On October 17, 2025, twenty-four members of the William Flynn Society, hosted by five members of the Club, had the opportunity and pleasure to play William Flynn’s Spring Mill course of the Philadelphia Country Club.
The Club was founded in 1890 in Bala, initially as a polo club – hence the horse head logo. Golf was first played under the banner of the Philadelphia Country Club, with 9 holes opening in 1892. The Club became the seventh member of the USGA in 1895. As the popularity of golf took off, the Club expanded to 18 holes in 1898. The following year, the 5th US Women’s Amateur was held at the Club. With increases in balls and implements, the Club moved to its current Gladwyne location in 1927. PCC has two national champions. In 1915, Florence Vanderbeck won the US Women’s Amateur Championship. Glenna Collett Vare won the Women’s Championship six times, two Canadian Women’s Amateurs, and a French Women’s Amateur. After some significant design improvements by William Flynn, the Club hosted the 1939 US Open, with Byron Nelson winning in a three-way playoff. The 103rd US Women’s Amateur Championship was held at Philadelphia Country Club in 2003. The Club co-hosted the stroke play rounds of the US Amateur in 2005 and will do so again in 2026.
After golf, we settled in for food and beverages in the 19th Hole, where we discussed our play, the golf course design, especially world-class holes such as 3, 12, 15, 16, and 17. It is wonderful to meet and spend time with our fellow Flynn enthusiasts, and we look forward to many more gatherings at some of the finest courses in America.
The next event will be held on November 13, 2025, at Washington Golf and Country Club after a historic restoration by Tom Doak and his team.
Wayne Morrison will have a two-part series discussing William Flynn on the Talkin History podcast, hosted by Connor Lewis. The first part aired on October 27th.
Listen to Part One of the Series
