The Traveling Golfer at Shawnee Inn

(PHILADELPHIA, Pa.) - The history of the stately Shawnee Inn and its adjacent 27-hole golf course, plus the modern beauty of the Great Bear GC, combine for a riveting visit to the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania in the April episode of the award-winning Traveling Golfer television show.

     

Shawnee Inn sits on the banks of the Delaware River and is only a few footsteps away from the historic golf course. It was the first course designed by renowned architect A.W. Tillinghast. The course dates back to 1911 and most of the holes are located on an island in the middle of the Delaware River. An additional nine holes was added later, making up the current 27-hole layout.

     

Its sister course, Great Bear GC, is a modern gem that opened in 2000. It was designed by Jack Nicklaus and immediately gained a reputation as one of the finest courses in Northeast Pennsylvania. It features an outstanding practice facility as well as a spacious modern clubhouse.

     

This month's show revisits the history of the Shawnee Inn and Golf Course, as well as taking an in-depth look at the rocky design wonders of the mountainous Great Bear GC. All the while, the camera takes viewers on a scenic trip through Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains. One of America's favorite playgrounds, the Pocono Mountains contain many activities for non-golfers, as well as golfers.

     

"Growing up relatively close to the Pocono Mountains, I have known the wonders of the region throughout my life," said host Tony Leodora, who numbers his trips over the years to Shawnee Resort in the dozens. "It is very exciting to be able to tell the rest of the world about all there is to do in the area ... as well as show the beauty of these two very diverse golf courses."

     

Over the years, Shawnee has been the frequent playground of golf greats, such as Arnold Palmer; entertainment greats, such as Jackie Gleason; and baseball greats, such as Mickey Mantle, Billy Martin and Whitey Ford.

     

"We are extremely proud of the history attached to this property," explains Rob Howell, Shawnee general manager. "We have tried to preserve that sense of history, while updating the hotel with all of the modern conveniences."

     

The episode from Shawnee, Great Bear and the Pocono Mountains begins airing April 1 and runs throughout the month on The Traveling Golfer Network ... including the new Golf Director Network (see full list of sites on www.travelinggolfervideo.com). It also will air on Monday, April 13 as part of the Press Box television show in Myrtle Beach, 5 to 7 p.m. on HTC Ch. 4. As of April 5, the Traveling Golfer will begin airing in its entirety a number of times each month on Comcast SportsNet in Philadelphia and on The Comcast Network throughout the Philadelphia market and the Mid-Atlantic market.

     

Responding to golfers' never-ending demands to learn more about interesting golf courses and golf resorts across the country and around the world, well-traveled host Tony Leodora created the Traveling Golfer so he could take viewers on video golf trips to some of the most exciting golf locations. The show won a first place award for golf television broadcasts in the prestigious International Network of Golf Media Awards, presented at the PGA Merchandise Show in January.

     

The Traveling Golfer appears as a series of monthly shows hosted by Leodora, who has 15 years of experience in televised golf shows. The featured destination stays on the website for one month, before being replaced by a new show. The old shows are archived for continued viewing on the home website, www.travelinggolfervideo.com.

     

A network of golf websites, of all sizes, has been created to host the show. The show has its own website -- www.travelinggolfervideo.com. The network of additional websites includes www.golftalklive.net, the website of the award-winning GolfTalk Live radio show that also is hosted by Leodora.