Tam O'Shanter Dales (Canton OH)

Tam O'Shanter for many years was the host site of the Ohio Open, and the final round was always played on the Dales course. It's not a long golf course, but it's only a par 70, and it has several long tough par fours that keep scores from getting too low. It also helps there's only two par fives.

Leonard Maycomber designed the Dales in 1928. An associate of Donald Ross, Maycomber understood how to take advantage of the rolling terrain. His best holes play to greens placed upon knolls, or ones that utilize the slope in ground to make the holes play much tougher.

Tam O'Shanter used to start with a great par four, but the driving range became the priority and one became a dull short par four. This is unfortunate since the par five second seemed like a place where a four was a must after such a difficult start.
The third is a wonderful one shotter played across a shallow valley to a green that is fronted by a large bunker. Into the wind, this is an elusive target to hit.

The best sequence of holes at the Dales is 8-11. Eight is a wonderful par four!! It plays over a ridge before going uphill to the green. If you carry the ridge from the tee then the approach is from a sidehill lie. Nine is then a beautiful downhill par three tucked right next to the clubhouse. Ten is a monster 463 yard par four that doglegs right. The green is perfectly placed on a knoll. Finally eleven is 440 yard par four uphill to a small green. It's important to play this stretch well to shoot a good score.

The next two holes are both short par fours. Twelve is interesting because the green is two tiered, low left and high right.
The short iron approach must be precise otherwise you'll be struggling to negotiate the slope. Thirteen is in the 300 yard range but it plays uphill. Two large traps front the green making it very difficult to drive. The pronounce slope demands you be below the hole to make birdie.

Two par fours really standout on the way in. Fifteen is the first one. I might even say its the best hole on the course. From an elevated tee, the drive is hit across the hillside down to the valley. The hill tends to invite more golfers to favor that side, but the opposite side is wider and leaves a better approach up to the green. The green sits atop the hill, and in true volcano fashion, is a very small target to hit.

Finally, the eighteenth finishes off the round with a long uphill par four thar plays in the shadow of the clubhouse. It's a classic ending. Many great champions have walked off this green, having just knocked in a putt to win the Ohio Open.

The Dales is a solid golf course. When the NFL Hall of Fame is in town, Tam O'Shanter is besieged by all the players. The history that resonates from here makes this one of our more traditional courses. It's a solid (5) rating.