Deerfield Golf & Tennis Club

Great course, will play again. Only problem was it was cart path only, even though there was not a wet spot to be found. It was a lot of walking for three players in there 70's. Everyone was friendly, they had a cart girl going around which was helpful.

Pretty good, some holes had really interesting layouts, but for the most part nothing really stood out. Solid play for the rate though.

If I had to describe Deerfield in a word, I would say “green, lush, and blind.” I really couldn’t decide between these options, so I’d have to let you choose. I don’t know if I’ve ever had this many blind shots in a round before (Potomac Shores in Virginia might be the closest thing). Between the thick trees, doglegs, and mid-hole elevation changes, it seemed like half my tee shots were taken without having seen the green.

That said, this is a lovely course. Dense vegetation lines most holes and the constant roll of the land keeps your vision largely confined to your own hole (often only half of it at a time) which left me feeling like I was playing largely alone (never a bad thing).

The 6323 distance didn’t give me much pause, but when I looked at the 136 slope I had to wonder where the challenge was. Largely, it is in elevation and direction change. The course features a large number of uphill tee (or approach) shots so it simply plays longer than the 6300+ yards. There are downhills, of course (what goes up must come down); however, in many cases they are the front end of a dogleg so you can only make up so much distance on them.

I’d go so far as to say the course is lightly bunkered (especially in the fairways), but that is just fine due to the large amount of forested area. Where they are needed they are present, for example on the elbow of #17, one of the few holes that isn’t tree lined, so that there is no free pass should you try to cut the corner and miss-hit your drive.

The track was in terrific condition with all of the playing surfaces rich in both color and texture. This was especially impressive for as early in the year as I played. The colors of trees were pretty in the relatively early spring, I can’t imagine how beautiful this course gets in the fall.

The first hole is a proper introduction to the course. It’s a dog leg left par 5 with 360+ yards to the corner. From there, the hole takes significant downhill tack to the green (a surface you will not lay eyes on until your third shot). You can cut off a little of the corner (especially if you on the right hand side of the fairway); however, because of how dense the vegetation is on the left hand side, just know that if you miss left, you are going to your bag for another ball.

My favorite hole was probably number 10; it’s a strong dogleg left from a very elevated tee box. Any notions of trying to cut over the trees below is tempered by a pond that sits just beyond the elbow and runs along the left hand side of the fairway. So, only the biggest of hitters (read: not me) should try to shave anything off here. That said, a good shot to the center of the fairway will leave you 260-270 to the green. This is a par 5, so that may not seem like a big deal, but the fairway gets very narrow as you pass the pond. As if that were not enough, you are then firing into a postage stamp of a green. No matter how you play this hole there is risk involved. But there is no denying it is a fun hole to play.

While Deerfield is not for the faint of heart, it is not indomitable either. I was not at my best and shot an 88 from the back tees. However, I never sniffed a birdie and, to do any real scoring I think you would absolutely have to have you’re “A” game going. Interesting/fun sidenote, I met a guy in the clubhouse (as I was leaving he was getting ready to play) and he sent me a note later on with a pic of his first ever hole-in-one from later that day.

That brings us to the make or break standard for me with new courses, the par three’s. Deerfield did not disappoint here. With distances ranging from 158 to 225(!!) yards, elevation changes, and generally different looks… they certainly provided the requisite variety of challenge.

The staff and groundskeepers were terrific, as were the players I met at Deerfield. Between all of this and a pretty brisk pace of play considering the various challenges the course holds, I can’t imagine why anyone wouldn’t want to play this course.

Course is ALWAYS in great condition, could be very challenging for first time players so my recommendation is to play with someone who plays here before. More than 75% of shots are on "non-flat stand" so if U enjoy that then this course is for you. From white Ts it's about 6000 yds but could be playing longer than that because there are a lot of up-n-down. U will have fun playing here, staff is excellent , good to great food... Highly recommend this course

The course is in good condition, although the greens were a little slow. The staff, especially Scott, were all friendly and helpful.

The significant elevation changes, uneven lies, and thick rough add difficulty to this parkland layout. Don't pay attention to the yardage,, pay attention to the slope and rating instead. The greens are very often elevated and severely sloped from front to back. They rolled very nicely, and I discovered not to play too much break. The pace of play was slow considering the few number of groups on the course but understandable considering the difficulty of the course. Not one for beginners!

The course is lovely, but it's difficult for short hitters. There are a lot of uphill shots . A couple of par threes I needed a driver and still couldn't reach the green. It was a little frustrating. However, if you're a long, straight hitter this course would be a nice challenge.

Had not played Deerfield in 2 years before this past Friday. The course is shaping up nicely and the greens are 85% recovered from aeration. The rest of the course is in very nice shape. Even when you are a guest here, you still feel like you are a member for a day and treated very nicely. The pub is really good here and I always make sure to eat and drink when visiting. As a golf course, Deerfield has a great mix of holes. On the front 9, you'll be severely tested by holes 8 and 9 which are a long par 3 and long par 4. Both play uphill and far longer than the yardage suggests. The back 9 gems are hole 10 a dogleg left par 5 from an elevated tee and the long par 4 14th hole another dogleg left from an elevated tee. There are quite a few short par 4s that require precise short irons and these are holes where you can score on. Looking forward to returning soon when the greens are fully recovered.

Always a pleasure to play at Deerfield. The staff are very welcoming and hospitable. As for the course, it never disappoints.

nice beautiful course,greens and fairways.well maintained.

Having played this course multiple times last year, I was extremely impressed yesterday for my first time out to Deerfield. Last year there were some major pace of play issues, but they started using the GPS trackers this year that let you know if you are on pace or not. Saw a ranger out making sure there were no significant gaps in play. Had a slower group in front of us but we still finished in 4 hours. If you haven't been to Deerfield, make sure you get out there! By far my favorite course in the Philly/Wilmington area. It is a beautiful course, a lot of great elevation changes, and well kept. Now that the slow play is being addressed I will likely make an effort to go there more often!

Great Course! Although, not a Course for beginners.

Beautiful setting with lots of trees and steep hills and inclines. We enjoyed this course, but wish we had known the greens had been recently aerated, making putting very difficult.