Worldgolfer's Golf Course Reviews

Designer: William Flynn (1925), Ron Forse/Jim Nagle (2015, Restoration)

Location: Fort Washington, Pennsylvania

History: Originally founded as a social club for Philadelphia’s industrial leaders in 1887, Manufacturers’ moved to suburban Fort Washington when its William Flynn designed golf course opened in 1925. The course has hosted three U.S. Senior Women’s Amateurs (including the inaugural one in 1962) and is considered one of the best courses in the Philly area:

• #140 Best Classic Course in America – Golfweek (2025)
• #30 Best Course in Pennsylvania – Golf Digest (2025)
• #10 Best Course in Pennsylvania – Golf Magazine (2024)
• #14 Best Course in Pennsylvania – Top100golfcourses.com (2024)
• #17 Best Private Course in Pennsylvania – Golfweek (2025)

Conditions: 9/10, Manufacturers’ is in excellent shape with very quick greens, thick rough, glistening white sand, and well-manicured teeboxes and fairways.

Value: N/A, This is a private course.

Scorecard:

Tee                     Par         Yardage         Rating          Slope

Black                 71/72      6746/6841  72.8/73.3     135/136

Blue                   71/72      6439/6534  71.6/72.1     132/133

White                71/72      5944/6039  69.4/69.8   129/130

Green                71/72      5581/5676   67.6/68.0   125/127

Red                     74/75      5284/5379  71.5/71.9     130/132

Hole Descriptions: The Greater Philadelphia area is home to elite golf and is perhaps second to only New York City in terms of quality and quantity of great courses. Courses like Merion, Pine Valley, and Aronimink are best known nationally but there are a number of other stalwarts, almost all on the private side, well-worth a play. This depth is due to the combination of a large number of prominent architects coming out of the “Philadelphia School of Architecture” during the Golden Age of golf architecture and the picturesque rolling terrain located in the suburbs of Philadelphia. William Flynn is one of my personal favorite architects and in my opinion one of the greatest golf course routers in history. Manufacturers’ is an absolute gem from Flynn and features a wonderful design over hilly, often dramatic terrain. Outside of the land movement, “Mannies” contains a number of excellent features, with a very fair layout all in front of you, slick, challenging greens, and a number of memorable holes such as the famous quarry 8th offering a great deal of charm. This is the type of course I’d love to be a member at and is a place I can’t wait to see again!

You’re immediately introduced to the great topography on the 1st teebox, which offers wonderful views of nearly the entire course which have been enhanced with recent tree removal. This 371 yard par 4 is an exhilarating hole with a dead downhill teeshot to generous fairway lined by bunkers down the left at 220 yards and right at 255 yards. The approach plays level to a complex, right-to-left sloped green lined by bunkers on either side.

Flynn makes great use of a central creek that runs through the property and nowhere is this used more strategically than at the 368 yard 2nd. Another medium-length par 4, this hole is a dogleg left with a tighter fairway that turns left around 215 yards. Trees and the hidden creek run down the left while a pair of bunkers lines the right side between 180 and 220 yards. The creek continues and wraps around just short and right of a small, very undulating green.

At 453 yards, the 3rd hole is the longest and most challenging par 4 at Manufacturers’. With the teeshot playing briefly over the creek, this hole plays straightaway and uphill with a bunker down the right around 215 yards. There’s ample room down the left on this teeshot, but anything to the right may be blocked out by tall trees short of the green and likely necessitates a lay-up. This green is elevated, defended by a bunker left, and likely has only a few pinnable locations with a severe left-to-right and back-to-front sloped surface. The length and severity of this green make par an excellent score here.

Mannies is home to five magnificent par threes with the first coming at the 163 yard 4th. A very pretty hole playing slightly downhill to a green wedged into a hillside, this putting surface is small and slopes severely right-to-left with deep bunkers defending it on either side and short.

The 5th hole is another longer par 4 at 412 yards playing slightly downhill from an elevated teebox. This hole features a narrow fairway lined by bunkers on the left at 200 yards and right at 260 yards. Like the 2nd, this approach must be aerial to carry a creek just short of the green. This putting surface is otherwise surrounded by rough and is likely the flattest and easiest on the course.

The 6th hole is one of three long par threes on the course and plays longer uphill at 193 yards. This beautiful one-shotter plays along the edge of the property and features a Redan-like green with slopes both back-to-front and right-to-left and a deep bunker short left.

At 491 yards, the 7th hole is one of several shorter par fives at Manufacturers’ that allow you to make up a shot. This hole begins with a tough teeshot to a tight, right-to-left canted fairway lined by trees down the right, a creek on the far left, and left bunker around 270 yards. Those who reach the dogleg right around 275 yards will have the chance to reach this green in two, with an uphill approach to an elevated right-to-left sloped putting surface lined by a left bunker. Those who opt to lay-up must contend with a large right crossbunker about 70 yards short of the green.

The property at Manufacturers’ contains several natural quarries that Flynn expertly incorporated into the design, most famously on the par 3 8th. One of the most recognizable short holes in America, this 114 yard one-shotter features a dramatic approach over a gulch to a small, back-to-front sloped green centered within a quarry with a bunker long. It is a beautiful and memorable hole that is truly one-of-a-kind.

The front 9 closes with a short, 460 yard par 5 playing back towards the clubhouse. From an elevated teebox, this hole begins with a moderate 165 yard forced carry over the creek to a generous fairway lined by a pond to the left and right bunker at 265 yards. From here, the hole plays slightly uphill towards an elevated green defended by a bunker short right. The most difficult part of this hole is the green, which slopes severely back-to-front with two tiers, making for some very challenging putts.

The 414 yard 10th hole is a strong dogleg right par 4 with a generous fairway that turns sharply to the right around 230 yards. Longer hitters can certainly cut the corner here, but beware of thick rough down either side and a left bunker at 225 yards. This approach plays steadily downhill and must again play over the creek to a slightly back-to-front sloped green lined by a left bunker.

Playing similarly to the 6th, the 11th hole is another long uphill par 3 at 201 yards. This hole also plays over the creek to a severe, Redan-like green and requires extra club. There’s a beautiful string of bunkers well-short of the green that appear more intimidating from the tee than they actually play.

After stopping at the halfway house, you reach another shorter par 5 at 493 yards. This is the first of four consecutive parallel holes built along the side of the hill that feature significant sidehill slope. A dogleg right, this hole begins with a narrow fairway that turns right around three large bunkers down the right between 180 and 255 yards. Once past these bunkers, the fairway straightens out with a left bunker in the lay-up zone and bunkers flanking either side of an interesting green that slopes back-to-front and towards the center from both sides.

The 13th is the longest and final par 3 on the course playing slightly downhill at a prodigious 220 yards. This green is quite severe, with a false front and hard slopes both back-to-front and right-to-left. Deep bunkers defend the green short left and long right and leave a very difficult up-and-down.

The 14th hole is a longer par 4 playing straightaway and uphill at 400 yards. While this fairway is generous, it cants hard left-to-right and is lined by bunkers down either side for the first 230 yards. This green slopes left-to-right as well with a pair of bunkers to the right and a large bunker short left.

At 513 yards, the 15th hole is the longest and perhaps least interesting hole at Manufacturers’. Playing on flatter ground along the far edge of the property, this par 5 plays straightaway with trees on both sides, OB right, and a pair of right bunkers at 200 and 230 yards. Most golfers will have to lay-up here and will have to avoid well-placed bunkers on either side about 80 yards short of the green. This narrow putting surface slopes back-to-front with a bunker on the right.

The number 1 handicap 16th hole is one of the best and most memorable holes on the course as a 416 yard par 4. Playing slightly downhill, this hole features a gorgeous teeshot to a generous fairway lined by large bunkers down the right at 190 and 240 yards. While the teeshot is fun, this approach is absolutely epic and plays over another deep quarry to a back-to-front sloped green lined by bunkers. Anything short of the green will lead to peril for your scorecard as I learned the hard way.

The 17th is another fun hole as a shorter 369 yard par 4 playing even less downhill. Like so many holes at Manufacturers’, the creek comes into play here and runs through this fairway around 275 yards. While it’s feasible longer hitters could carry this with driver, I don’t really see the reward. A small green sits just over the hazard to the left and slopes severely back-to-front with bunkers on either side.

As you may have noticed on the scorecard, Manufacturers’ plays as either a par 71 or 72 depending on how you play 18. This hole contains two greens and can either play as a par 4 or 5 but we primarily played it as a 396 yard par 4. Regardless of the green that day, this hole begins with an uphill, semi-blind teeshot over the creek to a generous fairway. The green for the par 4 is off to the left and narrow, sloping both right-to-left and back-to-front with two bunkers left. There’s a large amount of fairway to the right of this green and the par 5 green sits well-elevated about 150 yards past this near the clubhouse. This alternate putting surface is on the flatter side and lined by a right bunker. There’s a cool escalator that takes you up the hill but sadly this was out of service when we played and the walk up to the second green is extremely steep. I do like how this hole gives members options, but I feel it is a much better par 4 than par 5 and perhaps the alternate green should be used as a permanent 19th “Bye” hole to settle bets.

General Comments: Situated on a very hilly property, Manufacturers’ is a doable but tough walk, especially if the escalator up 18 isn’t working. Practice facilities include a full driving range near the entrance and practice green near the 1st tee. Pace of play was excellent and what you’d expect from a private course.

Verdict: One of many stellar private clubs in the Philadelphia suburbs, Manufacturers’ features a wonderful routing from William Flynn over a hilly property with a central valley and creek. The quarry holes here are spectacular and the fairness and impeccably conditioned greens make this an ideal members course.