As spring rolls around campus, the weather begins to improve the opportunities to be outside begin to become more present. While some students like to go hiking or hammocking, I have fallen in love with playing local golf courses in Western Pennsylvania. Playing golf for me provides stress relief and an amazing opportunity to connect with different people off campus. Western PA’s rolling hills and mild climate provides an optimal layout for nice affordable golf courses.
Last week, I played Tam O’Shanter in Hermitage. I had played this course multiple times before but had never taken the time to review the course in general. To begin, Tam O’Shanter is one of my favorite golf layouts around the College. The course is around 30 minutes from campus so its relatively accessible. Inspired by the rough and natural layouts of traditional links style courses, Tam O’Shanter plays around 6,500 yards from the back tees.
In my opinion, this course provides the most challenging golf experience when it comes to local golf courses. Greens are fast, fairways are tight, and par 3s are generally long and unforgiving. While it might be the toughest challenge, it is one of my favorite places to play. The pros in the pro shop are always kind and love college students, and the food at the turn is very well priced and tastes great.
One of my favorite aspects of Tam O’Shanter is the course layout. Tee to green, this course provides a very scenic and enjoyable golf experience featuring winding fairways and small undulating greens. Overall, I recommend any golfer to take a weekend and a couple of friends to enjoy the historic Tam O’Shanter–just remember to bring some extra golf balls. You are going to need them.
