Butter Valley Golf Port, is a Public, 18 hole golf course located in Bally, Pennsylvania, about 30 miles northwest of Philadelphia.
Butter Valley Golf Port was completed in 1969. The front nine opened Memorial Day and the back nine followed on July 4th. The course was designed by owners (John and Betty Gehman) who converted the family dairy farm to a golf course. The course remains in the family today. The Butter Valley property has been owned by the Gehman family since 1788. Seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth generations now reside there.
This course was built on rolling terrain, so you can expect some uneven lies. Water hazards come into play on a few holes, and a scattering of large trees can affect your shots. The fairways are wide, but tree lined, and the small greens are fast and well bunkered. The signature hole is #6, a scenic 350-yard, par 4, with a narrow fairway and a water hazard that comes into play down the entire length of the hole.
Par for the course is 72. From the back tees the course plays to 6,491 yards. From the forward tees the course measures 5,085 yards. The longest hole on the course is # 15, a par-5 that plays to 600 yards. The shortest hole on the course is # 14, a par-3 that plays to 160 yards from the back tees.
Watch out for # 6, the 350 yard par-4 signature hole is the #1 handicap hole on the course. The easiest hole is # 12, a 165 yard par-3.
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Why the airstrip? John learned to fly in 1946. The farm had an airstrip out back separating the pasture from the corn fields. A Taylorcraft or Piper J-3 always had a home under the lean-to attached to the corn crib. When it came time to design the golf course, a new, longer airstrip was plotted first. The golf holes were laid out second.