Royal Manchester Golf Links

Tough track , greens are in great shape ,country club fast

If you are in the area and love golf, you have to put this course on your list of must play courses.

I enjoyed my round. I was able to hook up with someone who was familiar to the course, which helped. Very little yardage marking, so take you GPS. Hit driver on every hole. Greens in very good shape and consistent. Test the sand, as it is thin, but once again consistent.

They have done a great job of course conditions. The greens,tee boxes and fairways are excellent. Haven’t played here since last year. What they have done with the mounds and rough areas have added 10 shots to your score if you don’t drive the ball in the fairway. Good luck finding your ball.

Definitely a difference. Must play for the area.

Excellent course! Greens were challenging and flag always seemed to be hidden behind a sand trap or other obstacle. Each hole had its own challenge and we had a great time playing there ! We will return !

After playing the course on Tuesday in the rain we decided to return on Friday in the sun. We found the greens to be excellent in the rain so had hoped for even better on Friday and the course delivered. When we checked in we were advised that the greens had been cut and rolled that morning. Wow. Smooth as silk. Not lighting fast but nice and quick. Just get the ball rolling on the right line. It was such a treat. No where in my home town can I find greens as perfect. The course had dried out nicely in the two days prior to our return so it was one of the most enjoyable rounds ever. I'll definitely be returning to Royal Manchester every time I'm in the area. Thank you to the course superintendent and the clubhouse staff for treating our group to this wonderful experience. If every course strived to maintain there greens in this way as golfers we would be spoiled. They also have a wonderful practice area. It is an extra charge but we'll worth it.

Played on a day when it rained for 15 of our 18 holes. Course was very lush due to recent rain. Greens were absolutely the best I've ever played.on.

Made my annual Spring trek from the Baltimore area to Royal Manchester. I absolutely love this course! And, it's in the best shape I've seen it in in several years. The greens were perfect...and pure. What a pleasure to putt on. The fairways were in excellent condition, as were the bunkers and tee boxes. I noticed that they have finally eliminated the thistle off the mounds, and all mounds are now seeded with beautiful grass (which you can actually hit out of). With a gentle breeze blowing today, the grasses on the mounds actually rippled like you might see in Scotland or Ireland. Gorgeous! Staff is always friendly, and very accommodating. As a twosome, we were allowed to go off the back (vs. get behind a huge group of players) and no problem on the turn going to #1. We played in under 4 hours. This course is a treat, and has beautiful scenery...Three Mile Island (from the tee boxes on #16), and the Susquehanna River (from the cart path on #17). Don't forgot to stop in the grill before you leave--great food and excellent service.

This greenskeeper knows what he is doing. Go see for yourself 5/5.

the course was eye candy. Extremely fun to play, greens were super pure. My only tiny complaint was the extreme firmness of the greens. Unless you have pro trajectory and spin rates, it’s hard to hold some approach shots. But that’s not a terrible course trait. I’m a 7 handicap, and I played with my two buddies who are a 12 and 15 and we all thoroughly enjoyed the course and amenities. A true links style course, what a gem. Will be returning.

I drove over 3 hours from Virginia to come play this course. It’s built a reputation for the very best Pennsylvania public golf has to offer, and it did not disappoint and in fact exceeded expectations.

Those expectations were topped first by the immaculate conditioning of the course. Even though they had recently had snowfall here (which had melted) the course looked fresh and well-maintained. It’s always a good sign when you can see the old mow patterns in the fairways as they are mowing them again! Bunkers were smooth and raked. The greens rolled beautifully. Some have complained about the number of ball marks but to be honest, the greens are firm enough that A) it’s hard to see your own ball mark even when you know where to look and B) old marks don’t affect putts nearly as much at courses with softer greens.

The layout here is also better than expected. A lot of courses claim to be “links” or “links-style” and half their holes are surrounded by trees. This course has no trees at all except along the property line and almost never come into play. Instead, you have lots of fescue and mounds framing each hole (the fescue has not yet grown in, which was nice for it being my first visit). The look and feel was every bit what I have seen of the original Scottish links and with the wind blowing like it was during my round, you really do have to keep the ball low and play along the ground. There are a few blind shots to greens but nothing that’s overly challenging or complex. I felt the course played a tad bit long but I started out playing the tips when I should have stuck with the white tees from the beginning. The only real hazards other than the long grass is water on holes 9 and 18 in front of each green. You definitely need a solid swing and good contact to keep it dry on your approaches there. Otherwise, this course is pretty good for beginners.

The practice facilities here maybe be the most underrated aspect of this great course. The chipping area is pretty epic and they have a full range and putting green too. The restaurant inside has a full menu plus one for golfers at the turn. The staff is very friendly and accomodating, they let me go out early on my own and I ended up breezing through in under 3 hours walking.

Speaking of walking, a word of caution for those who like the extra exercise: A) it’s only $5 off your round and B) while the course is generally easy to walk, the distance from the 15th green to 16th tee is substantial and there’s a long climb as well, just as your legs are starting to feel it during your round too!

For $50 walking on a weekday morning, the value isn’t going to blow your socks off but it’s far from a bad deal either, especially if you can snag a Hot Deal on GolfNow. This course will definitely be worth another long drive for me, and I’m excited to see it with the fescue grown in in all its glory!

With some rain coming any day now, the course is rounding into pristine form. I love this track!!!!
My best friend was in town and had not played it yet. While he has been spoiled playing the Stadium course at TPC Scottsdale and the like because he travels the country for “work.” He had some positive things to say about it so that is a good sign. Best part was I beat him so the allure of this place grows in my mind for sure!
Excellent chipping greens which are the best in the area too and a solid ore rice putting green of good size and I wish there were two of them. Driving range is good and could be improved. Good food and beer too - it has the whole package. The layout is fair and balanced for a Links style course because it is not too tight and not overly punishing. I love the layout as it varies so nicely in the types of challenges it presents all abilities. The heart of the season is the toughest because the mounds and fescue are brutal and penal then plus it is very hard to hold the greens then even with a higher ball flight than normal like mine. Always a great time! Shot my best round there ever this time and it could not have come at a better time!!!!

Generous off the tee, nicely manicured fairways, fairly flat fairways, bunkers were not too “sandy” and could play lower bounce clubs in green side bunkers without digging.

Greens were in good shape, a fair amount of un-fixed pitch marks, didn’t affect putts too drastically. Greens rolled well for dormant/cold weather, around a 9-10 on stimp

Overall the course was A LOT of fun, and I would play it everyday if I could! Some pretty challenging holes, and great course to improve playing in the wind. Overall A+, just wish the patrons fixed their ball marks a little better.

I drive 90 minutes on a routine basis to play Royal Manchester, so worth the drive. Conditions are always professional like, club House is beautiful, pro shop always well stocked!