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4.9
307 Reviews (307)
5 Stars
209
4 Stars
86
3 Stars
7
2 Stars
1
1 Stars
4
Conditions
4.9
Value
4.9
Layout
5.0
Friendliness
4.1
Pace
4.0
Amenities
3.2
99.6%
Recommend this course
300 out of 307 reviews
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5 Stars
0
4 Stars
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3 Stars
0
2 Stars
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1 Stars
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Conditions
0
Value
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Layout
0
Friendliness
0
Pace
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Amenities
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0%
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Average Rating
Avg Rating
5.0
1 Reviews (1)
5 Stars
1
4 Stars
0
3 Stars
0
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
0
Conditions
5.0
Value
5.0
Layout
5.0
Pace
4.0
Amenities
3.0
StaffFriendliness
4.0
100.0%
Recommend this course
1 out of 1 reviews
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About

Holes 18
Type Public
Style Links
Par 72
Length 6962 yards
Slope 127
Rating 73.7

Situated along the shores of the Susquehanna River, Royal Manchester Golf Club is tucked away in the rolling hills of northern York County. The course is just a few miles outside Harrisburg but the traditional links design will transport you to the seaside courses of the British Isles. Like the Old Course at St. Andrews and Royal Latham, which served as the inspiration, the golf course has an open, windswept landscape with only two bodies of water. The 15th, the longest par 3 on the course, is the only hole set among the few trees that dot the landscape. The most formidable challenge comes from the prevailing winds as well as the strategically placed bunkers. Royal Manchester Golf Club finishes with a memorable view of its signature waterfall that cascades down into a sparkling pond.

Course Details

Year Built 2010
Golf Season Year round. High Season: April 1st - October 31st
Architect Timothy Freeland (2010)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes
Clubs Yes
GPS No
Pull-carts No

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Bunker Yes
Caddies No
Golf School Academy Yes - "Raspberry Golf Academy"
Golf Simulator No
Teaching Pro Yes
Pitching/Chipping Area Yes
Putting Green Yes
Practice Hole No

Policies

Walking Allowed Yes, except on weekends & holidays 7-11AM

Food & Beverage

Bar

Available Facilities

Banquet Facilities

Accolades

Reviews

4.9
307 Reviews (307)

What Golfers Are Saying

The 19th Hole is Great For:
Patio Dining 22
Drinks 20
19th Hole Scenic Views 11
Course Challenges Include:
Bunkers 38
Thick Rough 38
Undulating Greens 36
This course/club is great for:
Advanced Golfers 41
Locals 28
A Weekend Splurge 22
This Course's Location is:
Worth the Drive 39
In the 'Burbs 24

Numbers based on reviews tagged with attribute.

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Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 5
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Hot weather
Used cart

Pennsylvania gem

I played this course in the winter and it was in really good condition. Returned in the summer and it was outstanding! Loved the layout and the greens are exceptional. The view of Three Mile Island is a little unnerving! Highly recommend!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Nice Course, Great Shape

This course never disappoints. Challenging but rewarding when you hit a good shot. Greens are nice and the entire course is in great shape. Driving range is awesome too!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

GreatvTrack

This is my new go to. I’m originally from central Pa. Now living in Baltimore. It’s a great place to meet all of of Pa buddies. Tremendous course. Once the kitchen is up and running it will be 5 stars all around. See you soon I’m sure.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Hot weather
Used cart

Great Links Style Course

If you want a touch of Ireland, this is a great place to start! Love this course!! Definitely worth the 2-hr one-way drive!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 9
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Hot weather
Used cart

Beautiful Course

The course was in perfect condition. It is a very challenging course. You must keep the ball straight and avoid the tall fescue lining the fairways or your ball will be lost. It was a great round on a perfectly kept course with beautiful scenery.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 14
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Fun Layout

I've played Royal Manchester somewhere around a dozen times, and I enjoy making the trip up from MD for a mini-stay and play. Third off the tee (all singles in carts), and the pace of play was excellent. I appreciate the starter who said that 2 of us could go as singles rather than being paired together as there was space on the tee sheet to do so; no one playing at 7 AM as a single truly wants to play paired-up ... and the gentleman with whom I was to be paired played 2 balls absolutely flew around the course so that I rarely saw/waited on him! Greens were in excellent shape, rolled true, and played fast (as I like them). All that slowed pace of play was the maintenance crew mowing (fairways), blowing (greens), and spraying (tees), and I'm not sure why they didn't work backwards rather than forwards with play -- it's what we were told to do all the summers (6) I worked on the grounds crew to prevent the same players from seeing/hearing us. Bunkers were about the worst feature of the course; inconsistent and stony or un-raked depending on the bunker or hole. Love the look of something different and the challenge of having to take different clubs off the tee and to shape the ball (#4, #13, and #14 come to mind).

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Love it.

Excellent links style course. Holes are well designed, with doglegs in each direction. Shorter holes have challenging elements included.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Course is in great shape!

Staff was welcoming and friendly. Pace of play was great and the course was in fabulous condition. Greens were fast and challenging. Looking forward to playing again when their pub is re-opened.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 1
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 39
Handicap 5-9
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Not quite the same

This has always been a favorite track of mine, but honestly the conditioning of the course, especially the fairways, has fallen off dramatically in the past year or so. Different grasses, many unrepaired divots, bare spots, etc. It was not unusual at all to get a "should-be-winter-rules-today" lie in the fairway. Greens were, for the most part, rolling well but again, had many unhealed ball marks. Disappointing but will probably play again, likely later in the year when these issues hopefully will have improved.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing

Fast and Firm

We'd had a good bit of rain the night before this round and the whole week prior. I figured just as many public course's are this time of year we'd be wading through the water however, it was not to be. The fairways and greens were fast and firm and none of our balls plugged once. The only complaint I can have is that the greens were peppered with ball marks and it looked it none of the regulars feel the need to fix their own. Other than that it's great layout and challenging but score-able. Go play it.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 17
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 55
Handicap 25+
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Pennsylvania Advisor
Verified Purchaser
Top 1000 Contributor
Previously Played

My favorite course in this region of PA to play by far

I would rather play this course than any country club in this region of South Central PA. Incredible shape and the greens roll incredibly true! When rain hits and all the courses have cart path restrictions and the like, this course built over fly ash from Bruner Island drains amazingly well!

The fescue is rounding into form now so plan on staying off the mounds with your ball and your carts. Finished with a par today on 14 before having to cut out a little early due to another obligation. The speed on the greens is fantastic and by May should be very fast in a good way.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 313
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Top 25 Contributor
Connecticut Advisor
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Walked

Royal Blues

In the British Isles, titles for golf courses such as ‘Royal Manchester’ must be conferred by the Queen of England. This, however, is America, and owners may dub their courses whatever they wish. There has to be a certain risk, then, with carrying the word ‘royal’ in your course name, a risk that backfires if it turns out to be something less than excellent. Fortunately for Royal Manchester, its name carries no real irony: it is a very strong layout. The ‘quality’ of this layout is something the course’s website would like us to associate with—you guessed it—great British courses such as Royal Lytham and St. Anne’s and The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews. Why? Their assertion is that Royal Manchester fits squarely into a tradition of such courses because it “sends you to the coast of the British Isles and its famous seaside courses while never leaving your backyard.” (quote from course website). Does it ‘send’ us there? In my opinion, the answer is no. By way of an analogy, this idea—of being transported to the holes of a seaside links course—might work if, just as when watching certain Hollywood movie scenes, we would ‘suspend our disbelief’ to feel that they are ‘real.’ For several reasons, though, the feeling of being at one of these courses turns a bit sour, (it doesn’t quite work at Jack Nicklaus’ New Course at Grand Cypress, either, even though that course is more of a ‘replica’ edition) mainly because I can’t easily suspend my disbelief, but also because there are so many very substantial differences—impossible to overlook—between this course, and, say, St. Andrews. Still, you could say the attempt here to simulate the British coastline experience is worthwhile, mainly because what is done makes for an enjoyable playing experience, one that departs nicely from that of the typical American parkland courses.
What is most impressive about Royal Manchester (RM) turns out to be something even better than its wide- open and basically links-like feel: its level of challenge. If you played this from the championship tees, you’d likely be cursing it as something of a royal pain (no pun intended), as this course slopes at 127 from the back tees (at 6961 yards). In particular, the standout holes are these: two solid par 5’s, namely numbers 3 and 16; a pair of par threes both nice to look at and to play, which are 2 and 15; some interesting par 4’s: 4 and 13, both short; along with 14 and 17, both long. Perhaps the toughest hole on the course also happens to be its number 1 index: number 17. This uphill, dogleg right hole has only one bunker, well-placed to guard the crook of the dogleg, but is surrounded by large mounds and ridges—covered in heavy grass—all the way to the green. The fairway, narrowing considerably after the trap to thwart very long hitters, twists and bumps along all the way to a bit of a clover-leaf shaped green, two=tiered and open in the front to allow run-on shots for shorter hitters. Humps and hills—but no bunkers—surround most of this green. It’s hardly the Road Hole at St. Andrews, but most golfers will find this a very testing par-four.

My favorite hole was number 16, a dogleg-left, downhill par five, a hole in possession of a serpentine fairway dropping off to the left, and protected by a long, bumpy ridge on its right side, penalizing those who’ve missed with a slice or push. At 518 yards and with a long downslope preceding this green, it is an excellent risk-reward hole. The green complex is the most interesting one on any hole here, as bunkers right and left push in on the front half of this green; thus, you can run the ball onto the green on your second shot, but you’d better hit a laser-straight approach to do so. The green is far more penal on the left side, where sits a third bunker, hidden from the fairway, and a large swale behind frontal trap. Shorter hitters who want to get as close as possible to this green on shot number two may also find themselves foiled: a sizeable trap on the right side—the safe side—will be there to snag any run-up hit is its direction.

Two other great holes here are firstly #2, a hole that looks as if it would fit in nicely at Augusta National, given the spectacular bunker, in both shape and size, that defends the front of this green; and, secondly, the epic-looking, 416 yard uphill # 8, which sets forth a long but open driving zone for the player. A lone, gaping bunker, all it needs, sits directly before the eighth’s green, a green protected to its back right by a sharp falloff into the weeds. As is typical of most holes at RM, the green is mostly surrounded by a ‘chipping zone,’ an area from which you’ll have a reasonable expectation of getting up-and-down with a lower lofted chipping/pitching club. Nice feature.

Not all of the holes are great or even pleasant, however. Seven, for example, a 380 yard par-4 dogleg right, may indeed be drivable for ultra-long hitters, provided they catch the downslope. For me it was a two-shotter, but I found the pin position of the left side (where the green is shallower) to be overly fussy—shots too easily rolled off the back of the green on this side. I did reach the 495-yard 9th in two with a hybrid, but the shot surprisingly did not hold the shallow green, leaving me with a long pitch back up to the putting surface. If a par-five green is fronted like this with a pond, then it should be deep enough to hold not just wedges but longer approaches; otherwise it’s only suitable for those who drive the ball like Dustin Johnson (or my son). And the long par-four 18th is fine, except for its green: it pinches down on the right side, which is again very shallow for a long par-four. This right side at 18 is surrounded by the pond (requiring a forced carry) on two sides, along with a massive bunker in back. If you hit this bunker with the pin on the green’s right side, good luck in getting the ball out and stopping it before the water—or the other bunker—having some ten yards of green to work with! So, shot values are more than questionable on 18.

Despite these few flawed holes, and a few more that are little better than mediocre, all else holds up well. It’s too bad, though, that Architect Timothy Freeland didn’t carry through much, much more on the inspiration he drew from both Lytham and St. Andrews. Yes, this course is reminiscent of a British Isles seaside course, though the ocean’s distance from Mt. Wolf is some 55 miles, not a stone’s throw. It has acres of rough and tall grass; it has a moderate level of undulation on some of the fairways; is has pitch-and-run options to many of the greens; its holes are mostly treeless. It would be so easy to say that the single ‘difference’ here is that RM lacks the mystique of a British seaside links. The real story is that it misses the full complement of links features: many other of these could have been included, but weren’t. And a few decidedly un-links-like characteristics were snuck into the mix. Among ‘left out’ features—critical ones—are pot bunkers. These infuriating little menaces, many of them steep-faced and sometimes nearly inescapable, are a central feature of nearly all seaside links. Using RM’s front nine’s bunkering to illustrate the differences: 1 and 3 are relatively boring fairways that could have used pots favorably; 4 and 9 have bunkers (nine with two, massive opposing bunkers that again would look more at home at a place like Augusta National) but they’re not pots; the last fairway bunker at 5 has been almost downsized to a pot, but it’s not deep or punitive enough; hole seven is crying for a bunker that would protect against the ambitious one-shot attacker. The other problem with the bunkering here, when compared with the model courses, is that there is not enough of it. Lytham, for example, has seventeen bunkers (each) on two of its holes and, in general, a profusion of traps across the golf course. But here the maximum number on any one hole is four, thus making bunkers, typically, much easier to dodge on this course than at most seaside British layouts. A great number of bunkers at St. Andrews appear invisible from the player’s perspective, making them easy to forget.

What else is absent here? There are no winding burns, no gorse, no gigantic bunkers; no double greens (St. Andrews has 7) or massive ones; no blind approaches; no rippling fairways making for unpredictable bounces; no sandy soil (which makes solid irons more difficult); and only a few unpredictably or eccentrically placed hazards, such as the road on St. Andrew’s 17th, abutting the green on the right and sided by a wall. Given these absent traits and features, Royal Manchester lacks the clever eccentricities (leading to some unpredictability) of great British and Scottish and Irish seaside links. There’s not quite enough originality—and even oddness—here to make this as exciting as its ‘role models’ are. We also find a pair of major departures here from St. Andrews and Lytham: a) the large elevation changes here, as both of those courses are far flatter than RM; and b) the ponds, requiring forced carries, would be utterly out-of-place on a true links course.

Last year I enjoyed being a spectator, along with my son, at St. Andrews during the third day of the Senior British Open. The terrain was almost utterly flat, brown, and a bit boring-looking at first, but, when carefully studied, brilliant. We enjoyed following some of the old greats, including Mark Calcavecchia. Two of the most impressive qualities of St. Andrews related to its environs: the town behind it, the seaside to its east. Of course, a very similar look and distinctive aura was present when I played golf at Prince’s, Lundin Links, Royal Dornoch, Nairn, Dunstanburgh Castle, Dooks, and Ceann Sibeal.

Some experiences just can’t quite be duplicated. You should play Royal Manchester for a links-simulated experience, but for the real thing, you’re still going to need a plane ticket.

Conditions Excellent
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 55
Handicap 25+
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Pennsylvania Advisor
Verified Purchaser
Top 1000 Contributor
Previously Played

Not closing at all: New Management Company and same owner

This remains my favorite public course in South entrap PA to play as it drains much better than all the rest. The course is in great shape all things considered!
I believe that the higher caliber of management company will improve the operations and draw even more than it was. This is still a gem and all should get out and play it byob for 60 days before the rough grows in again! Love this course!!!!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 32
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

A beautiful Gem

I drove 77 miles to play this course, I remember playing it with friends in the past and love coming back.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 55
Handicap 25+
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Pennsylvania Advisor
Verified Purchaser
Top 1000 Contributor
Previously Played

Best public course in south central PA with best drainage and overall conditions

Best public course in Southcentral PA. Pilgrim’s Oak is close to some extent and it does not drain nearly as well as Royal Manchester. Considering the recency of snow, rain and bitterly cold temperatures, the course was extremely playable! My favorite public course in this region of PA! They need to get hot food available back at the turn with no excuses in the afternoon - hot dogs or something. Love the greens!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Beginner
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 60
Handicap 15-19
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Pennsylvania Advisor
Top 1000 Contributor
Previously Played

Everything about this place is perfect awesome and every other adjective you can think of

Let's start with the practice facility ... absolutely incredible from the grass range to the putting greens to the practice bunkers and chipping areas. Every t every Fairway every Green is perfectly manicure every bunker is perfect. The layout is unbelievable and if you pass this course up you're insane!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 4
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing
Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Good
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