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Easiest Golf Courses in Pennsylvania

The 25 most beginner-friendly public golf courses in Pennsylvania, ranked by lowest slope rating.

The most beginner-friendly public golf course in Pennsylvania on Stymie is Three Ponds Golf Club in Elysburg, with a minimum slope rating of 82 and 2,822 yards from the forward tees. Slope ratings below 115 signal a course where bogey golfers can play their actual game without the layout adding strokes — usually meaning wider fairways, fewer forced carries, and gentle greens.

224 public or municipal courses in Pennsylvania carry a minimum slope of 115 or lower from the forward tees, and the average across rated public courses statewide is 112. This list is restricted to public and municipal courses so anyone can book a tee time — no membership required.

If you're new to the game, looking for a course to take a kid or beginner friend, or just want a stress-free round that lets you focus on tempo, start at the top of this list. Most of these courses also offer instruction programs, learning facilities, or shorter executive layouts that pair well with the forward-tee ratings shown here.

Ranked
25
Gentlest slope
82
Avg min slope
112
Slope 115 or lower
224
#CourseSlope
1
Three Ponds Golf Club
Orange tees · 2,822 yds · Rating 53.5 · Par 71 · Steven Jepko · 1967Elysburg
82
2
Liberty Forge
Red tees · 2,671 yds · Rating 54.9 · Par 60 · 2003Lower Allen Township
89
3
Chetremon Golf Course
Red tees · 4,569 yds · Rating 61.4 · Par 73 · 1910Cherry Tree
90
4
Penn National Golf Course
Forward Tee 1 · 3,064 yds · Rating 58.5 · Par 72Guilford Township
92
5
Bridgewater
Red (Forward) tees · 3,570 yds · Rating 58.8 · Par 70York Township
92
6
Kahkwa Golf Club
Family tees · 3,006 yds · Rating 58.6 · Par 72 · Donald Ross · 1917Erie
93
7
Wyoming Valley Country Club
Crystal tees · 3,913 yds · Rating 61.6 · Par 73 · A. W. Tillinghast · 1896Wilkes-Barre
93
8
Arnold's Golf Course
Red tees · 4,175 yds · Rating 60.1 · Par 60 · Arnold Crisman · 1981Nescopeck
93
9
Sunny Hill Golf Course
Blue tees · 4,289 yds · Rating 61.9 · Par 66 · Terry Sprenkle · 1988Sunbury
95
10
Walnut Lane Golf Club
Red tees · 3,790 yds · Rating 59.0 · Par 62 · Alex Findlay · 1935Philadelphia
96
11
Out Door Country Club
Family Blue 1 tees · 3,001 yds · Rating 58.2 · Par 72Manchester Township
97
12
The Springhaven Club
Family Tee #1 · 3,019 yds · Rating 57.9 · Par 70 · Ida Dixon · 1904Wallingford
97
13
Dogwood Hills Golf Course
Red tees · 3,918 yds · Rating 60.2 · Par 58 · William J. Elli · 1970Claysville
97
14
Black Hawk Golf Course
Green tees · 4,265 yds · Rating 61.0 · Par 72Beaver Falls
97
15
Harbor Ridge Golf Course
Level I tees · 3,060 yds · Rating 57.6 · Par 72Erie
98
16Pine Acres Country Club logo
Pine Acres Country Club
Level One tees · 3,179 yds · Rating 58.6 · Par 72 · James Harrison · 1970Bradford
98
17
Willow Valley
Red tees · 3,684 yds · Rating 62.4 · Par 64 · 1975Lancaster
98
18
Youghiogheny Country Club
Junior tees · 3,376 yds · Rating 59.3 · Par 72 · Willie Park · 1910McKeesport
99
19
Whitetail Golf Club
Gold Left tees · 4,878 yds · Rating 62.9 · Par 71 · Jim Blaukovitch · 1993Bath
99
20
Berkshire Country Club
Level One tees · 3,110 yds · Rating 58.2 · Par 71 · Willie Park · 1910Bern Township
100
21
West Shore Country Club
Family tees · 3,384 yds · Rating 60.1 · Par 72 · George Morris · 1929Camp Hill
100
22
Irwin Country Club
Gold tees · 4,322 yds · Rating 62.1 · Par 70Penn Township
100
23
Blue Mountain Golf Course
Gold tees · 4,631 yds · Rating 62.4 · Par 71Fredericksburg
100
24
Montour Heights Country Club
Forward Tee 1 · 3,065 yds · Rating 58.3 · Par 72 · Pete Dye · 1987Moon Township
101
25
Westmoreland Country Club
Women/Girls tees · 3,228 yds · Rating 59.1 · Par 72 · Joe FingerExport
101

Frequently asked questions

What is the easiest public golf course in Pennsylvania?

Three Ponds Golf Club in Elysburg, Pennsylvania is the easiest ranked public or municipal course with a minimum slope rating of 82. Slope below 115 is considered friendly for beginners and higher-handicap players.

How many public courses in Pennsylvania have a slope of 115 or lower?

224 public or municipal courses have a minimum slope rating of 115 or lower in Pennsylvania. These are generally the most beginner-friendly options in the state.

What slope rating is good for beginners?

Beginners typically look for courses with a slope rating under 120 and a total yardage under 6,200 from the forward tees. Courses with a slope of 105–115 from the forward tees are widely considered the friendliest starting ground.

More rankings

More easiest course rankings

Easiest golf courses ranked in other states.