Ridgewood Golf Course (Parma, OH)

Ridgewood is the first golf course I stepped foot on. My buddy from high school lived off the second hole, and we snuck out one day and played several holes. I remember coming to the eighth, a 200 yard par three, and taking a swipe with a three wood. The ball rose and streaked towards the green like missle. I was smitten, and the rest is history. 

Ridgewood is steeped in history. It was designed by Sandy Alves in 1925, and hosted several tournaments including a professional event won by Al Espinosa who shot 70. The 1927 US Publinx was won by Carl Kauffman from Pittsburgh. Walter Hagen, Babe Zeharias, and Arnold Palmer have all played here. Parma natives Chris Wolhman and Barb Mucha honed their games here before winning and finding success. 

Unfortunately, Ridgewood is in Parma, and when the city grew, eminent domain ravaged much of the back nine. They tried to salvage the course with patchwork holes, but it's a shell of it's former self. 

(The driveable twelfth has a tree and sand guarding the direct route to the green. Laying up is easy enough, but a careless shot will find the ditch.) 

Also, Ridgewood is close to Parmatown Mall, basically in the middle of the city, so it receives a lot of play, and not always from people who know how to play golf. The course tends to get worn out. Tee boxes won't have grass, the greens pot marked with ball divots. It's a place that good players avoid. It's unfortunate that that's the case, but...

There are some good holes here. The sixth demands an excellent second shot. Then the seventh plays high atop the hill where the player must carry the creek. The tenth turns against the slope and plays uphill to a semiblind green. Eleven is a long par four all downhill. Thirteen is over 600 yards! The hole rises and falls before doglegging and dropping to the green. If a private investor took over, Ridgewood could be a hidden gem! 

(The final 150 yards on the 605 thirteenth. It takes two big blows just to reach this spot!) 

Ridgewood is a 2 (below average) but with some TLC, it could easily jump a couple points. Being in a very populated area, I imagine the green space is coveted by the residents and city. Maybe taking that step to preserve and restore Ridgewood is not such a crazy idea.