Quail Hollow Devlin/Von Hagge Course (Concord, OH)

The Devlin/Von Hagge course hosted the Greater Cleveland Open from 1990-2001. It’s not very long compared to modern standards, but back then, it was considered a solid course. One could tell the technology was quickly passing it up since it seemed every year players were shooting low 60s on a consistent basis. Granted the five par fives really made this a shootout year in year out, but a handful of holes were the key to keeping a low round going. The fact that the tournament never ventured over to the Weiskopf course is proof of its popularity among the players. 

(The 445 yard par four seventh is the best hole at Quail Hollow. The player must hit a long accurate drive, and then control the distance of his downhill shot to the green. This was originally the ninth hole, and it had a big impact during the tournament.)

Devlin/Von Hagge course is a traditional parkland layout. Holes dogleg left and right, requiring thoughtful drives. The greens are well bunkered with daunting pin locations on each hole. All in all, it’s a very good members course. 

(The 172 yard par three fifteenth has some good pin placements, especially the front where water, sand, and a severe slope can quickly bite a careless player.)

My biggest criticism is the atmosphere the D/VH course has. It feels like a resort course. The housing is more visible and one gets the sense that the doglegs are strictly a byproduct of fitting the holes into the residential plan. The course itself is strong and has well conceived shots. It places a premium on the aerial game and flighting the ball to the flag is usually the only option available. It’s a good challenge for the more accomplished player.  

(The old eighteenth is now seventeen. The 409 yard par has a water hazard on the right about 250 yards from the tee. The player trying to get a short iron in his hand will have to challenge it with a good drive. It’s a well bunkered green with the back right location protected both short and long.) 

Quail Hollow is one of the few 36 hole golf facilities in northeast Ohio. Being a private club, that fact is a huge advantage in attracting potential members. While I prefer the Weiskopf, the Devlin Von Hagge stands alone as tournament tested championship caliber course. I give it a 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play).

[When looking at the list of champions from the Greater Cleveland Open, one name resonates with me because of a personal experience I had with his father. Karl Zoller won in 1995. He was born in Cleveland and was on Kent State golf team. Winning this tournament was his only professional victory. I’ve been intrigued by Zoller ever since I paired up with his father one day at Punderson. He invited back to his place for dinner and showed me several of Karl’s memorabilia. He was particularly proud of Karl’s Ohio Open win out at Geneva on the Lake Golf Course.]

Quail Hollow Weiskopf/Morrish Course (Concord, OH)

The Weiskopf Morrish course opened in 1996 during the time Quail Hollow was hosting the Greater Cleveland Open (1990-2001). Many folks assumed it would take over as the host course, but that never happened, and the Devlin course was used all twelve years. 

I never understood the reasoning for not using both courses. The Weiskopf Morrish is such a change of pace. It has ten dogleg holes and only three straightaway ones. The player needs to pick a line and execute the shot shape. It definitely requires more thinking than the Devlin. 

(The 431/404 yard fourth plays diagonally from an elevated tee down to the fairway. A creek and trees on the right try to discourage the player from cutting off the corner. The approach is uphill to a large green mostly hidden by bunker front left. It’s a tough par and one of the best holes on the course.) 

The Weiskopf Morrish gives the player several different looks as it winds through woods, wetlands, and rugged terrain. The greens are placed in spots where the obvious hazard is not always the miss that’s going to do the most damage. One has to pay attention to where the water is located or where the ravine comes into play. 

(The 168/156 yard par three fifth is set back in a hollow surrounded by trees. The front bunker is key. It artfully hides most of the putting surface, and guards the front pinning locations. A tier in the rear however provides the most exacting challenge.)

(Every Weiskopf course has a drivable par four, and the 312/261 yard sixth is the players chance for glory here. This version actually gives the player a better than average shot at driving the green. Plenty of fairway and visibility should make one comfortable on the tee.) 

Quail Hollow used to be a resort, but it is now a country club. The new clubhouse is located behind what was originally the first hole. This meant renumbering the holes, and now old #1 is #18. It also means the front nine possesses four par threes and plays to a par 34. The back nine is a par 37. With the course being one continuous loop with no returning nines, you don’t really notice it until you look at the scorecard. 

(The par five eighth is 493/488 yards. It’s reachable in two shots but the player must take care not to go long into the ravine. The front bunkers, and especially the swale, are good places to up n down.)

My favorite stretch of holes is 4-5-6. The rugged terrain has good elevation change to it, and takes advantage of the natural features. I also like how the challenge changes from tough par to birdie opportunity during these three holes. The next stretch that stands out is 13-14-16. The wetlands come into play, and the difficulty tightens up. 

(The 609/585 yard par five thirteenth is the kind of hole where a bogey sometimes feels like an accomplishment. Wetlands right off the tee and short of the green demands three strong accurate shots. The fairway wraps around the wetlands short of the green, but even this play can turn into disaster if one is careless. Take a five and run.) 

(The 424/381 yard par four fourteenth has the wetlands guarding the right off the tee. Hit a good drive and the large green can be attacked. Theres no bunkers protecting it so players should be aggressive.)

(The short 164/149 yard par three sixteenth is a great hole. Whether the pin is tucked behind the bunker or slipped between the wetlands, it’s a dangerous shot. With a short iron in ones hand, it’s an exciting hole.) 

This is the second Weiskopf course I’ve played this summer. He relies on turning the hole around obstacles as his main challenge. I noticed both this course and Forest Dunes have double digit dogleg holes. His routings find the different environs available on each property, and give the courses a fresh feel as one moves from hole to hole. 

(The 425/399 yard seventeenth doglegs left to this green plateaued against the ravine and a deep swale short. There’s some very good pinning locations, specifically rear right, that adds teeth. It’s a nicely manufactured hole in difficult terrain.) 

The Weiskopf Morrish course is well designed and I personally like it more than the Devlin course. I think it has more personality. It also compares favorably with Little Mountain which is a highly rated public course in Concord. I give the Weiskopf Morrish course a 6 (very good)(worth driving two hours to play). 

(Originally the opening hole, the 401/346 yard eighteenth is a short par four. The green is very different from the first seventeen. It’s a double plateau with a front to back bias. With the front being higher, it’s hard to judge the distance. Even with a short iron in hand, birdies will not be common.) 

(Unfortunately I did not take a picture of the scorecard, but I found this on one of the websites.) 

Heather Downs Country Club (Toledo, OH)

Heather Downs was once a grand country club with 36 holes, but the Great Depression caused it to change hands, and after WWII, the South Course was sold because the club couldn’t support two courses. It remained a private course until 2003 and is now public. 
(The 376 yard fourth is a demanding par four with a downhill approach shot over a creek. The severely sloped green is best putted from below the hole but rarely is that the case for first putt. A four is a solid score.)

Heather Downs was designed by William Rockefeller in 1925. He was the greenskeeper for Inverness and was involved in every aspect of building it. This gave him some credibility and an opportunity to do both courses at Heather Downs. It’s speculated that Donald Ross helped him out with the routing. 

[according to South Toledo GC website]

(Note the lip of the fairway bunker. Balls hit  too close to it will need wedged back into play. The lack of rough by the trap allows balls to roll in. More sand is needed to put the bite back into it but the bones are present.) 

Except for the north end of the property, Heather Downs is very flat. The front nine has very little character, and the challenge is initiated by the fairway traps and greens that slope back to front. Three putting is the biggest concern. The back nine plays among giant oak trees, and shaping the ball off the tee into play is the difficulty. 

(The 193 yard fifth is considered one of Toledo’s finest holes. From an elevated tee, it plays to a green tucked into the hillside. A members bounce off the hill is one way to play it, but it’s a risky strategy subjected to luck. Along with the fourth and sixth, this is a key three hole stretch.) 

Rockefeller was not an architect by trade, and this may be the reason why the architecture is repetitive throughout most of the course. Almost all the greens are open in the front and have bunkers on the sides. Several have a slight roll in the center which makes putting across the green a cautious affair. 

(The 322 yard eleventh is a good chance to make birdie. Note how the tall trees distort the players view and perception. Long hitters might get goaded into attempting to drive it, but a well played layup is the best strategy.)

While the front has the two best holes on the course, the back nine is much better test. The driving lines are tighter and demand more skill. The ability to curve it around trees and change the trajectory is a huge advantage. A one shot player will be stymied from being in optimal positions. The huge trees also have another effect. They alter ones depth perception and when the shadows are flickering can make it real hard to focus on the target. 

(The pivotal 131 yard par three sixteenth has water short, left, and behind. The front hole locations are very difficult to get close, and a roll in the front third makes this an easy three putt. Back and middle pins are your best bet for a duece.) 

Heather Downs has seen better days, but it still provides a good challenge for the locals who call it home. There’s good bones here and it wouldn’t take much to make this a top course again. Sand in the traps would be a good first step. I give it a 3 (average)(worth driving 15-30 minutes to play). There’s potential for this to bump up, but with it being on such flat terrain, that’s probably only one notch. 

(The 363 yard eighteenth plays through a very narrow corridor off the tee. The green is a bit offset, so most approaches will need to carry front bunker. The old clubhouse must have been quite a sight back in the day.) 

Fieldstone Golf Club (Auburn Hills, MI)

Fieldstone was designed by Art Hills in 1998 for the city of Auburn Hills. He took a 27 hole facility and pared it down to 18 holes. It hosts numerous tournaments every year and boasts one of the highest slope and course ratings. 
(The 326/294 yard eighteenth was originally the sixteenth, but as the final hole, is a a good opportunity to net one last birdie. It’s driveable for the long hitter should he decide to take on the water.)

Art Hills moved a ton of dirt at Fieldstone and built elevated greens with steep drop offs on the sides and in the front. I’ve seen several of his courses that force an aerial attack and this one ranks right up there as one of his toughest.  There’s a lot of moguls and mounds for shorter misses, and cut away fairways that drop well below the level of the green. All these features are very difficult for the high handicap which is why I’m leary that a municipal course is frought with such architecture. 

(The short 333/306 yard par four third looks simple but the green is behind a large mound, and unless one challenges the water to gain a view, only the top of the flagstick is visible. It’s also possible for the ball to ricochet off the mound and scamper  across the green into the water.) 

(The 227/197 yard par three eighth is all carry to an elevated green guarded by wetlands and a deep sand trap. With little bailout available, ones best effort is needed. A par is a terrific score.) 

The front nine starts off by the clubhouse before crossing the road for holes two through eight, and then returns for the ninth. A pond and some wetlands are used to create some interesting holes, but for the most part, it’s Hill’s green complexes that give the front its character. 
(The par five seventh has a green that is obscured by this bunker complex. At 582/561 yards, the third shot will be a short to mid iron. Any mishit along the way will make this a difficult par.) 

(Fieldstone has a lot of these fall offs so one has to be careful with approach. The ball will  roll to the bottom til it comes to a stop in the higher grass making for a difficult recovery. This pic is the 414/372 yard ninth.)

The back nine is where the best holes are located minus the tenth and eleventh. The property is wooded with some nice land movement among the wetlands. The holes fit naturally on the property with the hazards demanding accurate play. 

(The par five twelfth possesses the best green at Fieldstone. I love how it’s elevated with the trees, mounds, and bunker framing the shot. Anyone going for this in two must hit a perfect shot. 564/533)

(Look how the thirteenth green sits comfortably in front of the wetlands yet shows little of its depth. Such a shot demands one trust the yardage and hit with no hesitation. 377/347) 

Art Hills does a good job mixing hard holes with birdie opportunities, and Fieldstone does that well. The easier holes have bite to them should you get careless, but the par fives are the real key here. They’re not really reachable, and for the players who are truly long, pose a big threat since any miscue can quickly turn into a double bogey. The best play is to find a strong yardage and attack from there. 

(The sixteenth is a perfect example why the par fives don’t give up birdie so easily. The green is ardently defended by sand and wetlands. Playing at 563/539 yards, it’s at a yardage that tempts long hitters.) 

The tenth and eleventh were originally the seventeenth and eighteenth holes.  They are as bland and as insipid as any two holes you’ll find, and management took a huge risk making them the turn holes and turning the short par four sixteenth into the final hole. 
(The 453/424 yard seventeenth is a long par four with an elevated green. Note how the fairway slopes left below the bunker. Players who come up short will need to pitch it over the sand to save par.) 

Fieldstone has a terrific range that ironically is the focal point of the club. Most clubhouses overlook the last hole, but Fieldstone has a commanding view of the range. It’s just one of the things that catches your attention. Auburn Hills has a championship course that is used for many local competitions. I personally like Pine Trace, another Art Hills course, that’s nearby. Still, I’d give Fieldstone a 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play.) 

Eagle Creek Golf Resort (Findlay, IL)

I played Eagle Creek over 25 years ago, but I had to blog about it because it shaped my personal perception towards golf. At the time, I was 19 and had only been playing for two years, but somehow I was on the Cleveland State golf team. I was writing for the school newspaper when the athletic dept placed an advertisement for players to try out. So I did. 

There was really only one reason why I made the team... not enough guys showed up to compete, so I was on the B team. The best part  was the free golf at Medina CC, and the free range balls over at Johnnycake in Mentor. None of us on the B team had to worry about playing in a tournament, well, until the university had invitations to two  places on the same weekend. Yes I was going play collegiate golf!!

I played two rounds at Eagle Creek, and neither time did I break 100. In fact, I came in last place!! I beat no one! It was the epitome of embarrassment. I recall whiffing not just once but twice! Most people would’ve given the game up, but I fell more in love with it. In my mind, if you could play good golf, a very difficult objective, then you were actually achieving and accomplishing something. And so my golf journey started here. 

I met my best buddy at Eagle Creek, and we’ve been golfing all over the country ever since. We talk about coming back to this place and playing it again just to see how much better we are compared to then. I recall it being very difficult with narrow fairways. The twelfth and eighteenth are both par fives that I remember vividly. Maybe one day, we can make the trek over. 

(This is the long par five twelfth with Lake Shelbyville in the background...

...the long par four fifteenth offers commanding views too.) 

Stone Oak Country Club (Holland, OH)

Stone Oak is the type of place I would want to be a member. It has all the amenities every family is looking to experience, and the golf course is beautifully manicured with landscaped tee boxes and excellent course conditions. 

Originally known as Glengarry, Stone Oak was designed in 1921 by Toledo legend S.P. Jermain, and later remodeled by Robert Bruce Harris. Jermain is one of most interesting characters in Ohio golf. His design in 1899 at Ottawa Park was the first nine hole golf course west of NYC. He was the first President at Inverness and was highly involved with picking out the property for the course. He is also the originator of holding international matches between the UK and USA, today known as the Ryder Cup, and convinced the PGA of America to conduct the matches in 1927. Being the design consultant, his personal connection with Stone Oak made this one of the prominent golf clubs in Toledo. 
(The par five second hole is well defended with sand. The bunker in the foreground is particularly punishing for the long hitter trying to reach it in two as the long bunker shot is one of the most difficult to execute.) 

[Stone Oak also was the host course for the first four Jamie Farr Toledo Classics from 1984 - 1988. Lauri Peterson (-10) won in 1984, Penny Hammel (-10) 1985, Jane Geddes (-8) in 1987, and Laura Davies (-11) in 1988.]

(Note the bunkering in this picture. The height of the sand makes it look like it’s up against the green, but in reality, it’s several yards short. This depth perception trick fools the player from trusting his yardage.) 

Stone Oak has only four straightaway holes, meaning ten of them dogleg left or right. One would think the long hitter would have the advantage, but the huge oak trees defend against players cutting the corners. Those who do take the risk can find trouble very quickly. The trees are quite large and the rough is thick enough to exact strokes. This puts a premium on a strong iron game since a conservative strategy will leave longer approach shots. 

(From the middle of the fairway, the player can work the ball to the pin anyway he desires, but the bracketed bunkering takes away the angles once you get off the short grass into the trees.) 

We played Stone Oak the day before it hosted the Toledo Open. They had been grooming the course four weeks before the tournament and the rough was 4-5 inches high. It was in fabulous condition. The greens were receptive but rolling fast. It was setup perfectly for a course that tops out at 6625 yards. Not exactly long by today’s standards. 

(The par three fourteenth sits atop a slight ridge with the green sloping from back left to front right. Being below the hole is ideal, but rarely is that the case with the bunkers eating into the front slope.) 

(The fade-away green on fifteen accepts shots and feeds them to the rear. It doglegs at just the right point where a careless drive can be blocked out by the trees. Note the grass bunker short right. It’s blind approach, but the ball must carry this otherwise it can be buried in the thick grass.) 

The Toledo Open is one of the premier Ohio tournaments. It dates back to the 1920’s and several prominent names have won including Byron Nelson who claimed it four years in a row. The winning score at Stone Oak this year was -8. This is a testament to how large trees, thick rough, and shot shaping can keep the big boys at bay. 

(This view from seventeen tee expresses the demands Stone Oak asks. Look how the hole gently doglegs right with a bank on the left to nudge the ball back towards the green. The group behind us, while practicing for the tournament, was taking on the trees at the corner, and hitting it within 50-70 yards, however a couple failed and were punching out...

...the green is perched up on a little ledge with bunkers once again eating into the slope. A strong back to front slope insists on a spinning shot from the fairway. Long is dead, and actually brings those front bunkers back into play.) 

Any invitation to Stone Oak should be accepted. It’s the consummate country club and is joy to play. It definitely ranks as one of the top five courses in Toledo. I give Stone Oak a 6 (very good)(worth driving two hours to play). 

Note the gold tee course rating. It’s one stroke higher than par. 

Forest Dunes Golf Club (Roscommon, MI)

    #21 Top 100 Public (Golf Magazine)

   #28 Top 100 Public (Golf Digest)

   #72 Top 100 Courses USA (Golf Magazine)

   #99 Top 100 Courses USA (Golf Digest)

Forest Dunes is three hours north of Detroit within the Huron Manistee National Forest. It is well off the beaten path, but it’s immaculate conditioning and secluded location make for an incredible day of golf. 

(Standing on the first tee, the player inhales all the qualities that makes Forest Dunes a top 25 in country course.) 

Tom Weiskopf designed Forest Dunes in 2002, and it is regarded as one of his best. He took advantage of a terrific piece of property by routing the course through a pine forest, grasslands, and dunescape. Each hole is separate from the other, offering only a glimpse here and there of another hole. 

(The green of the par five fifth has several good pin locations. This is the view from the left. Note the raised rear and slight depression on the right. Birdie is a well earned score.) 

Weiskopf ‘s design philosophy is much different than Ohio State alum Jack Nicklaus. His courses are playable and the shot values are not over the top. Forest Dunes emphasizes this trait. It’s a collection of solid hole after solid hole. They dogleg left, they dogleg right, some long, some short, some medium, but the routing always changes the challenge from the previous hole. 

(The eighth doglegs right around the bunker in the foreground. Longer hitters can try to carry it while the conservative play is laying back. The green is pressed into the water with short left being safe. The gorgeous clubhouse comes into view for the first time, framing an already beautiful setting.)

Forest Dunes benefits from having a great set of greens. They have one or two significant features in them, and this allows for some great pin placements. It also allows the golfer to plan his attack from the tee, knowing that such and such pin needs to be approached from this angle. For the better player, such a design is pure bliss. And might I add that these putting surfaces roll fast and true. They might be some of the best greens you’ll ever putt on. 

(The par three eleventh is over sand and natural areas to a green bisected by a roll in the middle...
...it’s imperative to be on the correct half of the green otherwise it’s a tough two putt for par. The holes on this side of the property feel like being in the Sandhills of NC.) 

(The twelfth doglegs left to a green protected by water and sand. One observation is the lack of  a “wow” hole, but never is there a awkward or lackadaisical one. Each hole requires a strong tee shot and well struck iron. I’d say it’s a pure golf with no fluff.) 

Setting is something that often gets overlooked when discussing courses. When a property has several different environs, it’s always intriguing to me to see how the architect winds the holes in and out of each, and blends it into a strong cohesive routing. Forest Dunes does that effortlessly, and much praise has to be given to Weiskopf. 

(The fourteenth is the longest par four on the course. The approach is to a wide but shallow bi level green with the lower section being on the left by the water. Note the pin is left of the center front bunker. Every shot hit to this area, whether it’s the approach, a chip, or a putt, is very difficult.) 

(If you’re of the opinion that a par three near the end of the round should be a stout one shotter, then sixteen will resonate with you. It plays well over 200 yards, and is an intimidating view with sand and vegetation staring you in the face. Weiskopf left plenty of fairway short to bounce the ball onto the green. A par is good work.) 

No Weiskopf course would be complete without a drivable par four, and Forest Dunes seventeenth is one of the best. 

Standing on the tee, a sliver of fairway is seen with sand hugging both sides. The widest part is the fifty yards short of the green, which encourages the player to pull out the driver. 
A conservative tee shot leaves a straightforward pitch, but being too far right can make the angle awkward. 
This view shows just how much sand protects the line of charm to the green. Taking on the challenge can lead to eagle, but a miscue can lead to disaster. 

(Eighteen stays in the sand dunes and plays straightaway with water left on this reachable par five. The gorgeous clubhouse comes back into view and all the ingredients are present for a fantastic finish.)

Forest Dunes finds itself in some elite company. Golf Digest ranked The Loop, Tom Doak’s reversible golf course, as two separate courses which now gives them three courses ranked in the top 50 in USA. Obviously The Loop has been getting a lot of recognition with its revolutionary design, but as Golf Channel’s Matt Ginella stated, it’s only possible because Forest Dunes is such a great course that Lew Thompson could afford to take the risk. That’s a pretty big statement when you think about it.  I concur. I give Forest Dunes an 8 (excellent)(worth spending a weekend to play). 

(Forest Dunes has a 19th hole to settle any bets that didn’t get resolved on eighteen. It’s a short par three with a bunker in the middle of the green. Yes it’s in the middle of the green!)

The Loop review:

http://golfingwithshawn.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-loop-roscommon-mi.html?m=1

Forest Dunes is only five hours from Cleveland. It compares favorably to Sand Valley in Wisconsin and Streamsong in Florida, and at a better price point too. It’s a great guy trip! I highly recommend it!!