Totteridge is a community located in Greensburg, PA, roughly 30 miles east of Pittsburgh. Wanting to attract golfers from downtown Pittsburgh as well as from the countryside, course designers, Rees Jones and Tom Tanto felt the town of Greensburg would be the perfect fit. Totteridge originally opened as a private club 15 years ago, but this status lasted only about 5 years until management realized they needed a change. The wealthier golfers from the Steel City, whom Totteridge was aiming to attract, were already members at courses closer to home; they weren’t as willing to make the 30-mile drive on the narrow, windy roads and through the hills to Greensburg. However, according to a few current Totteridge members, these elite players did in fact consider joining when the club was fully private, but it was the $15k price tag that kept them away.
When speaking with residents of Greensburg, it became clear that they consider Totteridge to be the best-kept public course in the Pittsburgh area, and I can see why they speak so highly of their home course. From elevated tee boxes to smooth and slick greens, this 18-hole highlands course is breathtaking. Right from the moment you enter the Totteridge community, you anticipate that they are hiding something truly special. The difficulty in catching a great look at the course from the road adds to this mystique. At first, you focus on staying on the road while white-knuckling the wheel through the country roads. Next, most holes are built into the side of the towering hills, and you can’t get a glimpse of its beauty until you drive straight uphill and arrive at the clubhouse.
Overall, this links-style course allows any level of player a chance to enjoy a round while taking in the beautiful views. With few over-hanging trees, water coming into play on just one hole, and large and smooth greens, this course plays extremely fair. Because of the open layout, as long as you can judge your distance with the elevation changes, it is fairly easy to stay out of trouble. Totteridge is currently under construction in a few areas to complete plans to add additional cart paths to the back nine, and re-design a couple sand bunkers on the front nine. I had the privilege of being able to play with two former high school golfers who attended Kiski School, and used Totteridge as their home course. They explained even in their short time from graduating from high school they have seen a number of aesthetic changes to both the course and the Totteridge community. Personally, this course provides everything I could ask for. I would take the trip back through those rolling hills again in a heartbeat.
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.
