Nemacolin: Luxury personified for your Pennsylvania golf getaway

Located in the mountains of Pennsylvania close to the point where West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania all connect, you’ll find the luxurious resort known as Nemacolin.  Presided over by the Hardy family who own and founded the 84 Lumber Company, this resort has somehow remained a little bit of a hidden gem in the golfing community that we’re looking forward to shedding some light on for you. 

A word that gets thrown around a lot these days is unique, and we try to be a bit sparing with this word but it’s the first adjective that comes to mind when you think about Nemacolin as this property offers a slew of activities as well as a certain vibe that you’ll be drawn into the moment you step foot on property.  

Nemacolin’s Mystic Rock

The golf at Nemacolin

Nemacolin offers two exceptional courses with two Pete Dye designs that provide a tranquil setting with jaw-dropping views of the Allegheny Mountains that will have you captivated throughout your round.  Mystic Rock recently received a renovation that was overseen by Pete Dye and his disciple Tim Liddy not too long before Pete unfortunately passed away, and their work together on this project softened up some of that famous “diabolical Dye” design work.  From a resort golfing experience perspective, we love what the team at Nemacolin has done with this course as these changes provide players with a variety of options to not only challenge better players, but also to provide safe passage around the course for higher handicapped players.  The greens are fast and true, and as you’ll see here the layout is exceptional. 

Shepherd’s Rock is the latest addition to the golf portfolio at Nemacolin, and even though this is the shorter of the two courses, we feel it’s more in line with what you’d expect from a Pete Dye (with Tim Liddy being integral in the design process here as well) design as it will challenge you on every shot forcing you to think your way around this incredible track.  There are some spectacular holes on this course, and none stand out to us more than on the 619-yard par-5 4th hole.  This beast of a hole features a downhill tee shot to a massive landing area that features ample fairway bunkering including three well-placed bunkers up the right side and two devilish traps in the middle of the fairway. From there, you work your way back uphill towards the green that features Dye’s signature railroad ties holding up a retaining wall between the two left greenside bunkers and the green.  Make a birdie here, and you’ve earned it. 

You’ll find your group discussing which design is their favorite after their rounds here which ultimately means that both designs are incredible and is the sign of any great golf destination.  Be sure to include both at least once on any golf vacation to Nemacolin or you’ll be disappointed that you missed out on either of these great designs.

Lodging 

From the moment you arrive at Nemacolin, you are cloaked in a veil of comfortable opulence and exceptional service that are second to none. 

Nemacolin offers a multitude of lodging options, but we highly recommend Falling Rock serve as your accommodation of choice for a golf stay and play here.  It’s the perfect hub for your golf getaway as it is conveniently located right next to the golf courses, and the rooms are comfortable yet luxurious and even come with your own personal butler providing that next-level experience that you will never forget. 

In addition to Falling Rock, the resort also offers The Chateau which was featured significantly during the recent season of “The Bachelor” that was hosted here, The Lodge which is currently getting a massive facelift, and The Homes and The Estates for those looking for a more private setting for your crew to enjoy during your visit here. 

The Resort 

Until you get to this property and see how massive it is, it’s hard to truly understand how many things there are to do at Nemacolin.  We figured the best way to do this was to show you a list of some (mind you this isn’t even all of them!) of the key activities available during a visit to Nemacolin: 

  • Exceptional dining with a myriad of options on property 
  • Jeep off-roading 
  • Ropes course 
  • Indoor ax throwing 
  • Several pools available 
  • Paintball 
  • Fallingbrook mini golf 
  • Cosmic bowling 
  • Bike rentals 
  • Climbing wall 
  • Zip line 
  • Tennis and pickleball 
  • Kids club including indoor pool, arcade, and babysitting services 
  • Safari Tour (including lions) at the resort’s zoo 
  • Archery, sporting clays, guided turkey hunts and instruction 
  • Fly-fishing 
  • Art classes 
  • Art galleries and tours including the Outdoor Sculpture Tour 
  • Pride & Joy airplane hangar 
  • Woodlands Auto Toy Store 
  • Golf instruction center 
  • Wine cellar tour and tastings 
  • Shopping 
  • Cooking classes 
  • Spa 
  • Lady Luck Casino 
  • Fallingwater tour 
  • Summer tubing 

And believe it or not, this isn’t even everything!  As you can see, there’s plenty to do here to fill your day off the course rounding out an exceptional experience. 

Recommendation 

Whether it’s a trip with just your friends or a family getaway with golf, Nemacolin has your group covered.  This resort is different from any other that you will experience, and we highly recommend that you give it a strong look when you are planning your next golf stay and play vacation.