“That was absolutely amazing” was the first thing that came to mind when I was driving out of the parking lot of Birdsfoot Golf Club. I had just spent about 6 hours with the owners of the family owned golf club. From chatting on the driving range, to having some friendly competition during our 18-hole round, to enjoying telling stories on the front porch of their clubhouse at the end of the day, the Lindsay Family have to be some of the kindest people in Western Pennsylvania. One thing I kept hearing repeatedly while chatting with other golfers at Birdsfoot is how great the people are, and they could not be more right!
Birdsfoot Golf Club is located in Western Pennsylvania, about 35 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. If you know anything about Western PA, you know there are lots of farms, rivers, and gorges in this area. Actually, when you get off on the exit for the golf club, you pass a sign that reads “No Pavement Markings.” When you see a message like this, you know you’re out in the sticks. The family owned course has been operating for the last 15 years under father and son, Al and Travis Lindsay. The name “Birdsfoot” comes from a small yellow flower that grows on the family’s farm. Al and Travis turned the golf course construction over to Ellwood Willard, an experienced builder who has even worked on projects with golfing legend, Jack Nicholas. As you can see from the pictures below, what they were able to do with the Lindsay family’s farm is nothing short of amazing.
Everything about the experience at Birdsfoot is grounded in hospitality. From their old two-story farm house, now turned to a clubhouse, to the gravel backroads that lead you to the course, to the views at the top of the course overlooking the Buffalo Creek Valley, everything at their club is unique and every staff members strives to provide you with the best experience possible.
I felt so fortunate to spend the day with Al and Travis Lindsay and their close friend Bruce. Having the opportunity to talk with the owners themselves as well as someone who knows the course just as well as the Lindsay’s allowed me to really understand how much love is poured into this course. As a longtime member, Bruce has seen firsthand the yearly improvements to the Birdsfoot course. This is all made possible by the Lindsay family’s generosity and devotion to the course; all revenue goes right back towards the upkeep and development of the course. You’ll find the luscious, greenest, valleys here at Birdsfoot and this was easily the most beautiful course I visited on my trip to Pittsburgh. However, it also receives my highest rating in pretty much every other category. Birdsfoot Golf Club is more than just a good story about a family turning their farmland into a golf course; it’s now one of the top rated courses in Western PA, and seems to only keep improving with time.
Brandon Mumaw works in high school athletics in western New York. Originally from Florida, he is an avid and skilled golfer, and began writing for BuffaloGolfer.Com in August of 2017. His Pittsburgh Golf series is his first for the site.
