If you were to go about 50 miles away from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, you’ll land in Laughlintown, which is in Ligonier Township. There, situated on about 10,000 acres, you’ll see the marvelous Rolling Rock Club. What’s interesting is that members of this club usually have access to the surrounding farmlands as well, as long as they have permission from the farmers, of course. That’s more than 75,000 acres in total used almost entirely for socialization and fun.
Rolling Rock Club History
This particular club was founded by a member of the famous Mellon family, Richard Betty Mellon by his name, a brother of the world-wide famous industrialist and banker Andrew Mellon. After inheriting the 12,000 acres of land from his parents, Richard turned the land into a rural retreat for his close family and friends. It was a place where people could ride horses, fish, or hunt.
By the year 1917, the Rolling Rock Club formally became an entity. Its reputation, which survived to this day, was that it was a place where old money would spend its time, due to it being the baby of the Mellon family. It is still known by most people as one of the most important and prestigious country clubs in the US, being listed in the Platinum Clubs of America list.
Donald Ross also built the 9-hole course in 1917. It was not only an amazing course but one that was considered the best 9-hole golf course in the US up until around the 20th century. The designer Brian Silva was at some point hired to upgrade the actual course and transform it into an 18-hole golf course because the club needed to move toward more modern tastes.
You might think that the amazing golf course is the centerpiece of the club, but there are a few more famous activities you could try inside the Rolling Rock Club. The most prestigious inside the club, as per some of the older members, are the foxhunts, especially considering that this is a place for old money. And, of course, foxhunts being rare in clubs across the US, they are even more sought after by members.
You might also like our articles about the membership price for the Westmoreland Country Club, Adios Golf Club, and The Preserve Golf Club.
Considering that the club actually made a lot of efforts to progress and get to the needs of the current times, they have also built a swimming pool. But you can also feel the vibe of the old school life due to the ranges for the shooters, the game birds, the duck ponds, and the trout streams that are fully stocked. You can take advantage of a huge clubhouse of over 90,000 square feet in size, which has 2 guesthouse cottages and 29 guest rooms.
Rolling Rock Club Membership Cost
When it comes to real information about the cost of membership, you won’t find a lot of information online. The club keeps its business so private that it doesn’t even have a public website where you can find additional information. Different sources online talk about a 6-figure initiation fee, but there were some people that said you will only have to spend between 75,000 and 100,000 to become a member of the Rolling Rock Club.
A great nugget of information from someone that actually played on the course of this club is that although the club is known to have a lot of members, the golf course is usually free, as most people choose to spend their time inside the club taking part in other activities.
Want to check out the golf course but don’t have a way of getting inside? Then here’s a video of the 8th hole, so you can get an idea of how the play might go.