Nemacolin

Wonders Never Cease At

By Joe Burkhardt, Publisher

Nemacolin, in the picturesque Laurel Highlands about one hour southeast of Pittsburgh, is the kind of resort destination that reminds you why you travel in the first place: to escape the everyday and immerse yourself in experiences that are unlike anything you’d find back home.

This larger-than-life resort nestled in the Allegheny Mountains is home to Mystic Rock and Shepherd’s Rock, two imaginative championship courses designed by the legendary Pete Dye that take full advantage of the area’s vast, rugged topography, lush terrain and majestic sweeping vistas. Just down the road from architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s acclaimed masterpiece Fallingwater and Fort Necessity National Battlefield (site of the opening action of the French and Indian War in 1754), Nemacolin is making its own distinctive brand of history in those nature-rich Laurel Highlands.

Owned by the visionary Hardy family who founded and operate 84 Lumber, Nemacolin takes the concept of “having it all” and elevates it to having more than you could have ever dreamed of doing in one vacation stay.

Nemacolin has amenities and attractions to indulge every taste and most every whimsy, including a diverse and internationally acclaimed art collection, The Cigar Bar, The Tea Room, general store, Michelin-caliber dining at Lautrec, the superb and satisfying Rockwell’s steakhouse, Italian (at the family-style Barattolo) and luxe seafood (the chic Aqueous) restaurants, luxury shopping boutiques, a cozy tavern and even a 1950s-style ice cream parlor. Beyond golf, outdoor adventurers can

5th Hole at Shepherd’s Rock

Dining at Lautrec enjoy The Nemacolin Field Club; Wildlife Adventures that features everything from safari tours to dog sledding; The Peak adventure center (complete with zip lines and climbing wall, paintball field and cosmic bowling); and Jeep Off-Road Driving Academy, fly fishing as well as antique auto and aircraft collections.

You’ll find artwork and sculptures at almost every turn at Nemacolin. It’s a feast for the senses that somehow fits seamlessly along with the 2,000-acre resort’s breathtaking natural surroundings. Nemacolin offers guests 318 luxuriously appointed guest rooms, suites, townhouses and private upscale homes, including Falling Rock, a AAA Five Diamond boutique hotel with rooms overlooking the Mystic Rock course.

The first sight that captivates your attention once you enter the resort property is The Chateau, a stunning, palatial structure inspired by The Ritz Paris. It’s fun to roam its hallways and enjoy the art, shopping and numerous places to sit and enjoy the setting. The Lodge, a classic English Tudor-style hotel and townhomes and luxury vacation homes are also available, giving Nemacolin one of the most versatile overnight accommodation offerings in the region.

I came to Nemacolin for the golf I’d heard so much about and now I’m the one telling everyone about my experiences on Mystic Rock, Shepherd’s Rock and all the state-of-the-art toys inside The Nemacolin Golf Academy. The all-season entertainment and game improvement space is a great place to play and learn on TrackMan or get a lesson or custom fitting from director of instruction Mike LaBella and his team.

Teeing it up at Nemacolin means being ready to tackle the crafty Pete Dye and walk in the footsteps of the PGA Tour players who competed in the 84 Lumber Classic from 2003 to 2006, including champions like Vijay Singh Open Championship winner Ben Curtis.

Mystic Rock is a sterling example of a more subtle and cerebral side of Dye. He lets the rolling land dictate the routing and shot values here with ample landing areas, walkability and serene sight lines. There are very few daunting forced carries, but endless risk-reward scenarios and plenty of ways to make the round more complicated than it needs to be. Positioning off the tee and hitting to the correct parts of the green comes into play routinely as Dye plays with angles, misdirection, false fronts and greens that run off the sides or back if you mis-club.

There’s a great mix of short par 4s like the first hole, the sneaky-long, uphill fourth - which is one of the few holes that asks for a tee shot to carry water – and more humbling long holes like the daunting 476-yard ninth with water left off the tee and a narrow, sloping green. You can gain momentum early in the round with manageable par 5s at the fifth and eighth holes and a wedge-shot par 3 at number seven, but the geometry Dye throws at you on holes like nine, the winding, 439-yard par-4 10th and the long,

Falling Rock Hotel’s infinity pool

TrackMan at Nemacolin Golf Academy

dogleg-right uphill par-five 11th. After a satisfying stretch of par fours at 13, 14 and 15. Nemacolin closes with a fun riskreward par 5, a long, challenging par 3, with water lurking left, and uphill par 4 that demands solid strikes and respect of the angles of play. Mystic belongs in the conversation with some of Dye’s best work.

At Shepherd’s Rock, the mischievous side of Pete Dye and his associate Tim Liddy come out to play. You’ll find yourself playing shots 40 feet from the hole to allow Dye’s slopes to (hopefully) do their work and you’ll come to respect false fronts that can send even well struck shots that look pin high back down the front edge of the green and toward the man who hit it. What you probably won’t figure out on the first try is the wildly sloping greens or the ideal angles into those greens. Our group saw putts roll 15 feet by the hole and on to the fringe, down the wrong side of slopes and farther from the hole than they began and, most often, sliding past the hole due to sneaky-swift speed.

That said, there’s a great collection of beautiful holes that rise up hills and plunge down valleys. The crafty and postcardworthy 11th is one of the handsomest holes on the property while views from fifth, seventh, 16th and 17th holes are extraordinary places to enjoy the nature around you. The 18th hole is a terrific and memorable par 4 that demands a strong drive that is safe from ponds and marshes right and trees left. The waterfalls and majestic setting near the green will inspire you to return for another challenge.

The resort’s entertainment and adventure offerings are so creative, you can’t help but feel the Hardy family’s personal touches all over the grounds. It’s like they’ve invited you to hang out at their estate and let your hair down for as long as you like.

Set in an area steeped in rich American, architectural and agricultural history, Nemacolin is carving out its own distinctive legacy in the nature-rich Laurel Highlands. GRD

9th Hole at Shepherd’s Rock To learn more about this one-of-a-kind destination, visit NEMACOLIN.COM or call 855 595 4837

Perfect Your Game

Play the game of your dreams at Nemacolin’s two award-winning, Pete Dye-designed courses, and perfect your swing with custom club fittings, multi-day camps, and more at The Nemacolin Golf Academy. Swing big and save big with our Stay & Play package, and make the most of your time on the course

nemacolin.com 855.595.4837