High up on the crest of the Pocono Mountains, the air just hits different. You feel it the second you step out of your truck at Jack Frost National Golf Club. It isn’t just the temperature drop, though that’s usually a solid five to ten degrees cooler than Philly or Allentown. It’s the sense of scale. Most "mountain" courses in Pennsylvania feel like someone tried to squeeze eighteen holes into a backyard that was way too steep for its own good. You end up hitting off side-hill lies all day and losing a dozen balls to the laurel.
Jack Frost is the exception.
The first thing you’ll notice when you tee off at Jack Frost National Golf Club is that everything is massive. It’s big-boy golf. We are talking about 200 acres of terrain that doesn’t feel cramped or claustrophobic. It’s wide. It’s expansive. Honestly, it’s probably the closest thing we have in the Northeast to those sprawling tracks you see in the high deserts of the West, just with way more oak and hemlock trees.
The Terry LaGree Design Philosophy
Most people don't know the name Terry LaGree. They should. He’s the guy who designed Black Diamond Ranch down in Florida—specifically the Quarry Course, which is legendary among gearheads. When he came to Blakeslee, PA, he didn't want to build another gimmicky resort course. He wanted something that felt like a stadium.
He succeeded.
The layout is unique because there are no homes. Zero. You aren’t worried about slicing a drive into someone’s sliding glass door or hitting a patio umbrella. It’s just you, the fescue, and the mountains. Because the course sits at an elevation of over 2,000 feet, the ball tends to carry a bit further, which is a nice ego boost for those of us who struggle to reach the 250-mark on a humid Tuesday in the valley.
The dirt here is rocky, which presented a massive challenge during construction. You can see it in the way the bunkers are shaped and how the drainage works. They didn't just move earth; they carved into the side of a mountain.
Why the "National" in the Name Actually Matters
You see "National" in a lot of golf course names these days. Usually, it’s just marketing fluff to make a place sound more prestigious than it is. But at Jack Frost National Golf Club, it actually signifies the style of play. This isn't a "mountain course" in the traditional, punishing sense. Usually, mountain golf means blind shots and unfair bounces. Here, everything is right in front of you.
The fairways are incredibly generous. If you're a high handicapper, you can actually keep the ball in play. But—and this is a big but—if you want to score, you have to find the right side of those wide fairways. If you're on the wrong side, the undulation of the greens will absolutely eat you alive.
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The greens are bentgrass, and they are fast. Like, "don't leave it above the hole or you're putting off the front" fast.
The Five Tee Boxes: Pick Your Poison
Don't be a hero.
The course plays over 7,200 yards from the tips. Unless you're carrying a +2 handicap and hitting it 300 in the air, don't go back there. It’s a slog. For most of us, the silver or gold tees are where the fun happens.
- The Black Tees: 7,229 yards. Pure torture for the average human.
- The Silver Tees: Around 6,700 yards. This is the sweet spot for a solid golfer.
- The Gold Tees: 6,200 yards. Perfect for the weekend warrior who wants to actually enjoy their beer.
The par-3s are particularly brutal if the wind is up. And the wind is always up. You’re on top of a mountain, remember? Hole #7 is a perfect example. It's a gorgeous drop-shot par-3 that looks easy on the scorecard, but when that crosswind catches your ball, it's heading straight for the fescue.
The Myth of the "Easy" Resort Course
A lot of people think that because Jack Frost is right next to a ski resort, it’s going to be a "push-over" course designed for tourists.
Wrong.
The Slope rating from the back tees is 140. To put that in perspective, that’s approaching U.S. Open qualifier territory. The challenge comes from the sheer scale. You’ll have a 440-yard par-4 that plays uphill. Then you'll have a 600-yard par-5 where you have to avoid a massive waste area. It’s a physical test as much as a mental one.
The conditioning is also surprisingly consistent. In the Poconos, the weather is erratic. You can have a frost warning in May and a drought in July. Somehow, the grounds crew at Jack Frost keeps the fairways lush and the greens firm. It's a testament to the infrastructure they put in back in 2007.
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What No One Tells You About the Back Nine
Everyone talks about the views on the front, but the back nine is where the real drama lives.
Hole #18 is one of the most polarizing finishing holes in Pennsylvania. It’s a long par-4 that requires a precise drive to a fairway that looks much smaller than it actually is. The approach shot is over water to a green tucked tucked away. Many a good round has died on the 18th at Jack Frost.
The transition from the 13th to the 14th hole is also a bit of a hike. If you aren't in a cart, you're going to feel it in your calves the next day. This isn't a walking-friendly course. Don't even try it unless you're training for a marathon.
The Practical Realities of Playing Here
Let’s talk money and logistics.
Jack Frost is a public course, but it has a private-club feel. The clubhouse isn't a sprawling mansion; it’s more of a functional, "let's get to the golf" kind of place. The practice facility is legit, though. They have a massive grass tee range and a short game area that you should actually use before you head to the first tee.
Booking a tee time can be a nightmare in the peak of autumn. The "leaf peepers" come up to see the foliage, and golfers flock to the mountains for the cool air. If you want a Saturday morning slot in September, you better be on the website the second they open up.
Pro Tip: If you can swing a Tuesday or Wednesday morning, the rates are lower and the pace of play is significantly better. On a busy Saturday, you’re looking at a 5-hour round. It’s just the nature of the beast when you have a course this big and this challenging.
Comparing Jack Frost to Other Pocono Courses
Look, there are other great spots. Great Bear is a Nicklaus design and it's fantastic. Mount Airy has that classic, old-school feel. But Jack Frost National Golf Club is the one that feels "big."
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It doesn't feel like Pennsylvania. It feels like the mountains of North Carolina or Colorado.
The lack of residential development is the biggest differentiator. At many other courses in the area, you're looking at 1980s-era condos. At Jack Frost, you're looking at trees, hawks, and the occasional deer that definitely doesn't care that you're about to thin a 7-iron.
The Weather Factor: Come Prepared
I mentioned the wind, but it bears repeating. You can be in the valley and it’s a calm, 85-degree day. You get to the top of the mountain at Jack Frost and it’s 74 degrees with 20mph gusts.
Bring a windbreaker. Even in July.
Also, the sun is stronger at that altitude. You’ll burn faster than you think. It sounds like a small thing, but by the 14th hole, you’ll be wishing you applied that extra layer of SPF.
Final Verdict: Is It Worth the Drive?
If you're coming from New York City or Philadelphia, you're looking at a two-hour drive.
Is it worth it?
Yeah. It is.
There are very few places where you can play "stadium-style" golf in a wilderness setting for under $100 (depending on the day and time). It’s a fair test. It doesn't cheat you. If you hit a bad shot, it's on you, not a funky bounce off a hidden rock.
Actionable Steps for Your Visit
- Check the Wind Forecast: Use an app like Windy or ForeFlight to see what the gusts are doing at the Blakeslee elevation specifically.
- Arrive 45 Minutes Early: You need at least 20 minutes on the putting green to calibrate your brain to the speed of these bentgrass surfaces.
- Buy the Yardage Book: Even with GPS, the elevation changes make club selection tricky. A physical yardage book helps you visualize the landing areas better.
- Stay for a Drink: The outdoor seating area overlooks the course and it’s one of the best spots in the Poconos to watch the sunset after a round.
- Target the Off-Season: Late May and early October offer the best value and the most dramatic scenery, provided you don't mind a little chill in the air.
Jack Frost National isn't just a golf course; it's a topographical outlier. It shouldn't really exist in the middle of Pennsylvania, yet there it is—wide, wild, and incredibly fast. Just keep your head down and try not to stare at the view for too long, or those bunkers will find you.