Reading Country Club

Located in Exeter Township, Pennsylvania, Reading Country Club (RCC) is a municipally-owned golf course that has been challenging golfers of all skill levels since its opening in 1923. Designed by Alexander Findlay, a Scottish immigrant who is credited with designing over 200 golf courses, RCC’s classic design has stood the test of time. In fact, RCC was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2018, recognizing the historic significance of Findlay’s golf course design and Reading architect Harry Maurer’s clubhouse.

Findlay’s design at RCC is among the best examples of his work and one of the few Findlay courses that has maintained his design with little change. According to Jim Nagle, a registered landscape architect and design associate at Forse Design, Inc., “Findlay used a combination of mounds and bunkers independently of themselves and in combination. His use of the mound and bunker complexes around greens was unique and genius at the time of his most expert work.” Nagle also notes that many of Findlay’s greens flowed beautifully into and out of the natural hillsides and low lying lands upon which they sit, and that the designer had an ability to minimize the influence of man upon the land.

RCC is one of fewer than 100 golf courses on the National Register of Historic Places, and is in good company alongside other notable courses such as Augusta National Golf Club, Merion Golf Club, and Oakmont Country Club. Findlay’s design at RCC continues to challenge golfers, even in the modern era of oversized, exotic-metal clubs and computer-designed balls. As the Scotsman himself described it in a newspaper article in 1922, “the beauty of this course is unsurpassed. All the greens and pins are visible from the tee, there are no hidden hazards, and the holes have been so arranged that the player is given a different shot each time.”

RCC has undergone some changes over the years, but they have only served to enhance the course’s beauty and challenge. Despite these changes, the course still plays pretty much as Findlay described in 1922. The 3rd, 5th, and 7th greensites and their bunkers are particular points of interest, inspiring restoration efforts at other Findlay courses.

In conclusion, Reading Country Club is a classic design that has stood the test of time. Its inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places confirms what golfers have always known – that RCC is an historic gem. Findlay’s genius is evident in the course’s unique mound and bunker complexes, and in his ability to make abrupt features that seem natural. RCC continues to challenge golfers of all skill levels and remains a must-play course for any golf enthusiast.