(POCONO MOUNTAINS, PA.) — With school out for summer and the Fourth of July fast approaching, the Pocono Mountains destination (www.800poconos.com) wants families to step outdoors and enjoy the region’s wealth of amenities.
“Summer has always been special in the Pocono Mountains because of the countless outdoor activities geared toward vacationing families,” said Carl Wilgus, president and CEO of the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau. “Our value-laden destination also has new attractions this year, and its close proximity from major cities makes it a popular getaway to escape the heat.”
Family fun is everywhere, including at properties also known for their world-class golf courses:
• Split Rock Resort & Golf Club’s 27 holes of golf measure 6,500 yards on average for 18 holes, making it a great layout to enjoy with the family. Combine time on the links with its popular H20ooohh! Indoor Waterpark, a 53,326 square-foot attraction featuring five body, tube and raft slides, Flow Rider, wave pool and Tiki bars.
• Fernwood Hotel & Resort – whose 18-hole course features three family-friendly tee-box options ranging from 6,174 yards to 4,518 yards – offers paintball, mini golf, a variety of nature programs, live entertainment, hiking at Bushkill Falls, seven indoor and outdoor pools, Fernwood Game Zone and nearby shopping at The Crossings Premium Outlets.
• The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort offers 27 championship holes and a nine-hole, lighted, par-3 course that’s fun for after-hours play. The resort’s River Adventure package takes families down the Pocono Mountains’ original water park – the Delaware River – in their choice of canoe, raft or kayak. The package, from $144 per person (double occupancy), includes overnight accommodations, breakfast, a boxed picnic lunch, and dinner at either the River Room or The Gem and Keystone Brewpub. Enjoy Fireworks at the nearby Shawnee Mountain Ski area on July 3; festivities start at 7 p.m.
• Not sure where you want to play? Check out 800poconos.com for an interactive travel planner that will unveil family-friendly fun near any of the Pocono Mountains’ 35+ golf courses, attractions from Camelbeach Waterpark to Claws-n-Paws Wild Animal Park, as well as summer festivals and events.
Additionally, junior summer golf programs are designed to help promote family golf participation:
• Woodloch Resort, a PGA Family Golf Course, offers a one-hour introductory Family Golf 101 Program (call 570-685-8102 to register) covering basics such as course protocol, booking tee times, pace-of-play importance, course etiquette and more. A 30-minute clinic and free practice-facility usage follow. The program, limited to eight people, costs $25 per person.
Woodloch has also adopted the PGA Family Course Program, adding two additional sets of tees for junior golfers, one playing about 1,100 yards and the other about 1,800 yards, on the resort’s 18-hole championship layout.
• Split Rock Resort & Golf Club’s 90-minute Junior Golf Clinics teach basics such as swing, grip, aim, setup, etiquette, rules and safety, along with chipping, putting and bunker play. Clinics on Aug. 10, 11, 18 and 19 run from 9:30 a.m.-11 a.m. Cost is $60 per student, with a maximum of 10 students per session.
Located within easy drive of New York City, Philadelphia and New Jersey, golfers can customize their trips through the user-friendly planner that can be found at poconosgolf.com, making it easy to find courses, accommodations and other activities within close proximity to each other. A complete list of courses, special offers and spring events can also be found on the site.
POCONO MOUNTAINS FUN CONTACT INFO
Camelbeach Waterpark: 570-629-1661; http://www.camelbeach.com
Costa’s Family Fun Park: 570-226-8585; http://www.costasfamilyfunpark.com
Claws-n-Paws Wild Animal Park; 570-698-6154; http://www.clawsnpaws.com
Fernwood Hotel & Resort: 888-337-6966; http://www.fernwoodhotel.com
Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway: 570-325-8485; http://www.lgsry.com/schedule.html
Mountain Manor Golf Club: 570-223-1290; http://www.mountainmanor.com
Mount Airy Golf Club: 570-243-4800; http://www.mountairycasino.com/golf
Pocono Environmental Education Center: 570-828-2310; http://www.peec.com
Pocono Whitewater: 570-325-3654; http://www.poconowhitewater.com
Shawnee Independence Day Celebration and Fireworks: 570-421-7231; http://www.shawneemt.com/s_fourthofjulyfireworks.html
Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort: 800-742-9633; http://www.shawneeinn.com
Split Rock Resort & Golf Club: 800-255-7625; http://www.splitrockresort.com
Woodloch Resort: 570-685-8102; http://www.woodloch.com
About the “Pocono Mountains: Discover Golf’s Great Destination Secret”
The Pocono Mountains has long been known to avid travelers and mountain aficionados for its lush, relaxing family-friendly ambiance and romantic setting, as well as its fall foliage, winter skiing, spring-summer outdoor recreation options and natural beauty. Numerous lakes, parks and other environmental wonderlands are found throughout the four-county Pocono Mountains region.
A venerable destination that has welcomed generations of travelers, the Pocono Mountains has undergone a renaissance over the last few years. While renovations have swept through stately and historic resorts, other properties have joined the mix. Gaming at Mount Airy Casino Resort and the award-winning Jack Frost National — named a “Best New” and “Best You Can Play” course by leading industry publications — are two of the many exciting additions.
Attributes of the golf-and-resort properties and destination include:
• Home to more than 35 golf courses with hundreds of holes for beginners and avid golfers alike; close proximity gives golfers chance to play 36 in a day
• Two NASCAR races held annually
• Golden Era of Golf Architecture period designs strongly represented by legendary designers Donald Ross and A.W. Tillinghast
• Hiking, biking, camping, spas, horseback riding, boating, fishing, hunting and many other activities
• Attractions, festivals and other special events
• Meeting and conference facilities
• Great food at a wide array of eating establishments and resort restaurants
• Bed & breakfasts, country inns and resorts
• Antique shops, outlet malls and other unique shopping venues
Contact:
Janeen Driscoll, Buffalo Communications
910.690.9711
jdriscoll@buffalocommunications.com
www.twitter.com/PoconoTourism
Gary Trask, Buffalo Communications
978.228.0314
gtrask@buffalocommunications.com
www.facebook.com/PoconoTourism
