Reading Country Club ☆ Follow

Reading Country Club is an 18-hole, par-70 championship course located in Exeter Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania. Designed by Alexander H. Findlay and opened in 1923, the layout is set on a landscape of rolling hills, mature trees, and natural water features. The course measures 6,120 yards from the back tees, with a course rating of 70.0 and a slope rating of 133. The terrain is characterized by elevated tee shots, terraced greens, and strategic water hazards that define the routing. The front nine begins with a gentle dogleg first hole that leads to a plateau green, followed by an elevated second hole overlooking a valley. The third hole offers a manageable approach to an expansive, subtly rolling surface. The fourth hole serves as a signature short par-3, requiring a tee shot over a babbling brook between mature trees to a rebuilt green positioned exactly as Findlay originally envisioned. The fifth hole presents a classic long par-5 where the second shot must carry a creek to a large, terraced green surrounded by water. The back nine features significant elevation changes and strategic challenges. The sixth hole demands a confident iron shot over a stream and valley to a hilltop green protected by deep bunkers. The fourteenth hole is a demanding par-5 with a pronounced hogback fairway guarding the approach to a green carved into a hillside. The fifteenth hole plays dramatically from an elevated tee down to a green set beyond a stream, while the seventeenth offers a sweeping downhill drive to a broad landing area. The course concludes with an uphill eighteenth hole near the clubhouse. The club has a history of hosting notable golfers, including Walter Hagen, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, and Byron Nelson, who served as head professional from 1937 to 1939. LPGA Hall of Famer Betsy King, a Reading native, was taught golf by long-time pro Henry Clay Poe at the club. The course and its Tudor Revival clubhouse, completed in 1931, were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.