Though John Pillar, Woodloch Springs’ director of golf, was out of town, he had left word with the head professional, Jared Cottell, that I would be passing through. In the five minutes I spent with Jared, I quickly learned he’s from Scranton by way of Penn State University’s golf management program. A veritable chat fest ensued, starting with Joe Paterno and Jared’s ambiguous relationship with Penn State football. (Well, it’s not so ambiguous; he’s a lifelong Nebraska Cornhusker fan, as his fire-engine-red wind shirt with the embroidered "N" on the chest — hidden discreetly this morning under a Woodloch nameplate – would attest.) A second, shorter topic of conversation was the vice-presidential candidate, Joe Biden, who’s originally from Scranton.

The day, however, was reserved for golf. Other than advising me to keep driver in the bag on Nos. 3 and 10, Jared put on a pretty good poker face as to what I would be seeing. His advice on those two holes was greatly appreciated because the fairways on both holes fall away precipitously into hazards at around the 210 mark from the black tees which I’m playing. I elect the black not because of the yardage (6,073), but because the gold tees, which measure a manageable 6,579 yards, have an attention-grabbing slope rating of 143. This being my first time on a rugged mountain course, I figure discretion is the better part of valor, so best to throttle back than spend my time searching the woods for errant tee shots.

Designed by Rocky Roquemore, Woodloch Springs actually has four sets of tees. The black tees slope at 130, with a course rating of 70.0; the green measure 5,723 yards (slope: 125; course rating: 66.9) and the forward, or white, tees are a friendly 4,744 yards, with a slope of 124 and a rating of 68.2.

So Roquemore’s design qualifies as a mountain course of relatively recent vintage. Even at the modest 6,073 yards, I immediately suspect that I’ll be tracking tee shots through landing areas where trees quickly comes into play. Reviewing my round afterwards, I’m pleasantly surprised at the number of fairways I hit.

In fact, like a lot of mountain courses, the advertised yardage means relatively little because, from the tee, as much as 40 or 50 yards can be added or subtracted depending on whether the hole plays uphill or downhill.

Woodloch seems to have it all: uphill, downhill and sidehill, doglegs and straightaways. While Roquemore, who is based outside of Atlanta,has several course-design credits to his nameincluding two Disney resort courses in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., he clearly made the most of this rugged terrain here. Several streams work their way through the property, but a single stream appears to be responsible for the striking visual character of Nos. 3, 9, 10 and 18. On both 9 and 18 that play back to the clubhouse, the stream, which runs across all four holes, shouldn’t be in play, but offers a visual challenge. On Nos. 3 and 10, it creates precise landing areas and is the reason Cottell suggested not hitting driver off the tee.

Another stream, barely visible, runs along No. 14, Woodloch Springs’ signature hole. As I’m playing the back nine, driving a cart down and up switch-back paths, the once benign-looking stream becomes more ominous until, when you reach the tee box at the 14th, it’s apparent that it has widened to a ravine and dictates a 200-plus-yard carry off the back tee. Best to hit it long and straight; you will not be retrieving wayward tee shots unless your playing partner happens to be an experienced backwoods outfitter and you’ve packed in ropes, gear and provisions for a four-hour descent. 

Back to the most-memorable 14th, even a good tee shot may leave you two shots before you have a flip wedge to the green. The hole measures 577 from the back and I’d be very surprised (Messrs. Pillar and Cottell) if the stroke average for Woodloch’s members playing from the black or gold tees is anything less than 5.5.

While that hole packs the wallop of a potential knockout punch — my own score shall remain private until otherwise improved upon – several of the other par fours on the back side are more straightforward but still memorable. Nos. 11 and 12 are short doglegs that look tempting off the tee, but on 11 I overcooked a draw around a corner and my teeball found one of the few large ponds that is in play off the tee. The 13th, also a par four, is an especially scenic hole, playing straight downhill to a green but framed off the tee by a dramatic, heavily forested ridge line in the distance. I’ve seen an interview with Roquemore that is dated 2002 where he addresses the virtues of including a short, drivable par four in his designs and, in retrospect, I’m wondering if I missed my chance at No. 13. Even if I had thought to go for it, the fairways were prohibitively soft from a wintry mix of rain and snow that had fallen in midweek but quickly melted.

Among those several solid par fours, No. 16 is also worth note. It’s a dogleg left where the more you try to bite off, the more you flirt with an unpassable/unplayable hazard that separates fairway and green. The yardage guide describes the green as having four tiers, but I counted three. Maybe at that point I was delirious; I just missed the green right and long and, with the pin set on the back top tier, hit a reasonable pitch that failed to hold on that tier. From there, I was off to a rollercoaster three jack.

Woodloch Springs’ course and greens were in superb shape, especially considering the area’s late October blast of winter weather. (Those contrast-cut fairways are sort of the superintendent’s version of styling a golf course to a tee!) I did manage to find a misplaced pine cone or two, but that might be my only complaint. The greens were fast and undulating, but wholly in keeping with the character of a mountain course. Woodloch Springs is dramatic, playable, superbly conditioned and memorable. (I’m not alone here. After not ranking it as recently as its 2002Places to Playedition,Golf Digestawarded Woodloch Springsfour-and-a-half stars in itsBest Places to Playedition.) Kudos to the staff who maintain and manage it and to Roquemore, the architect. I’m now more interested to see some of his other design work.

Now, since I’ve gone on about how Woodloch Pines is so remotely situated, it’s worth mentioning that most of its visitors arrive for a few days. It’s sort of an IQ test of sorts. Although it’s only two hours from New York City and three from Philadelphia, why would you go if you weren’t planning to spend two or three nights? There are any number of accommodations at Woodloch Pines, and the numerous homes (ranging from two-bedroom to five-bedroom, all with working fireplaces) surrounding Woodloch Springs are also available for vacation rental.

Woodloch Pines’ lodging options include one-bedroom rooms with divided living/sleeping areas; rooms with private balconies, two queen beds and divided living/sleeping areas; and one- and two-bedroom suites with fully equipped kitchens. In fact, as a parent with two small children I quickly make note of the lodge rooms that include a kitchen. In the context of an "all-inclusive" lodge, this is a rare but coveted vacation option.

In most respects, Woodloch Pines is a traditional inn and lodge — where a preset (but in this case  inspired) menu is offered at set meal times in a centrally located dining room. If you’re staying for a few days, you and your family likely will be seated at the same table.

For an extended family stay of more than three days, however, the added flexibility of an in-suite kitchen is an immeasurable benefit, especially for those with young children. The few vacations where we’ve wound up in hotel rooms or inn without kitchen facilities have always meant that the unpredictable needs of toddlers and small children – snacks, a glass of milk at 9:30 p.m. — are incrementally more difficult to address.

And Woodloch Pines clearly is a family-friendly place. With a good portion of visitors from Long Island and suburban New Jersey, activities are directed for children and families. The American Plan pricing includes live family entertainment and most activities, although golf and snowmobiling are ala carte.

Finally, a word about the cuisine. My slightly complicated schedule meant that I could enjoy only one meal at Woodloch, so this will hardly suffice as a thorough review, which clearly is my loss. The meal turned out to be Sunday dinner, where my choice was tilapia, braised boneless short ribs of beef, or roast duck. I opted for ribs that were so tender they must have been braised and slow cooked for a few hours.

Even before the entree was served, I was won over. The soup, a thick corn-and-shrimp chowder, had enough spicy kick to move it from very good to well-above average. The mixed greens and sliced radishes had  a light and tangy, but not syrupy, dressing. A waitress offered three kinds of fresh baked-on-the-premises bread: sourdough, multi-grain and banana nut. That homey touch, I’m told by an informed Woodloch source, comes courtesy of hardworking staff that has the ovens baking at 3 a.m. each morning. As a transplanted New Jerseyan who retains my native New Yorker’s culinary conceit, I was decidedly impressed.

That above-named source shared with me that three nights of Woodloch dining options might look something like this:   

• First night: choice of beef tenderloin, herb-encrusted salmon, or chicken margherita

• Second night: turkey dinner, ravioli caprese, or baked tilapia

• Third night: butterfly shrimp, prime rib, orange roughy, or focaccia-encrusted chicken breast

The main kitchen manager is Brian Crandall and if he were affiliated with any restaurant or hotel within 40 miles of New York City, he’d surely have a title ofchef de cuisineor culinary director. I’m certain he’s capably assisted by a hardworking and talented crew.

There’s not much I could suggest that would have improved my day at Woodloch. Oh, yes, one thing comes to mind. When I got off the golf course at 4 p.m., I was ravenously hungry. When I made it back to the lodge, the Sunday dinner seating of 6 p.m. was still 90 minutes away. I grabbed a few apples from a fallmis-en-scene(apologies) and a dining room staffer, without hesitation, fulfilled my request for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Had I known what was coming out of the kitchen an hour and a half later, I might have summoned the strength to hold out. — Robert Lohrer