Laurence Lambrecht
LC Lambrecht
Whitemarsh Valley Country Club
Whitemarsh Valley Country Club
815 Thomas Rd
Lafayette Hill, PA 19444-1100
United States
Overview
Situated just north of Philadelphia, Whitemarsh Valley Country Club was the first 18-hole course designed by George C. Thomas. Thomas designed the course, originally known as Mount Airy Country Club, on his family’s estate. The course is one of the few that Thomas created before heading to California, where he designed Los Angeles Country Club, Riviera and Bel-Air Country Club, among other notable layouts. At Whitemarsh, Thomas used sprawling bunkers with jagged thumbs to shape many holes, as he would come to do at his top designs. Many of the greens accept run-up shots, making Whitemarsh playable for the average golfer, though clever shaping requires precise shots to get close to many hole locations.
About
Awards
Ranking history:
100 Greatest: Ranked from 1969-'70. The course was also part of Golf Digest's original 200 Toughest Courses list from 1966-'68.
Best in State: Ranked inside the top 15, 1987-'89. Ranked inside the top 20, 2003. Ranked inside the top 25, 2001, 2009 & 2025-'26. Ranked inside the top 30, 2021-'24.
Previous ranking: 26th.
2025-'26 ranking: 22nd.
Panelists
Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists
100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES
Shot Options
Character
Challenge
Layout Variety
Fun
Aesthetics
Conditioning
Reviews
Review
“Majority of the course centers between two ridges that confines the course and provides numerous elevated tees and greens. The narrow property forces too many holes to run in parallel and feel redundant. The par 3s are the most memorable with a great mix of length, elevation, and strategy."
Read More2025
Review
“A very solid first go for Goerge Thomas Jr. as an architect in the suburbs of Philadelphia where he grew up. The course sits down in a valley and weaves through the gentle hills beautifully. Several holes feature nice elevation changes but many more straight holes than doglegs effect layout variety score. The closing stretch on the front - holes 6-9 - had the most interest to me. Very good short hole 6th uphill requires precision on both the tee shot and approach. Two solid med-long par 4's holes 8 and 9 and a fund short par three 9th guarded by bunkers and adjacent OB. 18 is one of the best closing holes for me. Long par 4 uphill with a heavily bunkered fairway. Approach to a small green perched on top of a hill. I also enjoyed the variety on par 3's ranging from 126 yards to 241 yards."
Read More2025
Review
“A thrilling and underrated course with an impressive history."
Read More2025
Review
“A well maintained course set alongside a stream playing up and down and into the valley. You play through the valley like you're on a skateboard in a half pipe. It's fun to play up and down and back again."
Read More2024
Review
“George Thomas’ family property and first design. Really fun place to play and harder than it appears. Definitely a place to visit."
Read More2024
Review
“Whitemarsh was the first 18-hole course designed by George C. Thomas, on his family’s estate. (Thomas then went on to design Los Angeles Country Club, Riviera and Bel-Air Country Club). Interesting designer lineage - George C. Thomas in 1908, revised by William Flynn and then by Donald Ross in 1930, and then a sympathetic renovation by Andrew Green in 2015 when to expand the green complexes to their original sizes and rebuild all bunkers. #10 is a fun par 3 - you'll want to play it over and over. Beautiful property, outstanding staff, pro shop and locker room. Enjoy!"
Read More2024
Review
“Great mix of par 3s in terms of elevation and distance. Fairly forgiving driving course with not many penalty areas nor woods. Par 4s present a fair amount of driver/wedge opportunities for longer hitters"
Read More2023
Review
“A good conditioned country club with large receptive greens and glistening white sand."
Read More2023
