Spring Creek Golf Course Reopens

Always intended as a place to play for boys and girls, the remodeled Spring Creek Golf Course, which opened last week in Hershey, is no longer just kid stuff. New and rebuilt holes, new turf and a modern irrigation system have reinforced nine-hole Spring Creek as the family-friendly layout that Milton Hershey had in mind when he built it in 1934.

“We’re delighted to have the golf course open for junior golfers and their families to enjoy this season,” said Robert Vowler, CEO of Hershey Trust Company, which owns the historic course. “Spring Creek was the first of its kind in the United States and we are honored to uphold this history and tradition.”

The par-33 course, located on a 40-acre parcel off Chocolate Avenue, gained an additional 200 playing yards overall in the renovation, which started last fall. The course, which was 2,316 yards but is now 2,125 yards, is managed by Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company for Hershey Trust Company.

The new routing and design was done by Tom Clark of Ault, Clark & Associates of Kensington, Md. The project was intended to enhance player safety and improve pace of play. The most significant changes in the course include the five new holes:

Hole 3: A par-3 that plays from 87 yards to 138 yards and is slightly downhill. There are no bunkers around the green and the background is a stone farmhouse built in the early 1900s.

Hole 4: A par-4 that plays from 228 yards to 264 yards. The elevated tee creates a view of four holes and the tee shot requires a lay up short of a tributary of Spring Creek, with the second being played to a generous but undulating green.

Hole 5: A par-3 that uses an original green site and plays from 115 yards to 142 yards. The tee shot is over Spring Creek to a green that is nestled in a small meadow.

Hole 6: A par-4 that is new from start to finish, playing from 205 yards to 315 yards. From the elevated tee, players must once again cross Spring Creek and play to a slightly elevated green with water on both sides. Although the water creates a dramatic view, ample space is available to play into this new green.

Hole 7: A par-4 that utilizes the existing green. The hole is short, playing from 230 yards to 235 yards, but is tricky due to its shape, playing off an elevated tee adjacent to the fourth tee, the green’s slope is considerable and par is a very good score.

Holes 1, 2, 8, and 9 remain as originally designed by Maurice McCarthy. New tees have been added to each hole and the original tees have been resurfaced. The tees offer players of all skill levels the opportunity to add variety to their round of golf. The bunkers have also been restored to their original shapes and new sand was installed.

The log cabin clubhouse has also been fully renovated, and a new practice putting green will help both children and adults get ready for the links at Spring Creek Golf Course.

Originally called the “Juvenile Golf Club,” Spring Creek was the first course in the United States open to boys and girls under age 18. Scottish golf course architect Maurice McCarthy helped Hershey design the original nine-hole course on the side, while working on the famed West Course at Hershey Country Club. A round of golf was offered to youngsters for 35 cents for 9 holes. In 1969, the name was changed to highlight Spring Creek, the water hazard that still runs through the course and frequently enters play.