An electronic sign positioned along Rt. 378 south near Center Valley Parkway in Upper Saucon Township advises passing motorists of available satellite parking for visitors to the U.S. Senior Open, which is being played at Saucon Valley Country Club June 23-26. The event will be covered by national and international sportscasts, as well as attract thousands of fans.
Although the U.S. Senior Open being played at Saucon Valley Country Club this week will help boost the local economy, it is causing some disruptions for Saucon Valley residents, particularly due to road closures and excess traffic in the vicinity of the Rt. 378 corridor.
Local police departments have been sharing information about the traffic disruptions, which the Lower Saucon Township Police Department has been helping to publicize.
Motorists in the area should be aware that Saucon Valley Road–which runs along the north side of the country club–is restricted to local traffic only between Bingen Road and Apple Tree Lane in Lower Saucon Township.
Saucon Valley Road is closed from Apple Tree Lane to Rt. 378 in Upper Saucon Township, where Upper Saucon Township Police have been stationed to help move traffic through the intersection.
Upper Saucon Police officers are also stationed at other detour locations, and residents of the township who live along closed sections of road have been provided with resident access passes to use in order to travel to and from their homes during the Senior Open.
Above, Upper Saucon Township Police direct traffic at Saucon Valley Road and Rt. 378. Saucon Valley Road is closed on the east side of Rt. 378 for the 42nd U.S. Senior Open, which is being played at Saucon Valley Country Club June 23-26.
“Service providers such as cleaning services, lawn care, childcare, etc. will not need a resident access pass and should enter at the police post at Saucon Valley Road and Apple Tree Lane,” Upper Saucon Township Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator Patrick Leonard said in an email. “Trash/recycling services, mail and package delivery vehicles will continue their regular services without passes.”
In a post on their Crimewatch site Wednesday, Lower Saucon Township Police reminded motorists that there will not only be increased car traffic in the area of Saucon Valley Country Club, but also increased bus traffic on Saucon Valley Road, Bingen Road and Mountain Drive South. Police explained that those roads are part of the shuttle route from the main off-site parking areas located at Lehigh University’s Goodman Campus.
“Lower Saucon Police officers will be posted at the intersections of Saucon Valley and Bingen roads, Hickory Hill Road and Mountain Drive South, and Rt. 378 and Seidersville Road to assist with traffic control from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the various traffic posts,” the update said.
Motorists are being urged to allow for extra time if they will be driving through the area, due to the restrictions and possibility of traffic congestion, and to have patience.
“Motorists should anticipate delays, especially during peak travel times and use caution driving through the area,” Leonard said. “Please keep in mind that travel delays could last longer than anticipated due to unforeseen circumstances such as weather and heavy traffic volumes.”
The 42nd U.S. Senior Open Championship will be broadcast on major TV sports networks beginning Thursday. The following television schedule was shared by the United States Golf Association in a media Fact Sheet about the event earlier this week:
U.S. Senior Open TV SCHEDULE
| Date/Day | Time (Local/EDT) | Network | Coverage | |||
| June 23/Thursday | 2-7 p.m. | *Peacock | First Round | |||
| 10:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. (tape) | Golf Channel | First Round | ||||
| June 24/Friday | 2-7 p.m. | *Peacock | Second Round | |||
| 10:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. (tape) | Golf Channel | Second Round | ||||
| June 25/Saturday | 2-3 p.m. | *Peacock | Third Round | |||
| 3-7 p.m. | Golf Channel | Third Round | ||||
| June 26/Sunday | 2-3 p.m. | *Peacock | Fourth Round | |||
| 3-7 p.m. | Golf Channel | Fourth Round | ||||
| *Peacock subscription not needed for U.S. Senior Open | ||||||
SCHEDULE OF PLAY
Eighteen holes of stroke play are scheduled each day from Thursday, June 23, through Sunday, June 26. In the case of a tie after 72 holes, a two-hole aggregate playoff will commence immediately after the conclusion of the fourth round.
TICKETS
Tickets for the 2022 U.S. Senior Open are available for purchase at ussenioropen.com, with various packages available. Championship round individual gallery tickets are $50 (Thursday-Sunday).
HISTORY
The first U.S. Senior Open, played in 1980, was conducted for golfers 55 and older. The following year, the USGA lowered the minimum age to 50. The U.S. Senior Open was has been played at Saucon Valley Country Club two times previously, in 1992, when Larry Laoretti won it, and in 2000, when Hale Irwin took the trophy. The defending champion is 51-year-old Jim Furyk, who grew up in West Chester and now lives in Jacksonville, Fla.
THE COURSE
The 2022 U.S. Senior Open will be played on Saucon Valley Country Club’s storied Old Course, which was was designed by Herbert Strong and opened a century ago, in 1922. Saucon Valley is also home to the Weyhill Course, the Grace Course and a six-hole course for juniors and novice golfers, which are spread across the club’s 850 acres of property.
