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JOYRIDE

Play serious golf with a touch of whimsy at Nemacolin Woodlands’ Shepherd’s Rock. BY DALE LEATHERMAN

BEWARE THE YOU CAN ALWAYS EXPECT the unexpected from golf architects Pete wavered. A 7,151-yard par 72 with a rating/slope of 74.7/138, the
BUNKERS: and Alice Dye and their boots-on-the-ground co-conspirator, Tim Liddy. new course is a joyride twisting through meadows and forests, skirt-
Hole 4 green
In that respect, the design team and Maggie Hardy Magerko, president, ing lakes and wetlands, revealing distant mountain views at many
PHOTO: © DONNELLE
OXLEY Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, are kindred spirits — and Magerko does turns. It’s pastoral, reminiscent of the British Isles, with waving
not hesitate to finance her free-spirited imagination if it is for the good grasses, rock walls, split-rail fences and herds of grazing sheep. And
of the resort. it’s great fun, with touches of whimsy such as the stylized statues of
Knowing this, I eagerly awaited the opening of the second Dye sheep scattered throughout the course. The sheep and statuary, like
course at the resort, a 2,000-acre luxury enclave in the Laurel High- the luxurious comfort stations, are among Magerko’s touches.
lands of Pennsylvania. I was there in 1995 for the debut of the Dye- The bunkers — 149 deep sand traps often backed by mounds —
designed 7,526-yard Mystic Rock, a stunning layout routed through are no laughing matter, but Nemacolin’s director of golf Mike Jones
boulder-strewn terrain that would have reduced most designers to points out they are, “positioned to indicate the best route and give
tears. It’s one of my favorites, though it always humbles me. The you choices.”
USGA rating/slope of 77/149 says a lot, along with the fact it is a One great feature of the layout is the “infinity greens,” which
former PGA Tour venue (the 2003–2006 84 Lumber Classic). seem poised on the edge of the unknown. Pete Dye eschews back-
At the July 2017 opening of Shepherd’s Rock, my loyalty grounds on most greens to showcase the setting, drawing the eye to

36 globaltravelerusa.com FEBRUARY 2018