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I don't live in the area any more, so I'm only able to play Wanango once every few years, but try to do so whenever possible. I grew up as a junior golfer there and played it hundreds of times.

While short, it's challenging and fun. And why wouldn't it be? It's a beautiful, hilly piece of property, with a course laid out by three of the best architects in golf history (Ross, Bendelow, and Tillinghast). There are four par 4s under 315, no par 3s beyond 170, and three (arguably four) reachable par 5s. The greens are small and wonderfully contoured. Nearly all of the par 4s are tree-lined on both sides. There is no water on the course.

A player who hits it straight will score well. A top player on his game will score very well. Jim Simons decided to turn pro after setting the course record at 63 at Wanango in 1972.

As for conditions, I can't speak to that, not having played it recently. The club is under new ownership this year. Too bad it couldn't have come sooner. A former owner defiled the oak grove between the 11th and 14th fairways. Think, say, of chopping down the trees on the right side of the 18th fairway at Augusta. Otherwise this place is still the same wonderful course it has been for over 100 years.

If you're looking to golf in the area, Wanango is the place.