Bent Tree Golf Club (Sunbury, OH)

Bent Tree ushered in the golf boom of the 1990s. It was one of the first new courses to be built in Ohio, and almost instantly, golfers came from all over to play it. 

(The 385 yard ninth requires an accurate drive, leaving a mid to short iron approach. The green is elevated with bunkers fronting, so a high shot is a must.) 

Denis Griffith designed the course in 1989. It was one of his first solo courses after being in a partnership with Kirby and Player. Several ponds and a creek are the main features on the property, but in the open field, Griffith’s bunkering and mounding are the main challenges. 

(The 379 yard fourth is a well conceived par four where a drive by the fairway bunker leaves the best angle to the small green.) 

(The 422 yard fifth is considered by many as the best hole at Bent Tree. The creek crosses the fairway 260 yards off the tee, forcing players to hit long iron into the large two tiered green.) 

I noticed the bunkers are set in the mounding and are several yards off from the greens. Misclubbing short is the biggest concern golfers have playing here. In fact, most of the trouble is found short. 

(It’s not easy to the green on the 383 yard twelfth. The bunker front left covers more than half the green.) 

In a surprising twist, I would say the par threes are relatively simple at Bent Tree while the par fives have a tendency to cost a few strokes. Griffith bunkered the fairways hard on these four holes, and an errant tee shot can make reaching the green in regulation a hardship. Water hazards on the 550 yard sixth and 521 yard fifteenth can bite real fast. 

(The 521 yard fifteenth is reachable in two shots but it’s all over water.) 

If there’s any criticism aimed at Bent Tree, then it’s how cramped it becomes at the finish. 14-17 are short par four, short par five, short par four, and short par three. It’s almost as if Griffith was running out of room. On the bright side, the golfer has a good chance at stealing a few strokes and shooting a good round. 

(The 390 yard eighteenth has water guarding the right side of the green. No round is complete until one’s approach finds the putting surface.) 

 Columbus has several solid public courses to choose, and Bent Tree is high on that list. The course is always in good shape and is a good test of golf. While Cleveland golfers may not flock down here, it’s a very popular course for the locals. On the plus side, it’s north of Columbus so less than two hour drive from home. I give it a 5 (good)(worth driving an hour). 

(The 360 yard fourteenth has water down the left before crossing short of the green.)