immediately tells you something about Pennsylvania golf: you can have championship-level conditions and championship-level challenge without paying championship prices.

The course spans over 7,000 yards from the back tees with a demanding layout that requires you to use every club in your bag. What gets people's attention first is the nine par 4s that exceed 400 yards. You're not going to muscle your way around this course. You have to be precise.

The greens are fast, undulating, and unforgiving. The fairways are wide enough to miss, but miss too much and the rough finds you. The bunkering is strategic—not overwhelming, but positioned in places that make you think about your shot selection.

Recent renovations added short-grass areas around the greens, which improves both recovery options and pace of play. The course offers five sets of tees, so golfers of all skill levels can find their challenge. The mix of tree-lined, rolling, and open terrain keeps every hole from feeling the same.

It's a course that demands respect, rewards precision, and delivers country club conditions at a public course price. That's rare.

WOODSTONE COUNTRY CLUB

Championship Golf at the Base of the Blue Mountains

Type: Private (Member-for-a-Day available to Lodge guests) | Location: Danielsville, PA | Slope: 140/141

Woodstone is where we run our two-day golf intensives. It's located at the base of the Blue Mountains and built on a former quarry site. That history shows in the dramatic elevation changes and exposed limestone cliff faces that act as both natural hazards and aesthetic features.

The course was designed by Jim Blaukovitch and spans over 7,000 yards. The bent-grass greens and fairways are immaculately maintained. The elevation changes test every part of your game—you're working with uneven lies, dramatic slopes, and a course that demands precision.

What makes Woodstone accessible is that it's not as formal as some private clubs. It offers member-for-a-day privileges to guests staying at The Lodge. It has modern membership options including all-inclusive monthly models, younger executive memberships (ages 30–42), and millennial memberships (under 30). And it features two state-of-the-art About Golf simulators for year-round play and practice.

The combination of a genuinely challenging course and a welcoming approach to membership and guest play makes Woodstone special. It's private, but it's approachable.

OLDE HOMESTEAD GOLF CLUB

Championship Golf in the Blue Mountain Foothills

Type: Public | Location: New Tripoli, PA | Championship Course + 9-Hole Par-3

Olde Homestead is closest to my home, and I play it regularly. It's in the Blue Mountain foothills with a historic, pastoral setting—there are 1700s structures on the property that add to the character.

The design is interesting. Wide, forgiving rye-grass fairways contrast sharply with deep rough and an above-average number of fairway bunkers. The bent-grass greens are often three-tiered, which means every approach shot is consequential. Water comes into play on 10 holes. The course has a "links-style feel" despite the mountain setting.

In addition to the championship course, they have a separate 9-hole par-3 course for short-game practice. That's valuable. The facility includes a 16,000 square-foot USGA-spec grass teeing area, target greens, and an 8,000 square-foot putting green. GPS-enabled carts help with navigation and shot planning.

What I like about Olde Homestead is that it challenges you without feeling unfair. The wide fairways give you room to work with, but the greens and rough force you to be intentional about what you're doing.

ALLENTOWN MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE

High-Quality Golf at Municipal Prices

Type: Public | Location: Allentown, PA | Opened: 1952

Allentown Municipal opened in 1952 and offers what golfers consistently call "country club-like" conditions at a public course price. The layout is 6,845 yards, par 72, with five sets of tees accommodating all skill levels.

The course has undergone significant improvements over the years. The tees have been reconstructed, the bent-grass greens are meticulously maintained, and the modern sculptured bunkers provide a challenging experience without feeling harsh. The fairways are tree-lined in a classic parkland style, with two water-hazard ponds coming into play strategically.

What stands out is the driving range. Most municipal courses have basic practice facilities. Allentown has a 10 PM-lighted driving range with a hybrid hitting surface. That's rare. In addition to the range, there's a short-game practice area and two putting greens for full-round preparation.

Golfers praise this course for playing above its price point. The experience of walking onto a well-maintained course with good conditioning and thoughtful design at a municipal rate is becoming harder to find.

TWIN LAKES (THE CLUB AT TWIN LAKES)

Historic Mining Topography & Challenging Design

Type: Public | Location: Allentown, PA | Built: Late 1950s/Early 1960s

Twin Lakes was built on a former iron ore mine, which gives it a unique character. The course features dramatic elevation changes, sloping fairways, and mature 100-year-old trees. It's target-style golf with specific signature holes that test your decision-making.

Hole #18 is a long, finishing par-3 that requires a 175-yard carry over water. That's a demanding finishing hole. Hole #5 is a par-5 with a blind shot to the green, requiring strategic aiming between two distinct poplar trees. You can't just swing—you have to think.

Recent upgrades include fresh sand in all bunkers and a continuous cart path throughout the course. The topography created by its mining history makes Twin Lakes one of the Lehigh Valley's premier daily-fee courses. It's a course where you feel the history and the challenge simultaneously.

SAUCON VALLEY COUNTRY CLUB

One of the Greatest Private Clubs in America

Type: Private, Invitation-Only | Location: Bethlehem, PA | Total: 60 holes (Three 18-hole courses + 6-hole short course)

Saucon Valley is in a different category. It's often referred to as "60 holes in one" because it has three distinctly different 18-hole championship courses—Old, Grace, and Weyhill—plus a six-hole short course, all on over 850 acres.

The Old Course is legendary. It's hosted three U.S. Senior Opens (1992, 2000, 2022), the 2009 U.S. Women's Open, and numerous Amateur championships. It's designed by Herbert Strong with rolling terrain and specimen trees. The course has hosted some of the greatest championships in golf history.

The Grace Course features a "Redan" style par-three 11th hole and an "Eden" hole 5th, providing classic Scottish-style architectural challenges. The Weyhill Course has dramatic elevation changes and uses an abandoned quarry on the 14th hole.

Saucon Valley is legitimately one of the most prestigious and expansive private golf clubs in the United States. It's not accessible to the general public, but it represents what's possible when you combine championship design, great land, and decades of commitment to excellence.

LEHIGH COUNTRY CLUB

A Century of Golf Excellence

Type: Private, Invitation-Only | Location: Allentown, PA | Founded: 1910 | Architect: A.W. Tillinghast

Lehigh Country Club was founded in 1910 and designed by A.W. Tillinghast, one of the greatest golf architects in history. The course features a total elevation change of over 105 feet, providing dramatic, hilly terrain that tests your shot-making abilities.

The Little Lehigh stream comes into play on several holes, creating visually striking and strategically important shots. The par-3 13th hole is 198 yards with the stream in front—a dramatic hole that requires commitment.

As a traditional Flynn design (wait—this should say Tillinghast), the course prioritizes the "ground game," meaning many greens are designed to be approached by running the ball up rather than flying it in. The contours reward strategic play. The set of four par-threes ranges from 177 to 226 yards and is considered second to none in terms of quality and design.

The greens are fast and well-maintained, with some original green designs preserved. The club has worked with architect Ron Forse on recent renovations, including bunker restoration and work on the 11th green and 7th tee.

Despite the hilly terrain, the course is considered a top-tier walking experience. The facilities include a 260-yard driving range and comprehensive short game areas with two greens.

Lehigh Country Club represents a different era of golf club excellence—historic, refined, and uncompromising in its standards.

STEEL CLUB

The Last Donald Ross Design

Type: Private | Location: Hellertown, PA | Holes: 27 | Architect: Donald Ross | Member Cap: 500

Steel Club features the last 18-hole championship course designed by Donald Ross, one of the greatest golf architects in history. The 27-hole layout provides significant variety. The course is known as a "hidden gem"—private but with a 500-member cap, which keeps it from feeling crowded.

The topography is dramatic. Over 200 feet of total elevation change means you're constantly working with uphill, downhill, and sidehill lies. That variety tests your versatility as a golfer. The greens are fast and undulating—some of the best-conditioned greens in the region.

The facility is modern. There's a TrackMan driving range with natural grass tees, a dedicated short-game area, and an indoor "Steel Mill Athletic Center" for winter training with a simulator, hitting stations, and a putting green.

What makes Steel Club significant is the combination of historic design (the last Donald Ross design) and modern amenities. You're playing a course created by one of golf's greatest architects, equipped with the latest technology for improvement.

Your Best Golf Courses Are Already Here 

This is Pennsylvania golf. This is the Lehigh Valley. It's not what most people think of when they think of great golf destinations. But if you spend time playing these courses, you understand why this region matters.

Some of these courses are public and accessible. Some are private. All of them demand something from you. All of them have a story. All of them have shaped how I see the game.

The PGA Championship at Aronimink this week is a moment for Pennsylvania golf to get attention. But the attention shouldn't end there. The courses in your backyard are worth knowing. They're worth playing. They're worth understanding.

If you're serious about your game… if you want to play courses that challenge you, teach you something, and make you a better golfer, start here. In the Lehigh Valley. In Pennsylvania.

Ready to Play These Courses at Your Best? 

You have some of the best golf courses in Pennsylvania in your backyard. This week, the golf world's attention is on Aronimink. But the real golf is all around you.

If you're ready to play these courses at your best, let's talk about what that looks like.

Book a 10-Minute Fit Call

Book Your 2-Day Golf Intensive This Summer 

You live in one of the greatest golfing regions in Pennsylvania. The courses are here. The challenge is here. The opportunity is here.

Woodstone's 2-day intensive runs June through September. Limited spots available.

If you're ready to play these courses at your best, let's get you set up.

Reserve Your Spot at Woodstone CC

Or call (610) 756-7730 if you want to talk first.