Planning and construction (1928–1929).
Industrialist Charles A. Penn financed Pennrose Park as part of a broader suburban amenity scheme west of downtown Reidsville. Club materials and contemporary notices credited Donald Ross as architect of a nine-hole course that opened in 1929, with an immediate public emphasis on the quality of the design relative to its compact scale. The routing established in 1929 remains the backbone of play today.
Opening configuration and early years.
The course debuted as a nine with par 36 and roughly 3,000–3,100 yards from the longest tees, consistent with Ross’s late-1920s small-town commissions in the Carolinas. Early descriptions highlighted the green complexes and the overall completeness of the golf facility relative to its size.
Mid-century through 1970s adjustments. Club historical notes indicate that for a time the par carded as 37-37—74 when three holes on each loop played as par-5s; by the early 1970s the club shifted to a configuration in which the 1st (front) and the 8th (back) alternate par between loops (par-5/-4 in one loop and vice-versa in the other), bringing the composite toward a more typical par-72 over 18. There is no evidence in public sources of a wholesale redesign; changes appear to have been operational (teeing/par designation) rather than architectural re-builds.
Late-20th to present. Public directories record bent-grass greens and Bermuda fairways and describe the routing as “virtually unchanged since 1929,” with dual-tee variety creating a different look and sequence on the second nine. Local civic and chamber listings emphasize the private-club model and periodic clubhouse upgrades; a recent ribbon-cutting celebrated cosmetic renovations but did not cite course construction campaigns.
Unique Design Characteristics
Routing economy on a neighborhood site. The nine-hole layout folds efficiently around a central clubhouse precinct, using short transitions to keep the walk tight—one of the reasons the original 1929 corridors still function with little change. The dual-tee scheme adds interest on the second loop by shifting yardages, angles, and in a couple of cases par, without disturbing the original corridors.
Green scale and interior movement. With bent-grass greens sized modestly for the property, approach play is governed by depth control and trajectory more than sheer length. Scorecards show a cadence of two par-5s (Nos. 1 and 6), two par-3s (Nos. 4 and 7), and five par-4s, producing frequent wedge-to-mid-iron approaches where missing in the wrong quadrant leaves an exacting up-and-down from short-grass surrounds. This is especially apparent on the short par-4s, where angle from the tee—rather than driver length—earns the best look at pins tucked near interior slopes.
Par toggles and variety. The historical note that No. 1 and No. 8 have alternated between par-5 and par-4 in opposite loops explains how the club has preserved an old nine while offering 18-hole rhythm without adding land or new corridors. It also means the day’s composite yardage and scoring pace can feel subtly different depending on the tee allocation.
Most faithful surviving elements. In the absence of published rebuilds, the routing and corridor geometry appear to be the most authentic survivals from Ross’s 1929 work. Without primary plans it is prudent not to ascribe today’s micro-contours or bunker forms to Ross verbatim, but the hole sequencing, walk, and approach angles reflect the original design intent.
Historical Significance
A preserved small-town Ross nine (1929). Within Ross’s Carolinas portfolio, Pennrose Park represents the late-1920s municipal/industrial-town commission at nine-hole scale that survives with its original corridors intact. The project also illustrates a common Piedmont pattern: a philanthropic founder (Penn) underwriting a neighborhood-adjacent club to anchor civic life.
Reputational assessments. While not a rankings mainstay, Pennrose regularly appears in regional roundups as a “classic Ross nine,” and in 2015 its sale drew national press precisely because it offered an intact, Ross-designed nine-hole course close to the Greensboro market.
Competitive/club events. Public sources focus on member play and local schedules rather than state-level championships; there is no record in accessible sources of significant state or national events hosted on the nine.
Current Condition / Integrity
Ross fabric. Based on the club’s published history and third-party directories, routing integrity is high—“virtually unchanged since 1929.” The hole corridors and sequencing therefore remain the clearest expression of Ross’s hand. Because no public plan overlays or as-builts are available, the integrity of micro-features (green edges, bunker forms, surrounds) cannot be stated with certainty.
Later work and its impact. Public records reference bent-grass greens / Bermuda fairways, periodic clubhouse renovations, and the dual-tee scheme; they do not attribute any large-scale architectural campaign to a later designer. In practice, that means present conditioning and tee administration shape the experience more than any post-Ross redesign. If the club undertook green rebuilds, drainage upgrades, or bunker programs at any point, those are not documented online and should be verified against internal files.
Preserved vs. altered.
• Preserved: routing; walk; nine-hole sequencing; neighborhood interface and clubhouse-centric start/finish; core yardage scale.
• Altered/adapted: par assignment on two holes to vary the back nine; turfgrass modernized to bent/Bermuda; likely incremental tree management and irrigation typical of the region.
Sources & Notes
Pennrose Park CC — History page. Reproduces period Reidsville Review language, asserts Ross authorship and 1929 opening, and notes the par evolution (from 37-37–74 with three par-5s each side to today’s alternating par on 1 and 8 while maintaining original routing).
Pennrose Park CC — Home / Course Details / Scorecard pages. Current club positioning, contact information, and routing/“virtually unchanged since 1929” statement; scorecard link (limited content) and general course description.
Reidsville Chamber of Commerce — Member listing. Notes private 1929 Donald Ross original design, clubhouse (~10,000 sq ft), pool, and bent/Bermuda surfaces. Context for facilities and club status.
Golf Digest (2015): “Own your own Donald Ross design…” National press on the club’s sale, emphasizing its status as an intact Ross-designed nine-hole course near Greensboro; helpful for reputational context.