Oak Shadows Golf Club (New Philadelphia, OH)

Oak Shadow was designed in 1995 by John Robinson in the rolling hills of New Philidelphia. 

(View of the eighteenth hole from the clubhouse. It's a reachable par five whose green blends into the hill behind it. The slope is clearly visible from the fairway, so don't be above the hole.)

John routed it in the valley below the clubhouse. The front nine is well done and takes advantage of the features and natural topography. 

(A pic from the back of #2 green. Look at the wetlands in the crease of the valley. The holes literally play on the slopes above, offering beautiful vistas across the valley floor to the holes playing on the other side.)

(The double dogleg first hole has water and sand protecting it. Long hitters can cut off a lot of yardage by carrying the water from the tee, and then over all the trouble seen above. Birdie is a well deserved.) 

(The long par four fourth is the only hole that plays on both sides of valley, as players drive from an elevated tee, down to the fairway, and then back uphill to an elevated green.)

(The fifth is a long downhill par three. The wind typically comes from the left, bringing the water more into play than one might expect. Notice the third hole in the background. It's these long views that one remembers after the round.)

(The par five sixth dips into the wetlands with a penisula green that is nearly surrounded by water. The only drawback is the ill advised placement of the cart path.)

I don't have a picture of my favorite hole on the front, the par four seventh. It ambles away from the valley, up the hill. It is bunkerless, tho water guards short right of the green, and  when one is hitting a long iron or hybrid approach, that water looms in ones head. It's a beautiful hole. 

(I wish the picture showed the cut/fill here at the ninth. The green is surrounded by mounds (I'm standing on it as I took the pic) and it looks and feels artificial in my opinion. Another great view of the valley!) 

The clubhouse sits atop a hill, and it's the only natural feature that the back nine gets to use. Several of the holes are on the valley floor, and the flat terrain is lacking. Robinson tried to minimize this by having the tenth tee high on the hill, eleventh green mid-way up, and the eighteenth green at the base. Unfortunately the last three holes all play on the valley floor, and the course peters out as the round finishes.  

(The par three twelfth plays across the slope of the hill. The aggressive line is all carry, while those who are unsure play to the front left corner where a flat spot might give an opportunity to up n down.)

(The panoramic views from thirteen tee is the highlight on the back. The hole itself is a bit awkward, and players have to decide what angle and yardage is best to attack the pin. Getting the correct distance on the approach is much easier thanks to lasers. Otherwise it's a difficult club selection.) 

Driving to Oak Shadows is a commitment.  From Canton, it's thirty minutes. When you see Wiltshire, it's still another twenty minutes! John Robinson designed several courses in Ohio between the '90s and 2000s, and I believe this may have been the first one. I think he did a good job here, and if the back nine was as good as the front nine, then Oak Shadows could be top twenty in Ohio. I give the course a 4 (above average) which I somewhat feel is low, but I realized I like the course because it's secluded; it's beautiful. And that experience is why I drive seventy five minutes to play here. 

Spring Creek Golf Club (Gordonsville, VA)

In the early 2000's, Virginia was in the process of building the Sam Snead Golf Trail, just like the RTJ trail in Alabama, and Ed Carton's Poplar Grove was the first course. Snead's death a year later halted the projected but Carton had made his mark, and soon was retained to design Spring Creek. 

(The beautiful par three thirteenth is not only well bunkered, but has excellent internal contours.)  

Ed Carton explained in an interview that Snead said greens should be like mitts. If your approach shot hits it, then the ball should stay on. I think many of the greens at Spring Creek reflect this. The sides are pitched up and/or the green is set in a hill where the slope will gather the ball onto the putting surface. 

(The bunkering stands out, and against the green grass, the brown natural areas, and hues of the trees, it frames each and every hole while dictating the line from to tee to green.)

(Carton worked for Tom Fazio a number of years. The way the creek, brick wall, and bunker converge at the green illustrates the artistry that Fazio obviously instilled in him. This is the approach on the third.)

 (The par three fifth plays uphill to a well bunkered green. Most of the pin placements are accessible until it moves to the left. Visually striking hole that probably looks more so in the summer.) 

(Carton said he "designs courses with a Fazio touch but without the Fazio budget.")

The par fours are the strength of the course. The bunkers do a great job framing the holes, and create a palette of color from the tee. 

(Beautiful tee shots abound at Spring Creek. This is six where golfers can carry the sand guarding the right, or hit to the left where trouble awaits a pulled or hooked shot.) 

(I love the tenth! The pic doesn't do it justice. The uphill drive is accentuated by a large slope and the bunker on the right. The second shot is also uphill. A par is a very good score. ) 

(Yes the eleventh does look like it was plucked from North Carolina. Also it's one of two holes that play straight uphill from tee to green, which I believe is a testament to the routing since the topography is very hilly.)

(No bunkers needed on fourteen! The hole drops from the tee before climbing up to the green. Note the cut n fill on the left side of the fairway. This happens three times (14, 16, 18). I'm not a big fan of this feature, especially since my drive landed in it, but it can be avoided.)

(Look at that green and bunker complex! Fifteen might be a short par four, but the approach has to be precise to get close.)

(Sixteen is the second hole with the cut/fill feature that is visible right side of pic. The forty yard green is open in the front with a drop off on the left. A little draw is the preferred approach shot.)

(The eighteenth is a par five with water all down the left. The first half of the hole had so much slope, Carton cut/filled it to keep the ball from rolling into the water. The result is atrocious. I feel it ruined a grand hole. The pro told me he lays up off the tee to avoid the rough that separates the "split" fairway. With very little to challenge the layup, the eighteenth loses much of it's drama. Still, it's a picturesque finally.)

Ed Carton did a superb job at Spring Creek. It won Golf Digest's "Best New Affordable Public Course" in 2007. Then it made Top 100 Public in 2011 at #70. 

I really liked the course! The bunkering is just fantastic! I wanted to play another round here on the wknd, but the rate jumped to $125(!) compared to the $30(!!) I payed to play on a Thursday. 

Soon it's going to be private, as soon as they get over 400 members. I can see why it's #3 in Virginia. I give it a 6 (very good). 

Old Trail Golf Club (Crozet, VA)

Old Trail is a scenic golf course nestled near the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Jerry Kamis designed it in 2005. It's part of a housing community, and kudos must be given because the course avoids the homes and focuses on golfers having a good time, enjoying both the golf and scenery. 

(The 222 yard second is the best hole on the course. What an exciting shot across the valley!)

The first five holes are well designed. Janis did a good job routing the holes around and over the valleys.

 (The first tee shot of the day. Hope you warmed up on the range.) 

(The tee shot on the 624 yard par five third. Note the view of the mountains in the background...)

(....the green at three. The hole switches back to the left, forcing players to make

a long carry over the valley unless they've hit two well struck shots past the dogleg.)

(The par four fifth is interesting. Players can challenge the water hazard and drive it up in the neck of the fairway, leaving a short iron. Conservative play is out to the left, to the fat part of the fairway, but it's a much longer second.) 

Then the course becomes complacent, and some of the holes I would even call throwaways. The seventh and thirteenth, both par threes, are guilty of this. One and three are such great par fives, I think Kamis would've been better off making eight, ten, and fourteen long par fours. They're just too short as par fives. 

(Looking back towards the ninth tee box, 167 yard par three. I like rustic structures. They give the hole a bit of personality.) 

(Fifteen is only 136 yards, but the green is such that a couple pin positions can be decidedly difficult to get close.)

I found the last hole to be quite interesting. Every review I read put it down, but I think that's because they didn't understand it. The fairway is cut in half by a diagonal valley. If you hit a driver, or even a hybrid, straight, then the ball will kick forward down the hill, and you ll have a horrible stance for your approach. The strategy is either layup to the diagonal; hit driver down the right side away from the valley; or purposely hit into the valley and take a chance with the lie and stance. The line of charm is disrupted and I really like that. It ll take a few plays to figure it out. 

(A successful tee shot on eighteen leaves an approach over the valley to a well defended green. There's plenty of room left for those bailing out. It's a tough up n down from there, but manageable.)

Old Trail is a nice golf course. The members cite how it's in good shape, gives them a chance to score well, and the mountain views are great. I give it a 3 (average). 

Cook's Creek Golf Club (Ashville, OH)

Hurzdan didn't want to design Cook's Creek. The majority of the course sits in a flood plain between Little Walnut River and the Scioto River, and it was in danger of flooding every time there was a heavy rain. But John Cook persisted. 

(The beautiful fifteenth is 223/183 yards downhill to a penisula green. It comes at a point in the round where a solid is needed to secure a par.) 

...so Hurzdan and Fry designed Cook's Creek in 1993. To combat the flood plain problem, they built up the fairways and greens. 

(The second hole illustrates how much the playing corridors are elevated above the wetlands.) 

(219/208 yard sixth is frought with danger everywhere. Any shot that finds the green or short in the fairway is acceptable.) 

Many of the holes on the front look alike. The wetlands and vegetation blend them together. And with trouble on both sides, fairways have to be very wide. 

(The seventh climbs up the hill, the only significant feature on the property. 521/484 par five is reachable.) 

Besides the wetlands, a large hill is the only elevation on the property. The seventh plays up it, eight and nine atop of it, and on the back, several tees boxes. Hurzdan and Fry are responsible for most of the hazards and features golfers play over. 

(The tenth is reachable in two, but a water hazard fronting the green demands a premium second shot. As the pic shows, plenty of room for those playing it conservatively.) 

(The pic above is the par five sixteenth. All the trouble is up by the green. Many of the holes play like this, and this my main criticism. When fairways are as wide as they are here, a significant challenge is lost for the player.) 

For a long time Cook's Creek was consistently rated as one of the top public courses in Ohio. But it always had the potential to flood, and usually it played soft. (Or at least every time I played it) John Cook sold Cook's Creek and built another one up in Sunbury called Northstar. So which course is better? I personally think Cook's Creek. 

While the fairways are wide, the greens are well defended. It's a playable course for everyone, and it's scenic. I give it a 5 (good). It's a top twenty five course in the state.  

(Rainieri bought Cook's Creek, and gave it a new name, Raintree South. Yes I almost gagged when I saw the sign. Surely they can come up with a better name than that! Nonetheless, Rainieri is slowly building quite a portfolio. That's two public courses he owns that Golfstyles rates as top 100 in Ohio.) 

Cook's Creek (5) is much better than Raintree (4).

Pipestone Golf Course (Miamisburg, OH)

For several years, Pipestone was the anchor course for our Dayton/Cincy golf trip. Besides being in very good shape, it was always the most affordable ($13!) course we played. Art Hills designed it in 1992 for the city of Miamisburg, and it's been popular ever since. 

(The 451 yard par four fifth is a tough par. The angled green has a bunker guarding the front right side, however, with the putting surface tilted that way, balls that are missed left have a difficult up n down.)

Pipestone is a good represention of Hills design philosophy. Drives that challenge the hazards off the tee are rewarded with favorable angles into the green. Hills also likes to incorporate trees into his design to provoke shotmaking. The par four third is a great example of this. A large oak guards the left side of the fairway, while further ahead, another large oak on the right interferes with an approach from the that side. The player who draws it down the left is afforded a perfect view for his second, and those who bailed out from the tee will have to contend with the second tree on their approach. 

(The par five sixth is another example of Art Hills using trees to promote shotmaking. A good drive leaves a shot thru the trees, while a mishit will need to be shaped to reach the fairway on the other side.)

Pipestone has a good mix of holes. It reminds me of Brookledge, another muni that Art Hills designed. It has several birdie holes, several very challenging par holes, and a few risk reward holes. 

(The par five second has water the entire left side. The ground tilts that way so be careful not to draw it into the hazard.) 

The front nine is the easier side but it has the best terrain. The third thru the seventh is a nice stretch of golf with shots hit over ravines and between trees. The fourth is my favorite, a 207/189 yard par three over a shallow valley with a creek at the bottom. The wind is hard to feel from the tee, so it's crucial to take enough club to reach the green. 

The back nine is the harder side with several long par fours and par threes. There's more water in play too. Its also flatter so it doesn't have as much character as the front. The final hole is one that most remember a long time. The drive is great! It must carry over a valley with trees framing the left and right. 

A good drive leaves a chance to reach green in two and maybe make eagle. Even the modest hitter has a chance to get it close to the putting surface. It's a really fun hole! 

Pipestone does a very good job doing what municipal courses are suppose to do, and that's providing enjoyment to it's constituents. From the back tees, it makes the scratch golfer work hard to shoot par. Reading the most recent reviews, the course is still in great shape, and it's still very affordable. These are two of my favorite things. Architecturally, the course is solid. I can see it resume as our anchor if we decide to start our Dayton trips again. I give it a 5 (good). 

Thunderbird Hills North (Huron, OH)

Thunderbird Hills North has been good to me over the years in the CGA. It used to be home to the midseason 2 man scramble, a tournament I won a half dozen times before the format was changed. Several of those wins was at the North. 

(Par three fourteenth plays to a pitched green.)

Thunderbird North is totally devoid of bunkers. Usually I would consider that a deficiency, but the greens are so beautifully placed upon the knolls and ridges that the slopes do a good job at making the shots interesting. It also makes this a great place for seniors, ladies, and juniors to enjoy the game. 

(The 445 yard tenth is an outstanding hole. Players usually face an uneven lie to an elevated green with very little room for error. Those who challenge the creek will have a flat lie, but still face a daunting approach. It's one of the best holes in Ohio!) 

(This pic illustrates the cleverness of the greens. Look how the green sits on a little spine. Your short iron on this 130 yard par three must be hit precisely, otherwise, you ll be looking at a deft chip to save par.)

(This gnarly oak tree is the symbol of Thunderbird. It is 70 yards short of the green on the first hole, and being behind it is complexing. The putting surface is laid out across a high spot in the terrain, so chipping or pitching from the sides is difficult.) 

(One of my favorite holes is the fourth, a 318 yard par four. The green is nicely placed atop the hill, a tough flag to get close from a downhill lie.) 

(Six is driveable at 290 yards. It's a really fun hole that sees plenty of birdies and eagles. The fairway flows downhill into the green, just like a well struck drive.) 

(The ninth can be a daunting hole into the wind. The pic above shows the great pitch and roll of the fairway as it doglegs toward the green. If the player can carry it past this point, the ball will leave 240-200 to the green.) 

(Eighteen is a great ending hole. A flat spot in the valley leaves a mid iron approach, however, the heaving fairway has a large roll that blocks the view of the green. It's a tricky green too. Birdies are hard to come by.) 

Thunderbird Hills North is a very popular course. (The fact that they built the South course is a testament to that.) In the summer, Thunderbird North holds a huge tournament that sees players from all over, including Michigan and Indiana, play in their scramble. A handful of pedestrian holes, the horrible twelfth being one of them (any par five that forces an iron off the tee makes me cringe!) prevents this from getting a higher rating. I give it a 4 (above average). There are three courses in the area that cater to Cedar Point tourists, and Thunderbird is easily the most accessible and playable. It's not necessarily the best, but it's the most convenient. And being above average means a lot of repeat customers. 

Brickshire Golf Club (Providence Forge, VA)

Brickshire is so different from it's neighbor, Royal New Kent, that it becomes a must play for those looking for an alternative to Strantz's design. It's a layout with traditional principles and strategies, including few holes emulated after famous ones. 

(The eighteenth is regarded as one of the finest finishing holes in the mid-atlantic. The bunker complex in middle of fairway forces players to make decision on plan of attack. Water guarding right side also guards front of green. Great hole!)

Tom Clark with Curtis Strange designed it in 2001. While most modern courses focus on the aerial game, Brickshire focuses on angles and the ground game is an option. The first hole is templated after the third at Augusta, "Flowering Peach", where the further right the drive, the tougher the approach to a left tilted green. 

It's theses type of strategies that makes Brickshire a fun golf course. The par fives have central bunkers that make players decide between conservative and aggressive. Drive the bunkers on three, and the ground pitches downhill to give the ball a boost into "go" range. Or nine where "Hell's Bunker" instills fear in the second shot, making a tough par five tougher. The 618 yard par five twelfth tumbles downhill, left to right, all the way to the green. Now that's a par five! And finally the eighteenth which many think is the best ending hole in the Mid-Atlantic. 

The par fours are well varied, and a couple drive n pitch, including a driveable one, are balanced by a few long ones. The 478/440 yard fifth can be played left knowing the ball will run back to the right. Carry the left trap 50 yards short of the green, and it's possible the ball might make the putting surface. Six has three central bunkers but it's only 292/264 yards, so a solid drive can carry them and reach the green. Seventeen at 475/420 has not a single bunker, but the downhill drive will have to go back uphill on the approach, making this a good four par. 

If there's one legitimate complaint, then it's the similarity of the par threes. Basically, the player is hitting across a ravine or gully uphill to the green. However, I've never seen a hole quite like fifteen. 

At 244/218 yards, the player might feel like he's looking at a short par four, but glancing at the scorecard will confirm this monster par three is like a vulcano that must be ascended with a fairway wood. There is plenty of room to hit left and play for an up n down pitch. This is the beauty of Brickshire. 

It's funny how back when we played Brickshire, RNK was the primary course that we went to see. All these years later, I lowered my opinion on RNK, but Ive raised it on Brickshire. Reading my notes, I think it would be a blast to play. Like I said at the beginning, the courses are neighbors. Thirty-six holes tween the two would be an awesome day. I give it a 6 (very good).