Mystic Rock Golf Course, Photo Credit: Nemacolin Woodlands Resorts
Nemacolin Woodlands Resort offers 36 holes of golfing paradise. With the PGA Tour-approved Mystic Rock and the all-new Shepherd’s Rock, a round of golf at this southwestern Pennsylvania resort is approachable, whether you’re a novice or a natural.
With the fresh Pete Dye- and Tim Liddy-designed layout especially, putting the fun back in the game is clearly one of the team’s intents. While you’re walking the greens, you’ll spy beautiful pieces of art dotting the course and see dynamic landscapes that you’d almost swear were posing for social media posts.
Led by expert instructor Eric Johnson, Nemacolin Golf Academy is where you can perfect your swing using the revolutionary TrackMan golf technology.
Should you need a few warm-up runs before hitting the links, head to one of the two practice facilities. With forecaddies and walking caddies, a round at these courses offers a true golf outing.
The scenery
Nemacolin Woodland Resort’s two golf courses are tucked away in Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands. Your golf game will benefit from the smooth fairways, but watch out for the tall grass, thick woods and lakes that frame the gorgeous courses.
If you feel like your game is spiraling down the drain, take a breath and soak in some of the unrivaled views of the Allegheny region of the Appalachian Mountains — if that doesn’t calm you down, we don’t know what will.
Some of the scenery creeps its way onto the gently rolling hills of the green, with oak trees and water figuring prominently as challenges for several holes on Shepherd’s Rock.
The dress code
Nemacolin Woodlands Resort requires appropriate golf attire at all times both on the courses and in the practice area. A golf outing to this Pennsylvania resort is the perfect time to show off your new polo shirts, perfectly pressed khakis and pretty plaid golf skirts.
Denim, cutoffs, t-shirts, tank tops and sneakers don’t fit the bill here, so if you need to spiffy things up at the dress-to-impress resort, you can always head to the golf pro shop and find an impressive collection of polo shirts, light jackets and almost anything else you’ll need to look the part on the fairway.
Golf Cart Riding Along the Mystic Rock Golf Course, Photo Credit: Nemacolin Woodlands Resorts
Pace of play
You should expect to play each of Nemacolin’s courses at a pace of about four hours for 18 holes. Keep in mind that, if you are golfing as a twosome, you will be paired up with another couple by the resort.
Though you can play as a twosome on both courses after two in the afternoon, you may be accompanied by another twosome if you have an earlier tee time.
Budget an extra half an hour of wiggle room if you’re playing photogenic Shepherd’s Rock for the first time. The course is a tantalizing 7,151 yards of manicured beauty that you’ll want to savor.
You’ll also need to set aside some additional time if the course is designated cart-path only on the day of play by the superintendent of the courses; he decides whether or not carts are allowed on the fairway every morning.
How to get a tee time
You’ll need to schedule a tee time in advance to hit the green at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort. Call the resort’s golf department or reserve your tee time online at Nemacolin’s website. The Pennsylvania resort tries to maximize the number of people playing at once by making every group a foursome. If you reserve in a group of two, you can expect to be paired up with another twosome. But don’t worry — if you’re looking to challenge a friend one-on-one, you can play in twosomes after 2 p.m.
Where to practice your swing
It’s never a good idea to go out to the course without warming up a little bit. Nemacolin Woodlands Resort offers two practice facilities for this very reason. Located at the beginning of each of the Pennsylvania resort’s two golf courses, you can brush up on your swing before hitting the fairway. The areas open at 7:30 a.m. and are available for use until dusk falls. To work on just drives, visit the two-sided driving range conveniently found between the two practice areas.
