For many people, Philadelphia is a highly underrated golf city. But it’s no secret to the cognoscenti that the City of Brotherly Love is also one of golf’s big-event towns.
Merion Golf Club in Ardmore has hosted more USGA events than any club in the country, including five U.S. Opens and the U.S. Amateur on the East Course the second week in August. Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square hosted the PGA Championship, while Philadelphia Cricket Club was the site of the 2024 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball and the 2025 Truist Championship on the PGA Tour.
Most people count Pine Valley Golf Club — located 20 miles southeast of the city in Clementon, New Jersey, and perennially ranked No. 1 in the world — as a Philadelphia-area course. And that’s just scratching the surface of quality golf in Philly.
Our 48 Hours trip will test some of the best public-access courses around the city.
On the afternoon of arriving in town, our first stop is Jeffersonville Golf Club, located about 40 minutes north of Philadelphia International Airport. The Donald Ross design opened in 1931 and is owned and operated by West Norriton Township.
The par-70 layout tips out at only 6,430 yards, but as with most Ross courses, don’t be fooled by the lack of length. Strategically placed fairway bunkers — including the addition of 40 bunkers during a course restoration in 2000 — prevent Jeffersonville from being easily overpowered. And, of course, Ross courses are usually defended by their green complexes.
Jeffersonville consistently ranks among the top 10 Philadelphia public courses and is a prominent tournament venue. Jeffersonville has hosted the Golf Association of Philadelphia Mid-Amateur, as well as the Philly Publinks Championship for 10 consecutive years from 2009 to 2018.
For dinner on the first night, you’ll want to try Philadelphia’s signature culinary offering: the cheesesteak. When you’re talking Philly cheesesteaks, the two names that receive the most publicity are Pat’s King of Steaks and Geno’s Steaks, situated kitty-corner from each other at the southern end of the city’s Italian Market.
While Pat’s and Geno’s are the most famous — especially for their generous slathering of Cheez Whiz on the sandwiches — many locals view the big names as tourist attractions and get their cheesesteaks at other shops around the city.
The other neighborhood cheesesteak rivalry is in the Roxborough section between Dalessandro’s and Chubby’s, located across the street from one another — Dalessandro’s faces Wendover Street and Chubby’s is on Henry Avenue.
Dalessandro’s opened in 1960 and the formula has remained the same: sliced ribeye steak, grilled onions and your choice of Cheez Whiz, American or sharp provolone. Or you can have all three for $4 more. In 2025, Dalessandro’s was awarded a Bib Gourmand rating from Michelin for quality, moderately priced dining. (Be aware: Dalessandro’s is closed Sept. 14-27 for vacation.)
Chubby’s opened in 1987 and features finely chopped steak with fried onions and secret seasoning. Available cheeses include American, Cooper Sharp, provolone, pepper jack and, of course, Whiz.
However, one place emerges on nearly every local’s list of cheesesteak shops: Jim’s Steaks on South Street. Jim’s opened in 1976 on what locals call “the Hippest Street in Town.” Decimated after a 2022 fire, Jim’s acquired the building next door and reopened, restoring and preserving several mosaics by Philadelphia mixed-media artist Isaiah Zagar.
On a 36-hole day, under normal circumstances, we’d send you to Cobbs Creek Golf Club, the most historic public course in Philadelphia, which opened in 1916. However, the club’s Olde Course is undergoing a complete renovation by Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner and is scheduled to open in the fall of 2027.
In the meantime, the new Lincoln Financial Center is open on the Cobbs Creek campus, featuring a 68-bay driving range with Toptracer technology, along with a nine-hole short course designed by TGR Design, Tiger Woods’ firm.
On this trip, the 36-hole day starts at Broad Run Golfer’s Club, located in West Chester, about 29 miles northwest of downtown Philadelphia. The Rees Jones design plays at 6,751 yards from the back tees. The 372-acre campus features a variety of terrain, ranging from valley floors and ridgelines to wooded areas and open land. Broad Run offers an electronic tee-time waitlist on its website, enabling golfers to plug in their desired starting times and receive notifications when slots become available.
Lunch between rounds can be enjoyed at the Broad Run grill or at the next stop, The Golf Course at Glen Mills. Both restaurants serve standard golf club burgers, sandwiches and salads. Glen Mills is about a 30-minute drive southeast of Broad Run.
The course was designed by Bobby Weed and opened in 2000. Many of the holes are links-inspired, and Weed built several revetted-face bunkers among the 170 sand hazards on the property. The layout features open fields, forested uplands, streams and wetlands. It measures 6,646 yards from the tips with a par of 71.
Philadelphia offers hundreds of dinner choices after a long 36-hole day. We consulted longtime Philadelphia golf writer Joe Logan for a few off-the-beaten-path recommendations:
- Monk’s Café (Rittenhouse area): “One of Philadelphia’s great beer bars, with excellent mussels, burgers, duck and fries. It feels like a genuine neighborhood institution.”
- Blue Corn (Italian Market): “Small, colorful, family-run restaurant with terrific tacos, enchiladas, huaraches, seafood dishes and margaritas. Much more interesting than a generic Mexican restaurant and reasonably priced. Cash only.”
- Villa di Roma (Italian Market): “This is the red-gravy South Philadelphia experience: meatballs, sausage, veal, chicken parm, pasta and no pretension. Cash only. Reservations are not accepted on Saturdays.”
- Nam Phuong (South Philadelphia): “Vietnamese restaurant with a spacious dining room, an enormous menu, good service and prices generally under $30 per person before drinks.”
Be aware that the alcohol situation in many Philadelphia restaurants is outside the norm. Because liquor licenses are difficult to obtain from state regulators and buying a license from a previous holder can cost six figures, many restaurants are BYOB (Bring Your Own Bottle). Others accept only cash. No matter where you choose to dine, call ahead to verify alcohol availability and payment methods.
The morning of departure features a tee time at RiverWinds Golf & Tennis Club, located on the New Jersey side of the Delaware River in West Deptford, about a 30-minute drive from Philadelphia International Airport.
RiverWinds is one of eight courses owned and operated in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware by former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback and television broadcaster Ron Jaworski. Opened in 2002 and designed by Ed Shearon, RiverWinds stretches to 7,086 yards with a 73.8 course rating from the back tees.
The par-3 17th hole is frequently photographed, featuring a green almost completely surrounded by the Delaware River. Players are also treated to views of the Philadelphia skyline from the 18th tee.
While 48 hours passes quickly, 72 holes in a short window leaves a lasting impression — at least until the next traveling golf itch needs to be scratched.
