Why Juniata Golf Should Be on the Map
It all started last week with a simple, humorous tweet from one of my favorite Philly twitter folks, Deadspin’s Dan McQuade. He had gotten a whacky Philly map sold at Home Goods as a gift and Juniata Golf Club was on it.
Here’s the original map photo and tweet:
I present to you the greatest, worst map of Philadelphia (purchased at HomeGoods). Juniata south of City Hall, giant eggs and hot dogs, several golf courses, a rock climbing gym, Franklin Mills… this map has it all! pic.twitter.com/nQKU9L9qb3
— dhm (@dhm) May 14, 2019
McQuade even threw a shout-out to my childhood stomping ground of Juniata, mostly because the map had Juniata Golf Club south of City Hall. Wwwwwwhat? Yeah. Port Richmond is also south of City Hall on the map. That tweet caught fire in Philly circles.
I love Philly Mag. I check in every day to learn about new restaurants and to see what Victor Fiorillo and Claire Sasko are writing about. I’m a fan of both writers, but Claire did me wrong that day.
She wrote a piece about the infamous map. She, too, mentioned Juniata, asking two questions.
The first one:
Why is City Hall in Northeast Philly, above the Juniata Golf Club?
Fair enough. I think that’s an obvious question after looking at the map.
The second one:
Why is the Juniata Golf Club on the map at all?
Ouch. That hurt. Karakung Golf Course is on the map and she didn’t make mention of that.
The Juniata golf course is close to my heart, maybe too close. When I was a wee kid like twelve years old, my father, a Philly firefighter, would drive me up to Wyoming Avenue, which cut through the course. We would park and squeeze through a narrow gap between the golf course fencing and the Wyoming Avenue Bridge, which crossed over Snake Road, and play three or four holes before darkness arrived.
At first, I was offended. Then, I figured Claire and many others were simply unfamiliar with the Juniata Golf Club.
Here’s where I can help. Here’s why Juniata Golf Club should be on the whacky and weird Philly map.
There is no golf course in the city of Philadelphia that is more Philly than Juniata.
It’s not run by an out-of-town golf management company (Billy Casper Golf) like Byrnes in the Northeast or FDR in South Philly or Cobbs Creek (Karakung). Juniata Golf Club is run by an independent non-profit of local guys from the area.
Juniata is not in close proximity to affluent towns or neighborhoods like Wynnewood, Havertown, Chestnut Hill, Drexel Hill, or Girard Estates. On the contrary, the golf course surrounded by neighborhoods like Juniata, Feltonville, Frankford, Kensington, Olney, Tacony, and Oxford Circle—neighborhoods on the nightly news usually for all the wrong reasons.
Juniata Golf Club makes a traditionally pretentious, elitist, and sometimes racist sport accessible to communities and people often excluded, due to racial or socio-economic factors, through its location, pricing, and rules.
The rates are as cheap as you’ll find anywhere in the area. Weekend rates are $40 and that includes a cart. Walnut Lane is comparable in price. Juniata gives discounts to Police and Fire personnel. They also have a memorial to fallen Police and Fire individuals between holes 16 and 17.
The rules? Be respectful. That’s it. There’s no dress code so no one has to worry about having slacks, a collared shirt, or even golf shoes. The day I went up to take some photos, I saw this guy getting ready to head out in workboots.
Worried about tee times? If there’s not a tournament going on, walk-ups are always accepted. As Juniata Golf GM Robert Wheeler told me, “If you come up, we’ll get you on. You may have to wait a little, but we’ll get you on the course.”
Some of the local public golf courses require a credit card for a tee time and charge you if you don’t show. Not Juniata. No credit card, no problem.
The course, right now, is in great shape.
The one thing that really stands out to me about Juniata Golf Club is the diversity I see whenever I play the course. Whites, Blacks, Latinos, Asians, males, females, everyone seems to be on the course. Walnut Lane may be the only city course that is even close on the diversity scale.
When asked why that is, Wheeler said, “We’re very diverse. It’s our location. Plus, we’re a friendly atmosphere. We’re not a clique atmosphere. We’re very open to everyone. I don’t care what they wear. They can wear muscle shirts. You just have to respect the course. That’s our big thing.”
If you visit, there are some things to keep in mind.
The course is short. It plays a par 66. It’s narrow with enough water hazards to lose a few balls.
The holes across Wyoming Avenue do not have flags because locals steal them. Why anyone wants a golf flag, I have no idea. They use pieces of PVC tubing instead.
Some hole markers are spray-painted stones.
They have a house cat.
The path to the two holes across Wyoming Avenue goes under the Wyoming Avenue bridge and you’ll see some solid local graffiti work. It may look scary under the bridge, but it’s safe.
I’ve seen a family of bald eagles living there. Bald Eagles basically in North Philly!!
The Clubs’ clientele is representative of the diversity of Philly. Like Philly, it’s rough around the edges, but inside is just a gem of a little, quirky course that personifies everything that is Philly. It may come off rough, but once you get to know it, you’ll love it. There is no golf course more Philly than Juniata with it being the perfect combination of urban roughness and natural beauty (Bald Eagles, deer, foxes, groundhogs).
That is why Juniata Golf Club deserved to be on this confusing and geographically incorrect map and any map of Philly landmarks. It’s a true Philly treasure. Nice work by these goofy map people for recognizing the real Philly jawn that Juniata Golf is.
In closing, I asked Wheeler to sum up Juniata Golf Club in a few words, “We’re a friendly and open atmosphere.”
He ain’t lying.
What are you waiting for? Book a tee time, or not. They don’t care. Just make sure there isn’t a tournament going on and at least wear a muscle shirt. They won’t let you play topless.
Here’s one last tip. It’s usually empty before 9 a.m. so you can get in a round by noon most weekend mornings.