Golf on weekends: Fairview Golf Course near Hershey

Fairview, 8/9/14 5th Tee

The last time I went to Hershey Park in PA, I went off grid to the Manada Golf Club. It was a great autumn round and is somewhere in the prior posts on this blog. I tried to go back to Manada, but didn't make advanced reservations. The fam went to the pool, and I got in the car and called Manada. They had an outing. I searched google for another place and found Fairview.

Fairview was similar to Manada with the mountain surroundings. Fewer extreme elevations at Fairview, but it was that same Pennsylvania feel. Manada was very wet from rain, so it was pretty soft in spots. But Fairview was perfect. As you can see, it was a nice summer day. I'm writing this in February 2015, so I forgot the names of the husband and wife I played with. They were a bit older than I, maybe in their late fifties, and they lived locally. The husband said he actually worked in Jersey City for quite some time, but not anymore. Or was it Brooklyn? It was something surprising to me, but anyway they were really nice people. Talkative and friendly at times, but very respectful of the 80 percent rule--that is, keep 80 percent of the conversation about the round of golf you are playing, maybe golf in general, but most of it about the course before you. Be positive, don't pout. They were both very good too, not joining the tour anytime soon, but solid golfers.

I walked the course, which was really stupid because the carts were cheap, as was the green fee. My pull cart fell apart on me last summer too, so I was carrying. The X strap makes it fine though. I was able to drive up, pay and get on line, maybe third or fourth group from the gun, but it felt swift.

I hit a passable drive to start, which is great in front of strangers and the line waiting behind us. The first hole is a 300 yard Par 4. My second shot was not great, missing the green short and to the right, mostly right, if I remember and I chipped my third right near the cup. It was a tap in par! I made sure to warn my partners not to get used to it. After the 1st green, you cross a road to another short 310 yard Par 4, but this one was a bit uphill. I managed a five here, and there was another really good 3rd shot chip, but it wasn't a tap in putt. The next picture below shows the par putt I had but missed for bogey five. Mine is the ball closer to the pin.

The third hole was a decent sized Par 4, 441 yards. It was a very wide fairway, a downhill drive, and I think I missed it, but landed in first cut rough, which wasn't high at all. The best I could manage was a five.

2nd Green, Fairview 8/9/14

The fourth hole is the first Par 5, 507 yards, and it was a great downhill drive, followed by an uphill approach to the green you see below. I don't remember any embarrassing shots on this hole, but it was a seven. This is a shame considering my final score. I could have saved a stroke here.

4th Green, Par 5 479 8/9/14

The fourth hole ran up along some nice homes, not luxury or anything, but nice, and the green was up against a corn field, not the only one adjacent to the course...the other was maybe 15. The picture at the top of this post shows the Par 4 5th hole, another wide open fairway that lets you take a whack with the driver. It was still just 400 yards, so not a big hole. The next hole, the Par 3 6th, was a long 196, and a deceiving uphill shot. I remember the guy warning me it played long, but I used a four iron anyway. I missed the green just left, but was now below it, and I botched the rest of the hole chopping (can't say 'chipping'). Love the sunflowers by the tee though.

6th Hole Par 3 196 yards Fairview GC 8/9/14

I tried to capture the sunflower, as well as the nice purple flowers next to them, so I missed the rest of the hole. I hate to go all out photographer on the course. It is distracting to other golfers. I guess I should just do it, now that I look at how silly it looks to have half-greens in the pic. I think it still shows how nice the day was though.

Don't remember the hole, but must be 7 or 8.

I usually remember the holes when I look at the pictures, and based on the sequence in my phone this has to be 7 or 8, but I don't remember this hole. Not that it wasn't memorable, and beautiful, but...I did like how this one pine tree had a perfect U with it's double trunk. It was a summer day in August, not real hot, but the shade felt great and there was plenty of it.

9th tee

The ninth hole was a nice 182 yards downhill, and there is a pond following that row of pines, to the left of the 9th green. That is the 18th green way to the left. There is a better pic later. I landed this just off the green to the right, and chipped well here (not chopped), and hit a four or five footer for par. It is great to play among these hills, and nice to see these mountains in the Hershey area.

I didn't take too many other pics the rest of the way, but I do remember the back nine was just as nice as the front. There were hills, and woods, and pines, and cornfields, and I was even in some borderline backyards on the 16th. Below is the 17th green.

17th Green. Make sure the bag photobombs from time to time.

Finishing this with the 18th. Not much different than the 9th hole, and the pond is easy to see.

18th hole at Fairview 8-9-14

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I would have to say this was an easy course because in the middle of all my 100's and 99's at Charleston that summer, I managed a 47 on the front, and a 44 on the back for a 91 here at Fairview. The great thing is that it is an awesome alternative if you don't want to spend the bucks on the Hershey Resort Courses. This wasn't half the price and fifteen minutes away. I will be back to Fairview if I go back to Hershey, and judging by the fun on the Lightning Racer, I will be back to Hershey. Wood Coasters are pretty cool