The Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort is a

resort A resort (North American English) is a self-contained commercial establishment that tries to provide most of a vacationer's wants, such as food, drink, swimming, lodging, sports, entertainment, and shopping, on the premises. The term ''resort ...

in the village of

Shawnee on Delaware Shawnee on Delaware is an unincorporated community on the Delaware River, part of Smithfield Township in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is situated just south of the foothills of the Pocono Mountains, southwest of the Shawnee M ...

, located in the foothills of the Pocono Mountains in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The hotel is a Spanish colonial revival building with white-Moorish architecture and Spanish tiled roofs. Mike Jesky of the ''Standard-Speaker'' wrote, “The three-story, 96-room inn looms large and flat on the grounds, with a stately yet inviting appearance.” In the 1990s the Shawnee Inn was identified as the only resort on the banks of the

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock (village), New York, Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of N ...

. ''Tee Time'' magazine has ranked the golf course there as one of the finest in the Mid-Atlantic region.

History

The hotel opened on June 5, 1911, as the Buckwood Inn and was built by

Charles Campbell Worthington Charles Campbell Worthington, or C.C. Worthington, (January 1854 – October 1944) was an American industrialist whose efforts were in part responsible for the foundation of the Professional Golfers Association. He invented the first commercially ...

, formerly head of the

Worthington Pump and Machinery Corporation The Worthington Corporation was a diversified American manufacturer that had its roots in Worthington and Baker, a steam pump manufacturer founded in 1845. In 1967 it merged with Studebaker and Wagner Electric to form Studebaker-Worthington. This ...

. It was constructed out of concrete, considered unusual for the time, and some of the walls were a foot thick. Author Lawrence Squeri wrote, “Although the Buckwood Inn was adjacent to the Delaware River, only a few steps from the water, its management realized that guests preferred a swimming pool to river bathing.” The golf course at the Buckwood Inn was the first to be designed by

A. W. Tillinghast Albert Warren "Tilly" Tillinghast (May 7, 1876 – May 19, 1942) was an American golf course architect. Tillinghast was one of the most prolific architects in the history of golf; he worked on more than 265 different courses. He was inducted into ...

, a renowned golf course architect. In 1919 the resort was a host site for a

U.S. Women's Amateur The U.S. Women's Amateur is the leading golf tournament in the United States for female amateur golfers. It is played annually and is one of the 13 United States national golf championships organized by the United States Golf Association (USGA). F ...

won by Alexa Stirling. John D. Rockefeller stopped over to play golf at the Buckwood Inn in 1920.Squeri, p. 108. Worthington hired “a Scotsman with a flock of sheep and dogs” to keep the fairways trim, but the efforts were not successful. He then designed the gang mower to maintain the golf course, and this led to the establishment of the Shawnee Mower Factory, which sold gang mowers all over the United States. The annual

Shawnee Open The Shawnee Open is a golf tournament that was first held in 1912. It is played at The Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort in Smithfield Township, Monroe County, Pennsylvania. The couse was completed in 1911, the first ever design by renowned architect A. ...

attracted well-known golfers such as Harry Vardon, Ted Ray, Freddie McLeod, and

Alex Smith Alexander Douglas Smith (born May 7, 1984) is an American former quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He played college football at Utah, where he received first-team All-American honors and won the 20 ...

. At the 1913 tournament, Worthington sent a letter to participants suggesting that they get together and organize. The Buckwood Inn hosted the PGA Championship in 1938, and an excerpt from the program stated, “It was the thought expressed in that letter that gave the boys the idea of forming a professional association." Paul Runyan defeated resident pro Sam Snead 8 and 7 in the title match. In 1943 bandleader Fred Waring purchased the resort, renamed it the Shawnee Inn, and broadcast his radio shows from the Shawnee Playhouse, a half-mile down the road.Squeri, p. 182. Jackie Gleason took up golf there in 1944, while Art Carney, Lucille Ball, Ed Sullivan and

Perry Como Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (; May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an Italian-American singer, actor and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, after signing ...

would make regular appearances at the resort. Arnold Palmer met his wife Winnie at the Shawnee Inn when she was working at the clubhouse in 1954." In 1964 the golf course was expanded from eighteen to twenty-seven holes, with nine new holes designed by

Bill Diddle Bill Diddel (1882–February 25, 1985) was an American amateur golfer and renowned golf course designer. He was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. Diddel designed approximately three hundred golf courses, primarily in the Midwest, beginning with Ulen ...

. Jason Scott Deegan of ''Golf Advisor'' wrote, “Where Tillinghast holes begin and where Diddle ends can be confusing, but they mesh well, nonetheless.” Twenty-four of the holes are on a private island in the Delaware River. Jesky wrote, “Several of the holes involve hitting across the Delaware River, and a 284-foot-long foot bridge helps golfers get there.” In 1967 Hale Irwin won the NCAA Championship for the University of Colorado at the Shawnee Inn golf course. In 1972 the resort merged with the American Landmark Corp. of Stroudsburg under developer Karl Hope. In 1974 he established the Shawnee Village, the first timeshare development in Pennsylvania. The Shawnee Inn began to offer skiing in 1975, and ski champion Jean-Claude Killy was hired to lead the new operation. Bethlehem native Charles Kirkwood purchased the Shawnee Inn in 1977. The nine-hole, par-3 Tillinghast Approach Course, designed by Tom Doak, opened at the resort in 2006.

References

External links

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Article on Shawnee Inn Golf Course
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort Golf clubs and courses in Pennsylvania Buildings and structures in Monroe County, Pennsylvania Tourist attractions in Monroe County, Pennsylvania