Aurora Country Club (NLE)

It is with great sadness that this wonderful Bert Wey course went NLE this year. It was such a great throwback to yesteryear and how golf was designed and played. The Cleveland Open was played at Aurora three times. In '67, it was Gardner Dickinson outlasting the youths with a -9 271 total. Two years later, it was Charles Coody taking the title with -9 271 total. The following year turned out to be the best one yet. Bruce Devlin in '70 would set a course record 64 in the third round and add 66 in the final to win at -12 268.
As you can tell in the scoring, Aurora held its own against the pros. Having played it several times, I'm not surprised. Aurora was a difficult course. Greens had to be approached with precision. Bert Wey demanded the ball be below the hole. Holes 1, 3, 6, 9, 13, 14, 15, and 18 were all designed with back to front sloping greens. Holes like 2, 7, 10, and 17 had putting surfaces that canted to the side or even away from you. The player always had to be aware so he could play the proper shot.
A couple holes will be sorely missed, starting with the all world fifth, An excellent par four whose fairway ended at 270 from the tee. The fairway resumed down in the valley with the green elevated above the chagrin river. It was such an intense approach shot into that green. And view was beautiful. I was fond of the following hole too, a short par four under 300 yards. The green was a terrifying thing, sloped hard towards the player. It took skill to pitch it close.
I loved driving the ball across the valley on 10. It was tough seeing the green but if you hit just short, the ball would take the slope and funnel to the middle. And who will forget the go for broke gamble tee shot on 12? It was probably best to just hit it straight but it was fun taking on the chagrin river and trying to fly it over. It was much shorter approach if you pulled it off. Finally, the 15 had the most uphill approach I can recall anywhere. And this hole was 437 from the back tees!! Vicious green!!
Alas!! Aurora is gone and we are less fortunate to play its challenges anymore. I always enjoyed playing here. It was a 6 in my book. (very good rating)

                                          Par 4 Fifth hole

 

Par 3 Thirteenth