Ironwood Golf Course (Hinkley OH)

Ironwood was designed in 1968 by my favorite local architect Harold Paddock. Having designed Hinkley Hills, which is less than a mile down the street, Harold was familiar with the topography and the challenges encountered with such hilly terrain. 

Ironwwood is situated atop a long ridge and as it goes downhill to the valley, a gulch transverses the property. Paddock made great use of this feature by using the par threes to bridge the top to the bottom. So two and eleven are downhill par threes while six and seventeen are uphill par threes. They're some of the best holes on the course. They offer some great views too. 

Now the best stretch of holes is on the back, fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen. Fourteen plays straightaway with a double green switching up the challenge for the approach. The upper green is small and elevated with OB just a few yards to the right. The lower green is next to the pond. Fifteen is shorter than fourteen but the tee shot must be hit straight and short of the creek. The approach is then uphill to another small green. It plays two or three clubs longer on the approach. Sixteen is the best of the bunch. The ball should be placed on left half of the fairway since the right half slopes off into the rough. The green is set in the woods on a ledge. It's a very nice hole. 

Ironwood's biggest issue is the uphill holes. They can be slogs, no doubt about it. Paddock did a good in limiting the amount of uphill holes. Seven and eighteen are both par fives in the 470 range that play uphill. They're kinda dull and the challenge is limited. The other issue is the creek in the valley. Should it flood then those holes take a beating. 

Harold Paddovk did a nice job with Ironwood. The clubhouse sits at the very top and affords really beautiful views of the country side. Hinkley is know for its ruggedness and so Ironwood fits right in. I give it a 3(average) rating. The leagues and the locals appreciate it and it's one of the better courses in that part of town. 

Rawiga Golf and Swim Club (Seville OH)

Rawiga falls into the private gone public category that many clubs have undergone to maintain and survive the recent climate of golf. It's located in Seville out by the national cemetery, and even by locals standards, might be classified as being in the middle of nowhere. That is one of the things that contributes to Rawiga's draw. No housing, no vehicles, no one to interrupt. Just a great day of golf! 

Rawiga was designed in 1959 by Lawrence Packard. His design philosophy came from economic sustainability. Mechanical mowing as opposed to hand mowings is one example. This explains why the greens have openings, so the mower can ride right onto it. The sides are sloped or crowned so the water drains off. The bunkers are contained inside mounds so water doesn't flow into them. Golf balls have to carry into the sand, rarely will they roll into them. The greens have gentle slope to them. Ironically, this is an advantage considering how much faster green speeds have become. Rawiga has all of Parkards design characteristics. 

The second hole is a perfect example of everything mentioned above. The 185 yard par three has a wide opening but any ball that catches the side of the green with run off into the rough. The bunkers guarding the right are in the mounding. The player must judge the tee shot appropriately so it hits just in front and releases to the hole. 

One trait I saw several times are the pinch points starting the turn in a few doglegs. The golfer has to be precise off the tee if he chooses to drive the ball into the throat to gain an advantage. Any type of mishit or lack of judgement can find the trees or the hazards in the bend. The par five third has the hazard creeping in from the left. Six has several trees making the dogleg an obvious point. Fourteen has the the trap on the right and trees on the left funneling the pinch towards the hole. 

Rawiga's greens provide all the challenge  towards protecting par. The good players hit the shots toward the middle of the green. Pins on the edges are too easy for balls to run off slopes into the rough. This is one place where I'll chip away from the flag just to avoid the slope behind the pin. There is a huge emphasis on hitting good shots to middle of green and taking chance with putter. 

There are many solid holes at Rawiga but only one that I would consider to be great. That hole is fifteen, a 200 yard par three downhill over a creek to a green on the hill protected by sand and trees. It's hard to judge the distance and shot shape to get close to the flag. 

A few of my favorite holes are as follows. The fourth is a classic long par four whose fairway cants to the left, leaving a long iron above your feet for a second shot. The fifth is a very good short par four. The obvious play is to layup and wedge it on for a birdie chance. So much trouble lurks for the driver. The sixteenth is a beautiful par five. The player has a realistic chance of cutting off a lot of yardage if he challenges the hill. Nice hole. I also like the last hole a lot too. I like how the hole plays mostly in full view of the clubhouse. It's a fun hole to watch as most players will have a good chance for birdie. 

Management has put some money into Rawiga, specifically reconstructing several of the bunkers and adding some new tees. The course looks really good and is in great shape. I m a big fan and I enjoy the course a lot. A 4(above average) seems kinda low but Packards design is not exciting. The low handicappers tend to shoot some good scores here since most strategies are immediately apparent when one steps to the tee. 

Brookledge Golf Club (Cuyahoga Falls OH)

Brookledge is a hidden gem located in Cuyahoga Falls. Art Hills added nine holes and renovated the other nine. While Brookledge may be a muni, I think many who have played it would agree that it is one of the top public golf courses in the state. 

Brookledge has several things going for it. First it's in great condition. Second it's very playable. Third it's affordable. Three things that are the cornerstone of success for any golf course. 

The first seven holes at Brookledge are fairly easy holes and any good round takes advantage of this. The two holes that stand most are the second and the third. Two doglegs left before rising several feet and playing to an elevated green. The safe play is laying up to 150 marker and taking a chance with a semiblind shot. The risky play is trying to drive it to the top level of fairway. The green is so difficult here. It slopes to the left and then to the rear the further back in the green. Three is a driveable par four if you're long enough to carry it all the way to the green. Usually most balls gather at the base of the hill and leave a little pitch shot. This is why Brookledge is so good. The green slopes severely to the right so the golfer must be able to judge both the line and speed of his pitch to get close, otherwise a three putt will become concern. 

Brookledge really starts heating up at the ninth, tho some might say the eighth, which is a long par three. Nine usually plays into the wind and at 438 from the back tees is a real brute of a hole. A creek fronts the green several yards short  and it tends to catch a lot of balls that balloon up in the air. Ten is a short par four with a wicked green. It slopes toward the front and then in the middle slopes away to the right. A giant trap fronts the right half and makes all the pins on that side touchy shots. There are wide variety of holes. Greens have multiple places for a pin and each one demands a certain type of shot. 

Eleven is a reachable par five. Drive it off the right trap with a draw and it's a straight in long second shot. The green is the defense here. It's really hard to get close. Many little ridges and slopes are tough to read. Twelve is next. 185 yard shot across wetlands to rolling contoured green. It's an amazing hole! Even if you hit it in regulation, two putting is a challenge. 

The short par fours here at Brookledge are really good and thirteen continues that trend. If the drive is long and straight, then it's an unhindered pitch into the green. A large oak tree guards the left and a tee shot not hit long enough or pulled will have to be manipulated to avoid it on the approach. The green however is the most severe. It looks like three inverted saucers were placed in the green, making all sorts of difficult and crazy pin positions. Fourteen is then a good par three with a trap front right and water left. It's a skinny target so confidence is needed to work the ball off the trouble back to the flag. Fifteen is a long classic looking par four. The green is spread across a lone plateau with grass traps a dozen yards short. It's best to carry it just past the traps and let it bounce on. Sixteen is a long par five that requires three precise shots to reach the green. This is one hole where being out of place will leave some type of tree trouble to solve. It's these eight holes that make Brookledge such a great course. A good score is really possible if the right kind of shots are hit. 

Brookledge is still a hidden gem. I'm not sure how much longer that's gonna be especially since I believe it's one of the top 20 courses in Ohio. It's a very good course and a surprising 6 rating. 

Tam O'Shanter Hills (Canton OH)

The Hills course opened in 1931 three years after the Dales. Paul Merle, who was an associate of Leonard Maycomber and engineer of Donald Ross, designed it. The Hills has small contoured greens and the traps that defended them are several yards short. Merle designed the course to play like the old Scottish style where hitting short and letting the ball run onto the green was the play. So those bunkers ten yards short are all in play if you're trying to bounce the ball in. 

The Hills is a couple hundred yards shorter than the Dales, and I think golfers tend to give it the "B" course designation, but I firmly believe it's a better course than the it's older brother. The first six holes are all really good, and the first three in particular set the mood very quickly. 

The first hole is 416 yards and the golfer is immediately startled when he sees the size of the green he is hitting to. It is very small!  While the best shot skirts the trap and bounces on the green, those who try the direct route straight to the flag will pay the consequences if the ball leaks just a little left or right. The second hole is about 400 yards and it slightly doglegs right with the green guarded by a trap directly in the front right corner. The third at 413 yards demands a good drive over the hill and a well struck second shot. The second shot is usually from a side hill downhill lie that you have to manipulate to hold the green. It's a tough green and apparently management put a second green in to alleviate the severe pitch of the original green. 

After that opening three hole stretch, the course offers a few birdie opportunities. Four is a short par three, followed by the only par five on the front. The fifth flows downhill with OB on the right menacing both the drive and second shots. Hit a couple of bold, powerful shots, and eagle is a possibility. Six is a short uphill par four. The green sits on a hill and the traps are cut near the base rather than next to the green. If you misjudge the approach, the ball will tumble down into the sand leaving a very difficult recovery. 

The next good sequence of holes starts on the thirteenth. This 418 yard par four plays downhill before sweeping uphill to the green. The green sits high atop, and with the wind plus the elevation, can play two to three clubs longer. It's a great par four. Fourteen follows with a similar look but it's less dramatic. No bunkering and thirty yards shorter, it's a little easier to get the ball close to the flag. Fifteen is 430 yards and much like the eighth which is parallel to it (448 yards), can play quite long unless you hit a good tee shot which catches the slope and propels it another 20-40 yards. The sixteenth finishes this stretch off in fine fashion as it's 535 yards rolls and tumbles it's way to an elevated green. It's my favorite hole on the course. The small green and the bunkers cut at the base of the hill stay true to Merle s strategy. 

The Hills course is a wonderful test of golf. The USGA chose it to host the women's amateur publinx championship back in 1994. This definitely tells you just how good the course is!! It's a 5(good) rating. 

J.E. Goodpark (Akron OH)

Goodpark is one of the finest municipal courses I ve played. It's set in a parkland setting and the huge oaks, elms, hickory, and pines trees make this a great experience. If I had to choose one word to describe Goodpark, it would be precision. Every player has to pick his spots and try to hit them. Whether that means hitting to the elbow of the doglegs, or curving the ball around, if you miss your spot then the second shot will be difficult.

Goodpark does need pruning, and sometimes it's not always in great shape, (it is a muni after all!) but the course has a pedigree. The junior amateur championship was held here. The Shaw Cup was started here. Every great player in northeast Ohio has found they're way to Goodpark. If the USGA ever wanted to come in.... There is plenty of room to expand and make the holes longer to host a big time event.

The first hole is an excellent starter and lets the player know right away the challenges needed. Trees line the hole on both sides as the hole doglegs right. The preferred drive starts left and cuts back into the fairway. Like I said initially, the player needs to to hit his spot off the tee to have good approaches to the green. The first short hole appears at the fourth. It has two separate greens. The short one is on the left and is just a short iron shot. When they use the right green, the hole really shines. It's a beautiful uphill shot with a large tree guarding the right side. The next hole is a long par five that moves to the right. Trees line the entire hole and at 570 yards every shot must be hit perfectly to make a par.

The best three hole stretch at Goodpark is eight, nine, and ten. Eight is a 438 yard par four. The drive needs to be middle of the fairway to right side for an open view of the green. Anything left of that will need to curve into the green. Favoring the right side also adds a few yards to the second shot. Nine is a 222 yard par three that plays in full view of the clubhouse and patio. It's strong par three with a demanding green. I can't think of a finer ending par three ninth. Ten is considered by many to be one of the best holes in Stark county. A dogleg right, the drive must carry the valley to the fairway while cutting so it doesn't run into the left rough. The green is laid out on a hill and the approach is usually 180-200 yards. It's a great hole!!

The back has some good opportunities to score well, or at least better chances than the front. In matchplay, there's plenty of good holes to cut into a lead. The par three thirteenth is one if my favorites. It plays a lil longer than the yardage so the front bunkers get a lot of  action. Seventeen is the othe fun hole. At 360 yards, the golfer can choose to lay up to the rise in the fairway, or drive it up as far as possible. The small green is a real birdie possibility. Finally, the last hole is a great par four that doglegs left. 440 yards, the drive must be in the fairway to have a chance to reach in regulation. The green is severely sloped and only uphill putts have a good chance for a three.  A great ending hole!!

Goodpark is a Bert Wey design. Many don't know this, but he designed Firestone before Robert Trent Jones lengthened it. Typically, Goodpark is a love/hate course. Start to spray it here, and you will not be treated kindly. I give it a 5 (good) rating. I had given it a six in the past, but I have come to realize that it is somewhat one dimensional. Nonetheless, it is one of my favorites. All northeast Ohio golfers should play it. 

Forest Hills (Elyria OH)

Affectionately known as Elyria CC South, Forest Hills is a Lorain County Metroparks course. Located just a few minutes away from Elyria, it occupies land that is similar to its private neighbor, or specifically speaking, has a few holes located on the Black River.

Forest Hills was designed in 1960. Like most courses in that era, the holes basically run parallel to each other. The first hole is the most difficult on the course, a 440 yard par four that doglegs right. A slight dip short of the green will prevent balls from rolling onto the putting surface. It's one of the better holes here and in my opinion, Forest Hills' best holes all are doglegs.

The second hole is a solid par three from an elevated tee to a green protected by water and sand. The sixth is another fine par three hit slightly uphill to green fronted by sand. Both holes show the determination that the metroparks go thru to make a challenging course, especially when the predominate thinking is this is a beginners course.

Forest Hills has several Black River holes on it, and like Elyria, these holes are in the worst shape. You can definitely tell here how damaging some of the flooding has been. On four, they're building a new green. The one now is just mowed grass. Five is neatly placed in a cramp corner. Only 305 yards, the drive redefines the meaning of hitting thru a chute. A solid iron shot leaves a short club in to open green.

Nine is a nice ending par five. I'm not a big fan of trees smack in the middle of the fairway. The green is well placed with a swale short.

The back nine has three of the best holes on the course. Eleven is a dogleg right with a pond short of the green. Fifteen is a very nice dogleg left par four. The fairway needs to have some of the trees trimmed back. The approach is a memorable one. The Black River plays down the right, and the green is elevated along side it. Sixteen is the hole most people talk bout. It's a dogleg left where the player lays ups couple hundred yards off the tee before hitting the approach uphill.

I feel Forest Hills does a good job catering to the beginner as well as the advanced player. Lorain metroparks keeps it in good shape, and for the price point, it's a good value. I give it a 3 (average) rating.

Elyria Country Club (Elyria OH)

Elyria Country Club opened in 1905 and William Flynn added another nine holes in 1925. Most of Flynn's work is located around and just outside of Philadelphia but here in northeast Ohio, he designed several golf courses, The Country Club, Pepper Pike CC, and Elyria CC.

I first saw Elyria CC when I was playing in a tournament out at Forest Hills which is just down the street. (Both courses have one thing in common; they have holes on the Black River. Other than that, not much else.) From the street you can see the elevation changes in the property and I have always wanted to play it ever since. It took twenty years.

Walking onto Elyria, I was somewhat disappointed because the holes by the clubhouse were relatively flat. When I mentioned it to a member, I was told the land had a lot roll once you got away from the first hole. The first is a short par four. The one thing I learned very quickly are the huge shoulders coming off the greenside bunkers. You cannot short side yourself here because the ball will not stop from the trap. There is an opportunity to work the ball from the fairway and use the shoulders to feed it close to the hole. However putting across these slopes is difficult.

The second hole is an excellent par five and the first view of the valley that cuts thru the course. Long hitters have a chance to reach the green in two shots but big deep traps are located both short left and right to catch balls not quite hit far enough. Shorter hitters must decide tween laying up atop the hill or challenging the creek at the bottom. The green is severely pitched so the closer the approach shot, the bigger the advantage.

After the tough long par four third, the first par three is encountered. If there's a complaint bout Elyria, then it's the fact that the one shotters have too similar length. However, they're all good par threes. Here, the green sits above a shallow valley with traps guarding the sides. It's a tiny putting surface but a good birdie opportunity if you hit it.

After another long par four, the course offers up a pair of short par fours. Both holes have difficult greens. Six is a hole you layup for a wedge shot. Seven is a hole you may wanna consider going for the green. The only trouble is trees on the left. Otherwise plenty of room to give it a rip. Eight is a reachable par five but the fairway pinches in before playing uphill. If you can hit it to the top then by all means do it. The result will be a chance to reach it in two. If you can't get to the top, consider hitting a hybrid to the narrow It's a relatively easy three shot hole. The front concludes with a long par three.

The back nine starts with four holes that I really I liked a lot. Ten is a mid length par four that fools you into hitting left but really the play is down the right. The green is precisely placed in a little nook with hazardous drop on the left. Right leaves a tricky chip to a green that slopes to the hazard. Eleven is a beautiful par three over a pond full of lily pads. It's a short iron but the elevated tee shot needs to be precise. Twelve is a par five that's somewhat similar to the second hole but it's shorter and the drive is uphill to the fairway. Long hitter who finds the fairway can hit a hybrid or iron to the green. Shorter hitter must find the fairway so he can hit over the creek. There's really no room to layup atop the hill above the valley. Thirteen is a beautiful par three over the Black River. It would be an excellent hole if it was longer, but as a wedge or nine iron shot, it's too easy.

The course loses steam over the last five holes. No hole really stands out as very good. The fifteenth does have a good drive over the river. However, the river holes tended to be void of any real definition. Main reason is the river floods and these holes get ruined or left in a less than desired state. The eighteenth is a long par four that doglegs right. Like the first hole, it's on flat terrain and is solid in its defense of par but it's not memorable.

Elyria CC is a nice course and has plenty of good holes to make the members happy. The long par fours only challenge was length. And the short pars lacked the variety that great courses have in this category. It was fun playing my first William Flynn course and seeing how the bunkering and it's shoulders made the shots and greens interesting. I give it a solid 5 (good) rating.

Berkshire Hills (Chesterland OH)

What if..... American Golf Corp would have purchased Berkshire Hills instead of Fowlers Mill?

That is a question I asked myself after playing here not long ago. Ben Zink took full advantage of the up and down nature of the property. There are several strong par fours that play down to the valley and uphill to the green. And not just long par fours, but a couple short ones too where the golfer must wisely choose between laying up to a good yardage even with the green, or pounding a driver down to the bottom for a shorter though somewhat blind second.

As it is, Berkshire is a family owned course that is not in the best of shape. It's playable but definitely a notch or two below what the better courses provide.
It's best holes are found at the fifth thru the ninth. Zink uses the valley to great effect by simply placing the tees and greens in alternating spots. For instance, on five the valley is just short of the green so the challenge will be carrying it with a long iron approach. At six its carried off the tee. Then on seven, the player drives into the valley before hitting uphill to the green. The eighth is a long par three that will test your metal wood. Nine concludes the front with a lovely par four that comes out of the trees and plays to a large green below the clubhouse.

The back nine sports a few of my favorite holes. The back starts with a driveable par four. At 264 yards, it a hole where everyone must make a decision how to play it. Eleven is just behind it as you tee off high on the ridge and play a drop shot par three. Two quick birdie opportunities after a grueling finish to the front.

The course ends with four good holes. Fifteen is a wonderful par five that plays out to the corner of the ridge before turning left and playing uphill. The drive must be exact or you ll have a sidehill lie for your second shot across the valley. Every shot on this par five is challenging. We are now back in the property where five thru seven are. Sixteen is the only hole on the back in this section. But this is a short par four bout 330 yards. The player chooses between laying up to 100 yards or hitting it further. The green is beautifully placed across the valley on the hill. Seventeen is another shortish par four. The green though is high on the hill and requires a smooth shot to get close. It's a difficult green with a lot of slope. Eighteen is an unusual finish. It's a par three but its in an amazing setting. It's across a lake from an elevated tee to an elevated green. I wondered aloud why the nines aren't switched so you can finish on that tough stretch of holes, but the truth is after this par three, you just can't wait to come back and play again.

Berkshire Hills has the best potential to be a top golf course. If American Golf Corp had bought it, we might have been talking bout one of the best courses in the state. Nonetheless it's a fun course to play. It's Ben Zink's best course in my opinion. I give it a 4 (above average) rating.