Inverness Club (Toledo, OH)

        1920 U.S. Open      Ted Ray 295

        1931 U.S. Open      Billy Burke 292

        1957 U.S.Open       Dick Mayer 282

        1973 U.S. Amateur  Craig Stadler

        1979 U.S. Open       Hale Irwin 284

1986 PGA Championship Bob Tway 276

1993 PGA Championship Paul Azinger 272

2003 U.S. Senior Open     Bruce Lietzke 277

2011 U.S. Senior Open     Olin Browne 269

For the golf aficionado, a round at Inverness is highly anticipated. The history associated with this prestigious club is matched by very few others in America. Host of the upcoming 2019 U.S, Junior Amateur and the 2021 Solheim Cup, Inverness has positioned itself for a future men’s major championship. 

(The first and tenth holes share a tee box with a cluster of bunkers separating the fairways...

...the first green is atop the ridge above the valley. It’s a classic Donald Ross opening hole.)

Inverness occupies a terrific piece of property. Two valleys cut across with the one nearest the clubhouse having the biggest impact. Ross routed seven holes across it, placing the greens in different places so that it affects shots in a variety of ways. The valley on the opposite side of the property houses two of the best holes at Inverness, the sixth and seventh. 

(Inverness is not afraid to tinker with the course. The fourth is a new hole with a sinuous creek sliding down the left before crossing the fairway...

...a good drive leaves this view and uphill approach. The green has two tiers with the lower level on the left. It’s very different in nature to the other greens. It’ll be interesting to see how it’s received by members and other gca buffs.) 

Besides the routing, Inverness is praised for having wonderful greens. The slopes and ridges found throughout offer a magnitude of pin placements. The bunkering is awesome and allows the superintendent the flexibility to tuck the pin whenever the challenge needs to be increased.

(The sixth is a fantastic par four! A good drive is a must to have any chance to hold this green that sits on the plateau above the valley. It has a false front and slopes front right to back left.  Any ball hit too aggressively can go long.) 

(The all world seventh is the number one handicapped hole. The way it positions around the hill on the left gives it a dogleg appearance. The sinuous creek again weaves it’s way into action forcing players to carry the drive to the right side of the fairway or fading it off the left rough...

...the green sits uphill with a forward pitch and left to right slope. It’s the only hole at Inverness without a bunker.) 

Inverness has an unusual set of holes. There’s only two par 5s against three par 3s. This adds up to thirteen par 4s! They are a varied group as long par fours are mixed in with short par fours. One must be able to hit shots with every club in the bag. 

(The tenth green is artfully placed down in the valley with the hazard just short of the putting surface. It’s the smallest green on the course. I particularly like the wall of rough.) 

(This pic of eleventh hole shows the beauty of the bunkering at Inverness. Also note how the fairway grades into the green. Front pin positions can be gained by hitting several yards short and bouncing on.) 

(The par five thirteenth offers golfers a chance to get a stroke back but the undulating fairway coupled with the green elevated atop the plateau can make this a tough hole to birdie. The hazard in middle of pic can be a real nuance especially if one has to lay up to it. Tillinghast designed this green for the 1931 U.S. Open.) 

The last five holes are affectionately called “Murderers’ Row”. The key to any good round  is to play them well. These five par fours have had such an impact on major championships throughout the years. Golfers must be able to place their drives and be accurate with their approaches. Being below the hole is crucial. 

(The fifteenth hole drops down to the green. The putting surface slopes hard toward the front. The view of the eighteenth can be had as one walks to sixteen tee.) 

(Seventeen doglegs left with trees and sand guarding the left, and a severe drop off for those running through the fairway. Inverness rewards straight hitters who can place their ball off the tee. It’s no wonder Greg Norman challenged in both ‘86 and ‘93.) 

(The eighteenth green is a small target surrounded by bunkers. It has seen its share of history as the best players have all challenged for a birdie three. The green is severely sloped and one must shape his shot to get a chance at three.) 

Inverness has a good chance at hosting a U.S. Open in the near future. The remodel added plenty of extra yardage and the course now plays at a stout 7,563 yards from the tips. With two big time events in the next few years, it only makes sense that the USGA comes to the Midwest sometime in the late 2020s. 

(The twelfth is the shortest hole on the course, but the green is surrounded by a necklace of bunkers. They hide the putting surface, adding a bit of uncertainty to the tee shot.) 

Inverness is one of the must play courses in Ohio. It’s a a great experience on both an architectural and historical level. I give Inverness an 8 (excellent)(worth a weekend visit). 

     #44 TOP 100 USA (Golf Magazine)

     #98 TOP 100 WORLD (GolfMagazine)

     #89 TOP 100 USA (Golf Digest)

     #179 TOP 100 WORLD (Golf Digest)

     #44 TOP 100 USA CLASSIC (Golfweek)

Seneca Golf Course (Broadview Heights, OH)

When I was younger, my uncle would take me here. There was a circular green behind the clubhouse where you could hit shots 150 yards and in. We would walk off yardages and practice hitting those distances. It was serious work. 

(Chippewa sixth hole illustrates the great work the Cleveland Metroparks has done at Seneca. The water hazard used to be a reed filled marsh that cut across the property. They cleaned it up and made it much more defined. Before, one had to layup and hit a mid iron in. Now there are options to get closer off the tee for a birdie chance, thus bringing the water more into play. 354/322 yards)

Ever since the Metroparks acquired Seneca,  I’ve been patiently waiting to see the new renovations. They’re only keeping 27 of the 36 holes. All three of the nines east of the clubhouse are being renovated. (Two of them are complete with third opening up next Memorial Day)  

(The first hole is a short par four. It’s a good birdie opportunity but anything short or to the sides kicks away from the green. 345/337)

The renovation kept the original greens but they cut around them, and used the dirt to expand the putting surfaces. All the greens are slightly elevated now, and there’s runoffs that funnel the ball away. In some places they put new bunkering in. The old scrap bunkers that were three feet wide and twenty feet long are gone. It has a complete modern look and feel to it now. 

(The par five third plays over the hazard to a well bunkered green. It’s been shortened so players can now carry the water and have a chance to make a birdie. 508/500) 

The greens at Seneca never had a lot of undulation in them. They were just tilted to one side or the other. The new greens have less tilt to them and can be made to play very fast. With the back tees stretching over 7000 yards, there’s already talk of bringing the city championship here, a marked difference to it alternating between Sleepy Hollow and Manakiki. 

(The fifth begins a three hole stretch of long par fours where par is a good score. No bunkers needed on this stout two shotter where a slight valley short right prevents balls from running on. 464/423)

(The sixth is another strong par four. A bunker protects the front left side of the green...

...a close up view from short left. 444/435)

The par fives are strong at Seneca. There’s only three of them, and the two are very long. Thankfully there’s a few short par fours to provide the birdie opportunities. Nonetheless, these three shotters tend to punish players who don’t hit solid shots throughout the hole. 

(Not many players will reach this hole in two. Most will be looking at a mid iron third. The renovation placed a bunker short left of the green. Note the fairway that wraps around the right. They piped a few places which should help control the water flow. 613/571)

(The view of the eighth green from ten. This pond was not here originally. It was a ditch that was well away from the green. The pond was in front of nine tee, and they extended it down to protect this green. 603/594)

Seneca sits on 350 acres of land. It’s a huge piece of property and is the biggest attribute of the golf course. One is completely immersed with nature, and the abundance of wildlife combines to make for a great day of golf. 

(The par three fourth used to have a circular green. It’s been expanded both in the front and back to make it comma shaped. It’s also narrow too with a bunker right and a falloff left. 154/149)

(One of the few holes that really didn’t change is the ninth. They mounded the back of the green and divided  the large front bunker into two. Cleaning the pond in front of the tee really added to this beautiful hole. 213/189)

I really like the work they did here. I’ve always felt Seneca occupied a terrific piece of property. It could never become great with the city of Cleveland running it, but now being with the Metroparks, that is a real possibility. 

(The short but tough second hole on the Chippewa nine. Anything hit short will spin back down the hill. 364/349)

(Chippewa’s ninth will play as most peoples eighteenth. It’s a par four that begs for a draw to gain the best view into the green...

...this pic shows just how precise one must be off the tee. The green was expanded and a bunker placed front right. 360/351)

I think Seneca is a solid 5 (good)(worth driving an hour). With the addition of the third nine next year, which I think is the best nine, Seneca has the possibility to be even higher. 

[ I wanted to mention a quick sidebar. Seneca is the eighth course in Metroparks portfolio. There were two courses they received that unfortunately didn’t get the opportunity to stay golf courses. One is Astrohurst which is very close in distance to me. It made sense to let that go to pasture because of its proximity to Shawnee Hills. The other is Acacia Country Club. I was very disappointed they didn’t keep it open. It was a great Donald Ross course with a ton of history. Granted the parameters of the deal was for it to become a walking park, but it would’ve been nice if it could’ve been saved. They kept the clubhouse at least. Still very disappointing.]

Sunny Hill Golf and Recreation (Kent, OH)

Why do some courses close while other ones stay? Maybe the land becomes too valuable. Or the maybe a particular business model isn’t  profitable. Or maybe the property is judged to have a better purpose for the betterment of a local population. Regardless of the reason, the courses that remain absorb the clients. Now what happens when four courses close all in a close proximity to each other? That’s where Sunny Hill finds itself. 

(The opening hole on the North nine gracefully climbs the hill to the green. A tight draw will take contour and finish in the flat area leaving a pitch for the approach.) 

The city of Kent has seen KSU, Green Hills, Oak Knolls, and Maplecrest all close in past twelve months. Sunny Hills is one of the few courses left in the area, and with 27 holes, it can accommodate many players. The West nine is best for beginners and juniors. It’s short without much trouble. The South nine is the longest, and offers a fine test. But it’s the North nine that has a chance to really shine. 

(The second on the North has a beautifully placed green atop a ridge above the valley. The tee box though is barely wide enough to get a stance, and the overhanging limbs and branches make the drive an absolute joke.)

The North nine has been around for 100 years and just looking at the routing, the placement of the greens, and the shots required, one can see the architectural bones that makes this worth investing in. Management needs to trim back trees, build new tee boxes, and open up playing corridors to make this a truly enjoyable nine holes again. There are some really nice holes here! And some are really cool! The big hill in the middle of the third fairway is a feature I’ve not seen before. The fifth is a great par five that plays downhill over a creek to a green high on the hill. 

(View from the sixth tee box. A creek cuts diagonally across the fairway. The pine tree dead straight in the pic needs to go, and the grass needs to be cut so players can carom the ball off the hill back to the right.) 

(The white tee is just in front of the pine tree while the blue tee is unbelievably behind it to the left in pic...

...it plays to this green with the mounds guarding the front left and right. I’m a big fan of this old style defense.)

I was disappointed playing here, but at the same time intrigued. The way it is now, Sunny Hills is a 2 (below average)(worth driving 15 min). It has potential to bump up not just one but two points if the correct changes are made. I’ll conclude with this. The ninth is a 250 yard par three that proves back in the old days, one shotters sometimes meant a chip and a putt. That might mean finding the best place to up n down for par. 

Twin Lakes Golf Course (Mansfield, OH)

Twin Lakes is another Mansfield course I’ve played, but this one surprised me a little bit. The greens were well maintained and I could tell it was more than just a mom n pop course by the way the holes hit certain parts of the property. A walk around the clubhouse confirmed my suspicion when I came across a plaque announcing it to be a Kidwell/Hurdzan design. 

(The lake below the clubhouse has holes 5-7 playing over it. This is the 158 yard par three fifth. It’s lovely looking but any type of mishit will find the water.) 

The course is only 5,587 yards, but Kidwell and Hurdzan found some nice places to tuck the greens. The day we showed up to play, the Richland County Shootout was held there, and the winning score was -3 (68).  On the scorecard, it has executive length, but it holds it own plenty by having interesting greens. 

(The 252 yard par four seventh plays right behind the clubhouse. The tee for this hole is actually left of the green in the background. Taking on the challenge entails carrying over the water, and possibly avoiding the three fronting bunkers.)

I give it a 3 (average)(worth driving 15-30 mins). As I’ve stated before, courses of this length are gaining traction. This place in particular is doing very well. It’s well kept, has a good price point, and has enough interesting features to lure golfers. 

The Woods at Possum Run (Mansfield, OH)

After playing several Top 100 golf courses, it’s nice to get back to a daily fee track that grows the game especially in a rural area such as Mansfield. 

(A beautiful view of the sunset with the sixteenth green in the foreground.)

I wish there were more courses like Possum Run, a little sub 6000 yarder. All the talk bout time and money are solved by it’s shorter yardage. People move quicker, less finances to maintain so lower green fees, and hopefully, better scores too! Better scores equal more fun. 

(The downhill ninth drops hard all the way to the green which is pushed up just short of the clubhouse.) 

Possum Run also reminds me a bit of Bunker Hill and Skyland Pines in Canton. The best part of the property is by the clubhouse. The land tumbles and several attractive tee shots are seen from it. The rest of the property is not much at all, but it sells itself from the road. 

(I love how the eleventh green is artfully placed atop a natural ridge. The view from the ladies tee highlights what could be a great par three, but is played as a 282 yard par four from the men’s tee instead.)  

Possum Run was designed in 1928. I’m very curious to learn who is the architect of record. I’m a fan of the holes that surround the clubhouse. It’s neat to me how the old courses had this feature. Not sure if it’s because players can watch all the action from the porch, or if it’s for some other reason. 

(The uphill twelfth climbs all the way to the green.) 

No reason to get worked up here. Possum Run does a nice job for the locals. It’s a fine day of golf. About six holes are in the 380 and up range, so plenty of challenge for those who play often. I give Possum Run a 3 (Average)(worth driving 15-30 mins.) It was super close to my girlfriend’s house, and was very convenient for us.