A long and distinguished history, over 100 years in the making.

In 1901, a group of Quakers from Philadelphia came to the Poconos searching for a site to establish their summer retreats and recreational resort.  They chose a tract of land on Little Pocono Mountain and purchased the property.  In the spring of 1902, construction began on the Pocono Manor Inn, affectionately known as “The Grand Lady of the Mountains.”

Two of golf’s most celebrated ‘golden age’ golf architects, Donald Ross and William Flynn, touched Pocono Manor Golf Course.  In 1911 Donald Ross completed plans depicting the original nine golf holes for residents of the cottages and guests of The Inn, and construction soon began.  According to Michael Fay, Executive Director of the Donald Ross Society, Ross did not visit many of his designs personally. Instead, he worked from topographic maps supplied to him at his home in Pinehurst, North Carolina.  He then relied on associates like J.B. McGovern to implement construction from their satellite office in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania.  Ross painted the golf course onto the existing landscape without the benefit of modern earth moving equipment, often using higher elevations for tees.  His typical crews could build a 9 hole golf course in a few months using two or three foremen, up to 300 local laborers, 60 horses, and one or two oxen to move large boulders from the design tract.  The original nine holes opened for play in 1912, with the clubhouse behind the current #5 tee box, where an undulated practice green still resides along with remnants of a landscaping wall.  The nine-hole loop started at current #5 and included holes 6, 17,18,1, a par three located behind the first green, 2, 3, and 4.

During the early 1920s, Pocono Manor brass enlisted William Flynn to complete what Ross began, and he played out ten more brilliant holes across Rt. 314 from the original 9-hole loop. Starting with our famous downhill par three #7 and continuing to #16, Flynn’s more “modern” design indicates advances in course architecture and equipment technology made during the early 20th century.  One of the Pocono’s most fun and exciting layouts resulted from the work of these two golf design legends.  For over 110 years, countless golfers ranging in ability from novices to PGA Tour champions have enjoyed our one-of-a-kind course.

Our Golf Professionals

The Golf Shop at Pocono Manor was led by Jack Cuttle for 50 years, from 1924 to 1974. In 1952, his friend Art Wall Jr. joined the PGA Tour as Pocono Manor’s touring professional. Between 1952 and his death in 2001, Art won 24 professional tournaments, 14 of them on the PGA Tour. In 1959, Art had his best year representing The Manor, winning 4 events including The Masters on his way to earning the Vardon Trophy and PGA Player of the Year. During his career, Art made 45 holes-in-one, a record he held for many years. At the age of 51, he became the second-oldest player to win on the PGA Tour when he won the Greater Milwaukee Open in 1975. His success continued for many years on the Senior Tour. Throughout the years, Art hosted events with many of his fellow PGA Tour and Senior Tour heroes at Pocono Manor. Today, his legacy lives on at Pocono Manor thanks to his son Greg Wall, who has been Head Golf Professional since 1984 and is now PGA Director of Golf.

Professional Events

We have been honored to host many of golf’s most famous champions, including Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, and our own local golf hero Art Wall Jr. who birdied 5 of the last 6 holes to win the 1959 Masters! 

Televised golf events were in their infancy in the early 1960s.  However, in 1961, with the help of a 1961 Chevy Station Wagon equipped with a television camera mounted to the roof, All-Star Golf Series Matches were broadcast from Pocono Manor Golf Course.  Crews drove the station wagon along fairways and rough to document the action as Art Wall Jr., Tommy Bolt, Sam Snead, Jack Burke, Walter Burkemo, Cary Middlecoff, and more battle in the elimination match play event.  Tommy Bolt played particularly well and ended the event for a number of his opponents until running into our hometown pro, Art Wall Jr. in the final match for the $2000 grand prize.  Three-time Masters Champion Jimmy Demaret hosted and announced the show for television.  Occasionally, you can still watch the All-Star Golf matches on The Golf Channel.

Arnold Palmer visited Pocono Manor several times in his career.  In 1968,  Palmer double-bogeyed our famous 77-yard par 3 #7 on his way to a 69 defeating Wall’s 72.   

During the 1980s, Greg Wall (son of Art) hosted his father and many of his contemporary PGA Champions for an annual senior pro-am event to benefit the Easterseals.  The list of PGA Tour Champions that played these events includes Fred Hawkins who won in 1987 with a 68, Butch Baird, Ken Still, George Bayer, Doug Ford, and many more.

Pocono Manor offers a charmingly old school and wildly fun 18 hole golf course. Conveniently located for a day trip from New York, New Jersey, and Philadelphia, our course features stunning mountain views and several golf holes like nothing you’ve ever seen (including our world-famous #7… only 77 yards long and straight downhill all the way!). We are open for the Public, keep the course in great shape every day, AND keep things affordable.

If you’ve never been to Pocono Manor, or if it has been a while, please come see why golfers are saying the old course has never played better!