Glen Mills

A centreline bunker at the 2nd hole rewards a drive that hugs the more challenging left-hand side

A man-made quarry that comes into play whether laying up or going for the green makes the par five 4th such a standout

Though shorter than most Redans, the 14th retains many of the features that make the original hole and its imitators so fun and interesting

Course name: The Golf Course at Glen Mills
Location: Glen Mills, Pennsylvania
Four Word Course Review: Worth seeing for highlights

I generally pay little attention to the particulars of a club attached to a course when considering its merits, but in this case Glen Mills' standing as part of a reform school giving troubled teens a final chance before prison gave me an extra good feeling in paying my green fee and heading to the first tee.

Golfers often celebrate the game's ability to build character and networks and I can't help but feel the game's lessons are the sort of thing an off-the-rails teenager could use in their life.

The course opens with a pair of strong dogleg left par fours, the 1st with a fun downhill approach to a bold green and the second using a smart centreline bunker that obscures the green to encourage a brave drive down the left.

The 4th, ending a fine opening stretch, is a clever par five utilising a faux quarry to build excitement and interest into the second shot.

That run of holes is set in an open parkland that, along with the surrounding countryside and building architecture, had me feeling like I was back in southern England.

The second half of the front nine can't match those early heights, but the long iron or wood shots at the par three 7th and into the par four 9th green are highlights.

After an extreme drop shot par three at the 10th that is probably too extreme, the back nine has standout moments at the short par four 12th, Redan 14th and par five 15th with its Biarritz green.

The testing final hole is another example of how this course at its best is a thrill, but when it gets too tight - as it does in stages on both nines - it's a joyless slog.

Glen Mills is definitely worth playing, it's just a shame the tightrope 6th, 11th and 17th holes couldn't have some greater width and the par three 5th, 10th and 16th lack the feeling that they do more than connect longer, better holes.