Golfers get ready to putt Tuesday on the No. 3 green at Cranberry Highlands Golf Course, which was listed in the August issue of Golf Digest as the No. 1 municipal golf course in Pennsylvania.

CRANBERRY TWP — Country club quality for a public price?

That's what Cranberry Highlands Golf Course offers, according to Golf Digest. In its August issue, the national magazine names Cranberry Highlands the top municipal course in Pennsylvania.

"It's quite a pleasant surprise," said Jon Shuster, the course's director of golf operations. "We didn't solicit for this at all."

Owned and operated by Cranberry Township, the course was built in 2001 on portions of a 335-acre farm owned by the township. The course, which opened in 2002, was designed by William R. Love Golf Course Architects of College Park, Md.

Course officials did apply for Golf Digest's Best New Course Award when Cranberry Highlands opened, but it finished third in the magazine's regional rating that year.

The course is a par-70, covers 6,513 yards from the black tees, has 95 sand traps and two water hazards.

"Two things make this course stand out," Shuster said. "One is the condition of the course. Dave Barber has been the superintendent here since we opened. He grew it in and treats it like it's his baby.

"It's also a very playable course. If you hit the ball well, you can score well. It's a fair course and a fair test."

During a recent pro-am, John Bummer of Churchill Valley Country Clubset the course record by shooting a 6-under-par 64.

Golf Digest awarded Cranberry Highlands four stars out of a possible five. Only Bethpage Black Golf Course in Farmingdale, N.Y., site of the recent U.S. Open, received a five-star rating.

Before coming to Cranberry, Barber served as grounds foreman at Oakmont Country Club during the 1980s and was assistant superintendent at the Pittsburgh Field Club for 10 years after that.

"I took this job because the township wanted to create a country club setting for public pricing," Barber said. "We definitely achieved that.

"Everybody in the township who's contributed to this course — and there are many — should be so proud of this award. It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing."

Barber spends 12 to 14 hours a day at the course during the hot summer months. Though the course does have an irrigation system, he hoses down the fairways frequently.

"We rake the sand traps daily and cut the greens every day," he said. "We keep the course looking fresh all the time.

"I get a lot of golfers here telling me this isn't a public course, it's a country club. That means a lot to me personally."

In January, Audubon International certified the course as an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary.

"Their certification reflects an extensive program of wildlife preservation and environmental conservation measures now in place which encompass the entire facility," said Cindy Marzock, assistant for communications and special events for Cranberry Township, in a prepared statement.

"When you consider how big golf is in Pennsylvania ... our township is very excited about Cranberry Highlands being recognized by a national golf publication," Marzock said. "It's a tribute to the care and dedication so many have given to that course."

Golf Digest also rates Oakmont as the fifth-best golf course in the country. Laurel Valley in Ligonier is 77th on that list.