Shawnee Hills Golf Course (Bedford, OH)

Shawnee Hills doesn't have the historical importance of Big Met, or the architectural pedigree of Sleepy Hollow and Manakiki, but it is the most complete golf facility in the metroparks stable. It has 18 holes, a 9 hole par three course, both a chipping green and a putting green, and a driving range. Basically everything a golfer needs, whether to improve his game, or to challenge his skill. 

(The short par four twelfth where course management trumps power. Laying back to 150 marker will leave a level lie for the approach.) 

The back nine was designed by Ben Zink, former superintendent at Acacia CC. (He also designed Berkshire Hills in Chesterland) Zink used the rolling terrain to layout some visually pleasing holes. 

(The reachable par five thirteenth shows off the natural beauty of Shawnee Hills.)

(The short par four sixteenth offers multiple options. It's simplicity makes it one of my favorites. No sand traps either.)

(Yes the tree is in play and guards all left pin locations. A fitting way to finish the day.) 

Shawnee is where I like to practice during the summer. I can work on my game, including chips and pitches, and play either a quick nine or take a few irons for the par three course. The front nine doesn't interest me but the back nine is a blast. I give it a 3 (average). 

Delaware Golf Club (Delaware, OH)

Delaware is a hybrid Donald Ross course with nine holes by Ross and nine holes by Hurzdan. It sits next to Ohio Wesleyan University, and it's home to the Perkins Observatory, one of the largest radio telescopes in the world. Both are part of the ambiance, and are in view from the course. 

(The diificult eleventh with a drive across the ravine.)

The course condition was the best I've seen all year. It's a pretty impressive statement considering we played it in November! The Hurzdan holes (front nine) really set up best for the speed of the greens. The best angles all had open entrances, while shots over bunkers had to be hit perfectly to stop on the green. 

(This is the par five fourth with an excellent water hazard dividing the hole in half. Both fairways provide great options to make birdie.) 

(The center bunker does a good job of hiding the putting surface, but also let's the golfer know where the lower right section begins compared to the upper left. My favorite par three at Delaware.)  

(Challenging the bunkers off the tee at nine opens up the approach to a green hard against the ravine. Coming in from the right, the green looks very small, especially with the ravine directly behind.)

The Ross holes are low key, and have more subtle features. It probably takes a few plays to fully understand the best method of attack on them. 

(Heres the skyline green tenth where a rear pin position requires deft touch to get close. The rough short of the green takes the low runner out of play, a shame if you ask me.) 

Like all Ross holes, the greens are interestingly placed at Delaware. 

This green has falloffs left, right, and back. It makes what could be an average hole into an interesting one. 

The par three fourteenth is not far from the main road. In fact I saw a ball ricochet off the guardrail. The green has fairway just short to bounce the ball in. 

The best hole on the course is sixteen, and it is a beautiful example how Ross uses the natural features to create cool challenges. 

The par four doglegs left around a hill, and player decides to either carry it or try to use the slope to propel the ball to a flat spot far on the right side. The green is beautifully placed with a large tree forty yards short guarding the right side. 

Delaware Country Club is the type of course I enjoy finding. Good architecture, strong history, and superb conditioning make for a grand day of golf. As I stated previously, it had the fastest greens I played all year, and I can understand if someone wanted to bump it up based purely on that. It's a strong 5 (good). It definitely needs inclusion as one of the top public courses in Ohio. 

Big Met Golf Course (Fairview Park, OH)

Big Met is reputed to be Ohio's most played golf course with over six million rounds since 1926. It's located on the west side of Cleveland down in the Rocky River Reservation, a very popular park that runs thru most of the western suburbs. Regardless of where you live on the west side, Big Met seems to only be fifteen minutes away. (This is ground zero for me. I learned how to play golf here, just like many many others.)

(The opening hole is a tough par four but more importantly it shuttles players off quickly and tries to set a good pace.)

Cleveland Press director of sports Rodney Sutton convinced the metropolitan park to build the course citing the growing popularity of golf, and so noted architect Stanley Thompson was chosen to design it. As a course that was going to grow the game, Thompson touched all the natural features to provide for a relaxing and beautiful day. It's not difficult, tho it does have some challenging holes, and it accomplishes what it was designed to do. 

(The reachable par five fifth plays just short of the dyke. After holing out, a stroll atop of it affords a nice view of the Rocky River.)

The dyke that holds the river back is in view on many holes, however, the river is only in play once, the par five seventh, where players must acknowledge it on the second and third shots. 

(The river is to the right in the pic. It's a shame it's not more in play, or even in view!)

(The ninth is possibly the best hole on the course. The green is elevated almost in a pseudo bowl. However, the big pine on the right needs to go.)

(The downhill drive on eleven is always fun to hit!)

Ten and fifteen have severe back to front tilt. 

Can you see how high the rear of the green is compared to the front?! Miss short because anything on the sides or long is an easy bogey. 

There are plenty of birdie opportunities at Big Met. A round here is fun, a chance to shoot a good score, and a place to mingle with friends. The new clubhouse is excellent. If you live in cleveland and you play golf, then you've played Big Met! I give it a 3 (average).

Down the river is Little Met, a nine hole course that was built two years prior (1924) to Big Met to see if there was an interest in golf. Not only was there, but the demand was so great that Little Met remained. Today it's still just a rudimentary nine holes, but it's a great place for beginners to learn the game. I learned here (made my first birdie ever on the par four eighth). 

Then a mile in the opposite direction is a nine hole executive course called Mastik Woods. This is a wonderful place to take small children and hit the ball around. All three courses together are a fine commitment to golf. The Rocky River Reservation in particular is a great anmenity to the people of Cleveland. 

Pennhills Club (Bradford, PA)

I find it ironic how the once exclusive Pennhills Club is now a semi private course open to all. I can recall being a young man wanting to play it, and being told there was no access available.

(The incredible clubhouse is a glorious sight whether it's from on the course or from the road driving past) 

There are not many Walter Travis designed golf courses that are public, so the opportunity to experience one instantly makes Pennhills a "must play" for golf architecture aficionados. Travis helped change golf architecture by eliminating crossbunkers and placing his sand traps on the sides. This allowed short hitters and duffers an opportunity to skirt past the trouble with a straight strike while forcing crack players to control their drift instead of blasting over the trouble. Pennhills reinforces this strategy time and time again on the Travis holes. (Travis holes recognized as 2-10; Dick Wilson using Travis' routing plan 11-17; Pennhills Club 1&18) 

Travis' wild greens are also on display. The rippled third, the pimpled fourth, and possibly the craziest green I've ever seen, the bathtub seventh. The Wilson holes don't have the internal contours but they have a good deal of slope. The eleventh, twelfth, and seventeenth are known as much for their pitched greens as for the challenge of the shots. 

The use of the multiple streams that crisscross the property distinguishes it from other courses of this time period. The hazards front tees, flank landing areas, cross fairways, and even form an island fairway on the fourteenth. It's a wonderful use of the natural terrain. 

Pennhills is one of the best courses in the area. Its definitely worth a play if you're staying around Kinzue or find yourself at the Seneca Casino. I give a 5 (good). 

Pine Acres Golf Course (Bradford, PA)

Being the only public golf course in town, Pine Acres gets a lot of play. For many years, if people wanted to play golf, they would have to drive over to Warren PA or possibly up to Ellicotville NY, or Jamestown NY. Then finally there was a decision to build a public golf course out in Allegheny National Park. James Harrison was selected to design it. Being a protege of Donald Ross, Harrison understood how to make a playable course, how to make it challenging, and how to handle the foot traffic that comes with being the only course within many miles. 

(The short par four 10th 338 yards)

The topography for the course is atop a hill, and is not ideal, which explains several of the reverse camber holes. The large greens allow for many different pin placements, alleviates the strain of foot traffic, and more importantly, is very playable for all skill levels. 

(Accuracy off the tee is a prerequisite at 401 yard ninth) 

Most of the greens are open in the front but above pic of twelve shows a green that slopes away on all sides. It s one of my favorite holes on the course. 

The par threes are average except for the thirteenth (pic). I love how the bunkering frames the shot. Fountain on left has to go!

Fifteen and eighteen are both par fives, and are two of the better holes. 

Fifteen plays up and over a hill before rolling downhill to the green. It's reachable in two but the second shot will be from a downhill lie. 

Eighteen is a fine dogleg left. Two ponds fifty yards short of the green make the player decide between being aggressive or laying back. Above pic doesnt show water, but what is evident is the ability to knock it on if you play a confident wooden shot. 

Pine Acres does exactly what I think it was meant to do. It's an average golf course with several good holes. It doesn't demand more than most players can handle, and it is in excellent shape. All in all, a win for the people in Bradford. 

3 (average)