Mountain Laurel Resort Golf Course

Mountain Laurel Golf Club is the house course at Mountain Laurel Resort in White Haven, Pennsylvania, tucked into the southern Pocono Mountains about two hours east of Philadelphia. New England-based architect Geoffrey Cornish laid out the 6,888-yard par-72 course in 1968, and it opened for play in 1970 as part of the original resort development. Cornish was prolific in the Northeast, known for classic parkland routings that work with the mountain terrain rather than against it. The setting is the draw here, classic Pocono hardwood forest, genuine elevation changes between nines, and picturesque scenery that goes full technicolor in October. Spacious fairways and a playable slope make it accessible for the resort-vacationer crowd that fills Mountain Laurel's rooms on summer weekends, while still giving single-digit players enough length and angle to stay interested. Best paired with a multi-day stay at the resort for a lower package rate than the walk-up.