Steel Club in Hellertown - Busy?

[vgolf23]

Hey Everyone,

 

I am moving to the Bethlehem PA area and want to join a private club.  Steel Club CC in Hellertown PA came up as a good option.  Seems affordable and laid back, which is what I'm looking for.  My only worry is that it will be too busy.  I know a number of private clubs have seen an influx in memberships and I don't want to be in a situation where I can't get on my own course.  

 

Wondering if anyone can shed a little light on this, as well as maybe tell me about course conditions or anything I need to know about the club. 

 

Thanks!

 

 

Best,

Vinnie

[Bonneville85308]

I don't know how much detail you have on the recent history of the place. It used to be a member-owned club called Silver Creek CC, but after years of declining membership and lack of investment in the facilities it became no longer sustainable and it was sold to a member who re-branded it as Steel Club in early 2018. He has made a ton of improvements/changes around the clubhouse and has acquired a bunch of new members. 

 

The course is a lot busier than it used to be before it became Steel Club, but I don't think you would have a problem getting a tee time at your preferred time if you plan ahead a day or two and/or are fine with joining folks you might not know. I've seen what the tee sheet looked like in summer 2020. They use 10-minute intervals for tee times which helps the course not get too packed. However, if you think you are going to hit the tee at 2pm on Saturday and have the course wide open in front of you, those days are over. Weekdays got busier with COVID but not too crazy. Tuesdays were historically the busiest weekday, a lot of seniors played in the morning and there is a big Tuesday night league open to anyone. They have a lot of corporate memberships, the Lafayette college team plays there, the high school team plays there, the casino has a membership they send out high rollers on, etc. so the course doesn't really have a "dead" time anymore.

 

They got a great new superintendent probably around 2011 who has worked wonders ever since. They re-did the tees and bunkers, and took out a ton of trees over a multi-year period. The course used to be over-treed and over-watered back in the 2000s but that has changed completely. Holes 1, 2, and 12-18 were designed by Donald Ross (along with the Hill 9) and 3-11 were designed by the Gordons. The layout is nothing mind-blowing but it is solid enjoyable golf that is usually in great condition. 

 

The culture was always pretty laid back when it was Silver Creek, probably the most laid back/least stuffy of the local clubs. I'd have to imagine even more so now with the current owner's focus on making it more family friendly/appealing to younger people. A lot of the older members from the Silver Creek days didn't stick around after the ownership change, died/aged out of golf, etc. 

 

The restaurant is basically open to the public now. Doesn't bother me but might bother some.

 

Send me a PM if you want to know anything more on the course or other local clubs.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 15, 2021 by Bonneville85308