Millcreek Park North (Boardman OH)

Millcreek North is my favorite public Donald Ross course in northeast ohio, and I would say it is the best one too. It's sited on a rumpled piece of land in Boardman with large hardwoods lining many of the holes. The architecture is so fascinating as Ross incorporated different types of bunkers to fool the player into hitting the wrong club or shot to the green. 

Millcreek starts off with a benign par four which I find interesting because every Donald Ross course I've played starts off with a stern opener. Then the second hole is a longish par four that plays straightaway. The real fun begins on the third, a 155 yard par three. A large bunker fronts the green, and the only thing visible is the top of the flagstick. This is old school architect at its best. Club selection and depth perception are both challenged and the usual result is an indifferent shot that requires buckling down just to make a three. 

The next three holes are all very good par fours and the key to good score on the front. Four is 419 yards and plays slightly uphill. It takes two strong shots to reach it in regulation, and with sand right and a ditch left, it can toss a six on the card real quick. Five is then a mid length par four that is framed beautifully by three large oaks and a couple cross bunkers. The green is a beast as the back right is a tier with the left and front sides being steep slopes to it. It's a great hole. Six is a short par four with a cross bunker blocking the head-on attack from the tee. Longer player can carry it and have just a pitch to the green but short player may just lay up to it and trust the yardage.  

Seven and eight are good birdie opportunities, seven being a short par five and eight being a short par three. Then nine concludes with a very difficult par four that doglegs left with a creek crossing the fairway 230-240 yards out. This usually means laying up and hitting a two hundred yard  plus shot into the green. Thankfully there's room short to run it on, but most will still need to exercise some short game savvy to up n down for par. 

Millcreek changed the back nine a little bit to build a driving range and a practice facility. To do this, they moved 10 tee over and rebuilt the entire 18th fairway. I had some reservations when I first read about it, but I think a facility that has 36 holes should have these type of amenities. 

The tenth hole is still a mid length par four. The tee being moved over makes it more of a dogleg but the challenge is the same. The small green is well bunkered and has a false side on the left where the ball will spin off. It's a very good hole. Eleven is a strong hole with trees lining the fairway and traps protecting the green. It also starts a series of five holes that play back and forth on the same rumpled parcel of land. 

Twelve is the short par four in this sequence. The green is cool as it sits in an open field but it's pushed up and demands a precise short iron. I love that a huge oak tree backdrops the green and  frames the second shot beautifully. Thirteen is a long par four that turns slightly right to left. A draw is absolutely perfect if it starts off the bunker on the right. Two strong shots are needed to reach it in regulation. Then fourteen is a 198 yard par three with traps just short, and on the sides of the green. Fifteen is a great par five that goes up and over all the way to the green. It's possible to reach it with two powerful shots. This is the type of hole where three or seven can be written down in the scorecard. It's a real momentum changer. 

The last three holes end the round very nicely at millcreek north. Sixteen is a fine par three that plays in the shadow of the tenth green. I have seen players mistakenly shoot at the wrong flagstick before. The hole sets up for a baby draw and demands a well struck shot. Seventeen is then another short par four that doglegs left. It's probably the most bland hole on the course and that's a shame since the penultimate hole should be one worth remembering. A creek crosses the fairway and I really don't see a reason to try to carry it. It's a short iron second and a good birdie opportunity. Eighteen is a long par four. Originally it was a sharp dogleg right out of a chute that needed to challenge the bunker. The new changes opened up the wooded area and made it a straightaway par four with traps left and a creek right. It also lengthened it to 475 yards. I think it's a better hole. It's a nerve wracking drive and a long iron shot second. It's a wonderful ending.  

Millcreek comes with one caveat that  prevents it from being great. It's a municipal golf course, and they treat it like one. The conditions are average, it takes time to play, and there's a wide variety in the skill level of those playing.  Overlook those three, and it's a great day of golf ahead. Unfortunately, I can't overlook it in my rating. I give it a 5 (good).