Honesdale Golf Club first opened for play in 1900
The nine-hole Honesdale Golf Club celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2000. In attendance was a lifetime member who won the club championship in 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942 and 1946 before he turned pro. His name was Art Wall Jr. and he went on to win the 1959 Masters at Augusta National, the same year he was named PGA Player of the Year.
Art Wall was born in Honesdale in 1923. He won his first club championship at the Honesdale Golf Club when he was just 15 years old. Wall and his brother Dewey were often seen at the course together.
After graduating from high school, Wall attended Keystone Junior College where he played golf and basketball. Both Wall brothers served in World War II but Dewey was killed during his service.
After the war, Art Wall attended Duke University in Durham, N.C. where he captained the varsity golf team for three years. Duke won the Southern Conference title twice during that time. In the summer of 1947, Wall also won the PA. Amateur golf championship. He graduated from Duke in 1949 at the age of 26.
Wall turned pro on Oct. 31, 1949 and earned his first winnings in March, 1950. Wall placed 20th on the money list during his first year, earning $10,834.
Wall was known for hitting holes in one, chalking up 45 during his career. By comparison, Jack Nicklaus shot 20 of them before retiring. Arnold Palmer and Gary Player have each shot 19 and Tiger Woods is still working on his total. Wall shot a number of Aces in Honesdale, especially on the fourth hole."
Honesdale has a fairly short course. An old scorecard shows Wall standing on the putting green with the first hole in the background. Today, the first hole is a 375-yard par four. The old scorecard lists it as 245 yards and the total yardage for the course at 5,259. Many credit the short yardage at Honesdale with making Wall into a fearsome short game player. Today there is a small marker on the first tee honoring Honesdale's most famous member.
Art Wall died on Oct. 31, 2001 on the 52nd anniversary of the day he turned pro. He is buried in the Honesdale cemetery, not far from the house where he grew up, not far from the house where he raised his family, and not far from the golf course where he perfected his short game.
Honesdale Golf Club produced the greatest professional golfer to come out of Northeastern Pennsylvania
This very hilly course has many sand bunkers incorporated into its design, but no water hazards. The fairways are lined with trees and very narrow in some areas. The small greens are fast, but putt true. The ladies tee off from the same set of tees as the men.
Honesdale Golf Club plays to a 9-hole par of 35 and maximum 9-hole distance of 2,685 yards. The course rating is 33.1 and the slope rating is 110.