Whispering Woods Golf Club (Erie, PA)

John Exley designed Whispering Woods in 2007, and it is considered by many to be the best course in Erie. 

(The par five seventh is arguably the best hole on the front. It plays uphill while doglegging left around a natural hazard. It takes three well struck shots to have a good birdie opportunity.) 

Whispering Woods main asset is it's conditioning. It is in perfect shape. This overcomes many of the shortcomings it possesses. Carts are mandatory, the front is unwalkable, miss shots result in lost balls, and the par threes are bland. But man the course is beautiful! 

(The par three second is a short iron shot. As you can see in the pic, not much to intimidate the player from being aggressive.) 

(Look at the beautiful mowing lines at the par five third....

....the green is accessible for those going for it in two.) 

The fourth hole is the most memorable on the front. It's a driveable par four, but it takes a lot of cojones to attempt it. 

(The view from the fourth tee. I like how the creek cuts into the fairway, protecting the garden spot short and alongside the hazard....

....the narrow green makes this a tough shot as the proper angle will make the pitch easier. Get an awkward angle or a weird yardage, and this short par four can become a bogey real quick.) 

(The par four eighth is 436 yards. The near island green is a bit over the top.) 

The ninth is a great par four!

(Nothing over the top here. The ninth is a beautiful, tough uphill par four.)

While the front nine is a bit disjointed, and connected by a cart path, the back nine is very cohesive and is the parcel of land one sees when driving down the entrance road. 

(The 482 yard tenth is a very difficult par four! A huge mound guards the entrance to the green (not sure it's visible in pic) and the player must carry it to hold the putting surface.) 

(Eleven is a beautiful par three.) 

(The par five twelfth has a natural hazard crossing the fairway for the second shot to carry.) 

(The thirteenth is a beautiful uphill par four. I love all the different contrasts in color.)

(The camera flattens out the course, but this green on fifteen is probably thirty feet above the fairway in the background. The natural area on this hole takes a very good shot to carry.) 

(The short par four sixteenth is short enough to be driven...

....but the last sixty yards are uphill, resulting in second shots that look like this. The flag is the only thing visible.)

The eighteenth is the best hole on the course, in my opinion.  

(The tee shot is uphill with traps right and natural area left...

....then it doglegs left with the green beautifully placed with sand fronting it. The approach is from an uneven lie, so it takes an excellent shot to get close to the pin. Great hole!!) 

Whispering Woods is definitely worth the 90 min drive from Cleveland to go play. I travel all over the area (2-3 hours) to play a wide variety of courses, and this place is one of the best conditioned. That fact makes it a must play. I give it a 6. (Very good)(worth 2 hour drive)