Founding and Ross build (1916–1919).
Gulph Mills was organized on June 19, 1916. Within a month the club engaged Donald Ross to lay out an 18-hole course on Walnut Grove Farm; ground was broken that August. The course officially opened on May 19, 1919, when Ross stated it would be “much superior” to other Philadelphia-area courses—a promotional line the club used to recruit charter members.
Early green work by Toomey & Flynn (1924–25).
In June 1924 the club contracted Toomey & Flynn to rebuild/regrass the greens at a capped price per green; contemporary summaries characterize the result as a Ross routing with Flynn-era putting surfaces (not a rerouting). Accounts differ slightly on whether all 18 or 17 of 18 greens were redone; both agree the routing remained Ross’s.
Ross returns with a hole-by-hole memo (1927).
In 1927, Ross provided a written report recommending minor tee/bunker changes on eleven holes and regrading of greens #2, #8, #16, and #18. The club approved #2 and #18; #8 later disappeared under subsequent redesign; #16’s resemblance to Ross’s specification is debated.
Maxwell’s Depression-era reconstructions (1934–38).
Perry Maxwell reconstructed the 8th and relocated both 8th and 10th greens in 1934 (the 10th likely shifting from a par five to a par four). In 1937 he rebuilt #11 and #14, relocating greens/tees and swapping their pars (today’s 11th is a short par four on a new, higher site). In 1938 Maxwell reconstructed the 7th with a new green/tees and rerouted fairway, advocating play from shorter tees (approx. 425–465 yards).
Stiles report; McGovern and Gordon tweaks (1940s–50s).
Wayne Stiles prepared a comprehensive 1940 hole-by-hole report, focusing on replacing/modernizing Ross bunkers; J.B. McGovern’s post-war work included rebuilding/lowering certain greens (e.g., documented at #7 and #9 in club lore and contemporary narratives). William F. Gordon served as consultant, remodeling bunkers/tees on #1, #4, #11, #13, #14 (1956) and enlarging the pond at #10 and adding alternate tees on #5–#7 (1958).
RTJ, Fazio, and the practice range (1966–1990s).
In 1966 Robert Trent Jones sited the driving range on the original 10th fairway and advised on modifications to several holes (10, 12, 13 among those affected). Later, in 1992, Tom Fazio flattened the landing on #10 and removed a controversial evergreen line that accentuated the hole’s cant.
Hanse-era restoration (2000–present).
Beginning around 2000, Gil Hanse (with member/historian Tom Paul) implemented a long-range master plan aimed at restoring Ross/Maxwell character, reopening playing widths via tree removal, and re-establishing historic hazards (e.g., top-shot bunkers) where appropriate. The effort is ongoing and iterative.
Unique Design Characteristics (holes and features)
Quarry par three (#4). The 4th—a short shot across a quarry to a green defended by a tight ring of bunkers—provides early compression in the round and remains one of the clearest surviving Ross hole concepts on the property.
Maxwell’s short par-four on the ridge (#11). Rebuilt and moved uphill by Maxwell in 1937, #11 now plays as a ~320-yard climb to a small, vigorously contoured green. With bunkers influencing the ideal angle from the tee, the approach demands precision; “long is no good” on the elevated target.
Short par five with a reworked green (#7). Maxwell’s 1938 reconstruction of #7 introduced a new green site and routing that invite bold second shots yet require acute distance/spin control to hold the putting surface—now moderated and widened at the approaches in the Hanse/Paul era.
The water-side inward stretch (#10–#13). The 10th is a classic example of layered authorship: originally longer, converted by Maxwell (1934) to a par four with a new green; the corridor then changed materially by RTJ’s 1966 range project and Fazio’s 1992 landing-area work. The 12th, once a straight 555-yard hole, was shifted left into a dogleg by RTJ; #13 teeing ground also reflects that mid-60s reconfiguration.
Converted par three on the ridge (#14). The present 14th—a par three set into a shoulder—was created by Maxwell in 1937, replacing an earlier short par four.
Collectively, these holes show Ross’s original routing logic—elevated tee shots into a valley and back up—overlain with Maxwell’s more “wavy” green forms at targeted holes and later 20th-century interventions now tempered by Hanse’s restoration of scale, lines, and hazard vocabulary.
Historical Significance
Within Ross’s portfolio, Gulph Mills is notable for how a largely intact Ross routing became a laboratory for elite peers—Toomey & Flynn on putting surfaces, Maxwell on targeted greens and par adjustments, Stiles on bunkering, and later Gordon and RTJ—without losing the original loop. Contemporary critics have noted that the course contains several holes that stand with the region’s best (e.g., #4 and #11) while acknowledging the limits imposed by the property’s compact, hilly site; the recent Hanse program has focused on reconciling the “mixed authorship” into a coherent Ross/Maxwell expression.
Regionally, Gulph Mills is recognized among Pennsylvania’s better private courses (Best-in-State lists commonly include it), though it flies under the radar compared to higher-profile Philadelphia classics.
As a competitive venue, Gulph Mills has periodically hosted Golf Association of Philadelphia majors—notably rounds of the Joseph H. Patterson Cup in 1975 and 1991, among other years—underscoring its continued championship relevance at regional scale.
Current Condition / Integrity
Routing and corridors. The routing remains fundamentally Ross, with some corridor adjustments (notably around #10–#13) from the 1966 range insertion. The short par fives that gave the original course its cadence remain central to how the course plays today.
Greens. A majority of putting surfaces reflect the club’s early re-grassing/rebuilding program under Toomey & Flynn (1924–25), subsequent Maxwell reconstructions at #7, #8, #10, #11, #14 (1934–38), and selective post-war rebuilds (e.g., McGovern at #7/#9). The Hanse plan has generally respected this layered history, expanding/selectively softening where necessary for modern speeds while retaining the identity of the celebrated greens.
Bunkers and hazards. Stiles’s 1940 recommendations modernized Ross’s original bunker forms; Gordon’s 1950s work and RTJ’s 1960s alterations added variety and, in places, changed lines of play. Beginning in 2000, Hanse restored several top-shot bunkers and reopened sandy scale consistent with archival evidence, balancing maintenance and member play.
Trees and vistas. Systematic tree removal and canopy management have been a hallmark of the modern program, improving agronomics and re-establishing intended angles from tees and fairways.
Net effect. The present course is a sympathetic restoration of a Ross routing textured by Maxwell greens, with mid-century interventions reconciled rather than erased. The “feel” is cohesive and historically aware, even where precise replication was neither possible nor advisable.
Points requiring caution/verification
1924–25 greens program. The Pennsylvania Golf Association history asserts a June 1924 contract with Toomey & Flynn to “rebuild all 18 greens,” while other summaries (Top100) state 17 of 18 were re-grassed, not rebuilt; both agree the routing did not change.
Ross 1927 memo implementations. Secondary sources agree Ross recommended regrading #2, #8, #16, #18 and minor work elsewhere; the extent to which #16 reflects Ross’s spec is debated; #8 subsequently changed under Maxwell.
Attributions on #7, #9 post-war work. Narratives credit J.B. McGovern (1946) with rebuilding/lowering elements, but original plan sets or construction photos would be ideal corroboration.
Sources & Notes
Gulph Mills Golf Club — “History” (club site). Founding date, engagement of Ross, ground-breaking, May 19, 1919 opening, Ross promotional quotation.
Pennsylvania Golf Association — “Gulph Mills Golf Club”. June 1924 Toomey & Flynn greens contract and characterization of routing/greens; early club details.
Top100GolfCourses — “Gulph Mills Golf Club”. Consolidated “Design Evolution” (paraphrasing Tom Paul & Charles Lighthall, 1999), including 1927 Ross memo, Maxwell 1934–38 works, Stiles 1940, Gordon 1950s, RTJ 1966, and commentary on present character.
Perry Maxwell Archive — “Gulph Mills CC (1930s entries)”. Specific Maxwell attributions: reconstructing/relocating #8, #10 (1934); #11, #14 (1937); #7 (1938); notes on yardage/pars. Cites Paul & Lighthall (1999).
Golfadelphia — “Gulph Mills Golf Club” (Jan. 25, 2022). Hole-by-hole observations with historical notes on #2, #7, #9–#14, Fazio on #10, Stiles’s grassed-in bunkers, and Hanse/Paul restoration aims.
GolfClubAtlas Forum (thread: “Gulph Mills GC: a photo tour and more”). Timeline excerpts confirming 1958 pond enlargement (#10), 1966 RTJ range siting and resulting hole adjustments.
Hanse Golf Course Design — “Restoration Projects” & Feature Interview (Jan. 2000). Master plan at Gulph Mills (begun c. 2000; ongoing), restoration philosophy, and emphasis on historically sympathetic work (tree removal, reinstating lost hazards).
GAP — Joseph H. Patterson Cup (event history). Evidence of Gulph Mills hosting Patterson Cup rounds in 1975, 1977, 1991 and other years.
King of Prussia Historical Society — “History of the Gulph Mills Golf Course”. Local history context and Ross promotional language used at opening.