Originally published on Oct. 05, 2003
When it opened three years ago, anybody who had anything to do with the Golf Course at Glen Mills had their fingers crossed.
There were, of course, the usual concerns about whether golfers would like the area's latest upscale daily-fee course, the first original design in the Northeast by Bobby Weed, a Florida architect who for years had been right-hand man to the great Pete Dye.
More ominous, though, were the concerns about whether golfers would even feel comfortable at the course, which is built on, managed and owned by the oldest reform school in the country, Glen Mills School, founded in 1826.
Would golfers even realize when they pulled up to the bag drop that they were most likely handing over their clubs to a troubled teen sent to Glen Mills by a judge in one of 28 states? If they did know, would they care? Would they come back?
| At a glance |
| Getting there: The Golf Course at Glen Mills is located at 221 Glen Mills Road, Glen Mills, Delaware County. From Interstate 476, take Exit 5 for Route 1 south. Follow Route 1 south past the Granite Run Mall and the Franklin Mint. At the second light past the Mint, turn right on Stoneybrook Road. Follow the signs for Glen Mills. Phone 610-558-2142. Website: www.glenmillsgolf.com.
Green fees: Fridays, weekends and holidays, $90, including cart fees. Monday through Thursday, $75 with carts. Discount rates available for seniors, juniors, twilight and 9 holes. Walking: Walking permitted any time, but cart fees are included. Amenities: Well-stocked pro shop, comfortable clubhouse with locker rooms and snack bar. Driving range and putting green. Outings welcome. Alcohol not served. Rating: One of the best upscale daily-fee courses in the region; deservedly a darling of national golf magazines. Terrific design, well-kept, a must-play for area golfers. Accurate as of Oct. 2003. |
"One mistake, one problem, is all it will take," Ron Pilot, a Glen Mills board member, said at the time as he sat in a trailer that served as a temporary pro shop. "We know that."
Three years later, there have been no mistakes, no problems.
"We've had kids bring back wallets, rings, cell phones, watches and credit cards that had been left in carts," Pilot said with pride last week, this time sitting in the snack bar of Glen Mills' comfortable clubhouse.
In three years, more than 40 Glen Mills students who were trained in the golf shop's operations or in course maintenance have graduated and been placed in jobs in the golf industry.
"These kids have never had a chance in life," said Pilot, a father of seven and grandfather of 23. "We give them a chance."
If the concept has succeeded, so has the golf course.
