Manakiki Golf Course (Willoughby Hills, OH) [Revised]

I blogged about Manakiki five years ago, but with its ascension to the top of Golfweek’s Best Public Courses in Ohio list, I felt compelled to revisit it. 

(The view of the eighteenth green with the historic clubhouse in the background that was the summer estate for industrialist Howard Hanna.)

Manakiki occupies a terrific piece of property and Donald Ross did a great job routing a course on it. It’s always been recognized as being one of the best in the city, locals can attest to that, but never given any type of national acknowledgement. This all changed when they restored the bunkers, and equally important, started clearing the hillsides of the canyon holes. They also restored a few tees and added others. All this work gave a facelift to a tired course and made Manakiki the darling of the Cleveland Metroparks. 

(Ross sure knew how to design cool short par fives! The third is only 471 yards, but the player can only drive it 250 yards before it tumbles downhill where a pond sits in the valley. Note the thumbprint green. The pin is in a bowl with the rest of putting surface elevated around it. It’s a birdie opportunity but  long putts can be very difficult.) 

(One of the best par fives in the entire city, the sixth is a 568 yard beauty that plays downhill before rambling uphill to the green. The front half of the green slopes away from the player before creasing and sloping towards him in the rear portion. Birdie is very dependent on pin position, but a five is always a welcome score.)

Manakiki’s best feature are the greens.  They have great variety to them, and give each hole a distinct strategy. Knowing where certain pin positions are dictate how one plays the hole. There are also plenty of sidehill shots to execute, and understanding the ball flight allows one to use the terrain to one’s advantage. It’s old school architecture and Ross was one of the best at incorporating these nuances. 

(The par three eleventh plays 187 yards to a green elevated above the valley. Bunkers short really emphasis that one strikes the ball well. A ridge etching in from the left rough makes a miss in this area a testy up and down.) 

(The second of back to back par fives, the thirteenth is reachable with two strong shots. It’s 495 yards and if the player can turn it over climb the crest of the hill then the second will be almost level with the green. Most will hit short and have an uphill shot for a third.)

Manakiki has proven its mettle hosting the 1953 and 1954 Carling Opens won by Dr Cary Middlecoff and Julius Boros respectively. Between them, they’ve won 65 times including 6 major championships! Middlecoff shot -13 par to win in ‘53 while Boros won with -8 in ‘54. 

(The 403 yard par four seventeenth plays much longer than it’s listed yardage. A uphill tee shot followed by a long iron over a valley to an elevated green makes this a challenging par to secure. I’ve always loved how the green blends in perfectly with its setting.) 

For more recent history, Manakiki hosted the PGA Minority Collegiate Championship in 1994. A young Tiger Woods coming off of three straight USGA Junior Championships was the guest of honor giving a clinic the day before the tournament. Jackson State University would win their fifth straight championship. 
(Look beyond the fifteenth green and notice how much work was done to clear the hillside on the eighteenth. The hillside on the left was also cleared, making this 205 yard par three more playable. Unfortunately, the cart path is ill advisedly placed next to the green. This is one of the holes where the original tee box was reintroduced atop the hill yet a new one beautifully sits back in the hollow. Both are excellent.) 

The Metroparks own both Manakiki and Sleepy Hollow, and the work put into Manakiki has elevated its status. While I think Golfweeks rating is a little ambitious, it’s inclusion as a top five course is solid. On more personal note, I find myself enjoying my round here more than at my home course Sleepy Hollow. I’m sure most people feel the same way. It’s definitely better than I originally rated it. I give it a 6 (very good)(worth driving two hours to play).  

(The view of the eighteenth hole from the tee. It’s only 384 yards and long hitters can blast it past the tightened landing zone, but the green is small and well bunkered in front. Players tend to find themselves long in the rough or back fringe since the elevation change is hard to judge. This is easily one of the most recognizable holes in the city.) 

Toledo Country Club (Toledo, OH)

Founded in 1897, Toledo is one of the oldest clubs in the Midwest. 
(The 206/182 yard par three seventeenth showcases the grand setting of the final three holes. The green has a severe back to front slope, and any pin in the rear will demand exact precision to get close.)

Toledo began when nine holes were designed on thirty acres the club purchased alongside the river. By 1911, the club had expanded inland, and had eighteen holes. For those interested in golf course architecture, the history of Toledo is an example of how things get falsely rewritten. The course is credited as a Willie Park Jr design, but he didn’t arrive in the US until 1916. He did the holes on the property by the water in the 1920’s when he was designing Sylvania CC. 
(This is the side view of the sixteenth green. The large homes high up on the hillside overlook the last three holes.)

Fifteen holes are laid out in what I can only describe as a park. It’s as flat as a pancake, with the only significant feature being a water filled canal at the south end of the property. The first seven holes, with the exception of the second, are rather forgettable. It’s at the eighth where the course starts showing it’s muscle, and it’s a decent set of holes to the fifteenth. 

(The tee shot on 421/387 yard par four eighth has water all down the right side...
...the hazard extends all the way to the green. It’s a very strong hole and one that has most potential to wreck your round.)

The last three holes are the showstopper at Toledo. Playing on the Maumee River, the setting may be the finest in Ohio. The fast flowing water, the cool crisp air, and a panoramic view that reaches to the skyline will momentarily take your breathe away as you stop to take it all in. 
(The view from sixteen tee down to eighteen green. Is there a better view in Ohio?!  I have not seen it.) 

To get to sixteen tee, one walks past the pro shop, through the parking lot, across the street, around the tennis courts... It’s like you are on another course. It’s a surreal moment. I commented we should’ve played these three holes six times. I was being funny while somewhat being serious. 
(The 381/370 yard par four sixteenth doglegs left around the hill...
...the large oak on the right demands a draw off the tee to have an unobstructed shot to the green. This is room to run it on with a low shot.) 

The 494/488 yard eighteenth is an exciting finish. While reachable in two shots, the river guards the entire left side and the green is fronted by bunkers. An engaging putting surface also challenges the player as it slopes to the front and towards the water. An ending birdie or eagle is excellent!) 

I reckon these three holes make any invite to Toledo C.C. worth accepting. The firm greens will keep the score in check most of the day along wth the large trees. The bye hole at the end of the round is something not seen too often. It’s a great way to square up a bet or play for a drink. Overall it’s a solid course, but not close to being as good as Inverness or Sylvania. I give Toledo a 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play).
(The bye hole plays anywhere from 60-100 yards, depending where you decide to play it. The minuscule green is atop the ridge where sixteen tee is. The view from the tee is the best on the course...

...the clubhouse at Toledo is first rate. Notice the circular room where the windows allow the members to peer up and down the entire river.  No doubt it’s one of the main attractions at the club.)