Seven Hills Country Club

Seven Hills Country Club is my definition of a hidden gem. Located down in Hartville, a little sign pokes up above a corn field with an arrow pointing towards the course, otherwise you may very easily pass the road. Don't be fooled by all this, Seven Hills is a man-size course. Playing 7000 yards from the tips, it's as challenging a test as any public course in Ohio. It's also in absolutely perfect shape. The greens are fast and firm, well bunkered, and crowned. Execution is the word for the day. The course tests everything. Your ability to hit it long and straight, hit well struck iron shots, and putt slick greens.

Seven Hills was designed by William Newcomb in 1971. Newcomb was an accomplished golfer who won the Michigan Amateur, and played in the Masters. It's no wonder this course is such an examination.

The course tests the player right away. The first hole is a long par 5 with trees lining both sides. A pond short of the green negates any thought of going for it in two while demanding a couple well placed shots to reach it in regulation. Over the next few holes, a couple things will become very clear. First, any drive hit offline will find tree trouble. Second, when the approach hits the green, the ball bounces before biting. Like I said previously, Seven Hills is setup to be played firm and fast.

The course really starts to take off on the par 3 sixth. The 198 yarder plays uphill with traps front left and right. When the long iron shot hits the green, the trajectory makes it skip so most balls finish in the rear. Putting from the rear is a very tricky task. The 472 yard par 4 seventh follows. This tough hole doglegs right while the terrain slopes left. The player must be able to work his tee shot to hold the fairway. The approach is then a long iron shot to an elevated two tier green. A gaping bunker guards the upper right tier, and the pin is often placed there. A high cut would be the perfect shot.

The greens on the back nine are more crowned than the ones on the front. Holes like 11, 12, and 15 all have slightly elevated greens whose edges repel balls into the rough or bunkers. Even on some of the other holes, if you hit it near the edge, the ball rolls off into the fringe.

The par 3s on the back nine are difficult to hold in regulation. The ball must be hit precise, and usually to the middle of the green. Theyre both beautiful holes.

A couple par fours stand out on the back also. The thirteenth is a very nice par four where the player hits diagonally over a water hazard to the fairway. The more aggressive line you take, the less your approach into the green. The other par four is sixteen. It's 334 yards but the fairway is at 70 degree angle with water guarding the the right side. It's possible to drive it over the covered bridge close to the green. For more prudent shots, the player must find a line and hit it the correct distance to the fairway. I think it's a wonderfully strategic hole!

There s a couple things that holds Seven Hills from being one of Ohio's elite public courses. First, too many trees dot the landscape. They're taking many out which is a great start but many more have to be cut down. Second, the cart paths are way too close to the fairways. It's been said the scuff mark is Seven Hills logo. Ouch! If those two things are remedied, then this may well be a top 10 public course. Still, this is a very good course, and it's a great opportunity to play in such ideal conditions. (6 rating)