Eagle Rock Golf Club (Defiance, OH)

Formerly known as Kettenring Country Club, Eagle Rock is one of northwest Ohio’s premier golf courses. It was established in 1921 when Tom Bendelow designed nine holes for the club near the Maumee River, and later expanded to eighteen holes when William Newcomb added a second nine in 1974. 

(The clubhouse is every bit as close to the final green as it appears in the picture. Last green jitters is a real thing. The patio and upstairs bar can be full with people watching you play out. My CGA buddies would be in heaven here!) 

The front side has a traditional Bendelow look as the fairways bleed right into the greens. The putting surfaces are quite small and are on average about 26 yards deep. They demand high-end iron shots and you’ll be surprised how much slope is in them. A few have a central rise that effectively makes the pinning areas even smaller to attack. For nine holes that tops out under 3000 yards, you’ll be hard pressed to match the 35 shots required to get around. 

(The 307 yard par four fifth looks like a birdie hole on the scorecard but it takes a 230 yard drive to reach the crest of the hill...
...if one lays up or fails to reach the top, then one plays from an uneven lie and awkward angle to a green that cascades towards the valley...
...essentially a three tiered green, it plays from high right to low left. Many tricky and difficult putts are found throughout different hole locations. There isn’t a single bunker needed and yet it’s short length belies it’s strength. Note the green to the excellent seventh hole in the background.) 

(The 165 yard par three sixth plays over the valley to a well protected green. It is the longest iron you’ll hit on the front nine.) 

(The 364 yard par four seventh doglegs left from an elevated tee. The landing area is not visible and one must take care not to over draw it into the creek. The front left of the putting surface is only part seen from the fairway while the rest hidden by the bunker. Like the fifth, it slopes from high right to low left.) 

The back nine is William Newcomb’s work, and he did a nice blending his green sizes to fit  the original’s character. They are not very deep but they’re wider, giving them more space to move the pin around. The fairways bleed into the greens just like the Bendelow nine, but they’re bunkered more closely in the front at the sides. The property on this side is gently rolling but the last three holes meet up at the hilly section that houses the fifth through the seventh, and provides a good ending to the round. 

(The 198 yard par three seventeenth plays from atop the hill to this green next to the water. The hillside left and behind adds to the solitude of this demanding shot.) 


(Eighteen is only 350 yards but it’s a complicated driving hole. Laying back must find the right side to have a head on look at the green. Pushing the ball further down the fairway brings the side slope and rough into play and ultimately makes for a tougher second shot. Remember the patrons are only twenty feet behind the hole so there’s a lot of pressure.) 

Eagle Rock has a vibrant atmosphere. It has a restaurant in the clubhouse plus a separate bar over by the tenth tee. It probably bustles as much at night as it does during the morning. The basketball hoop attached to the bar was one I haven’t seen before. Kudos for some innovative thinking. 

(The 369 yard par four eighth plays on the flatter part of the front nine. Note the raised center of the green.)

The only drawback I found was Eagle Rock’s lack of yardage. It plays just over 6100 from the tips and only has one par four over 390 yards.  Serious players with a strong game are only going to be challenged a few times with a long iron and even average golfers will hit an over abundance of short iron shots. On the flip side, Eagle Rock does host several women’s college tournaments and its length is perfect for them. 

Northwestern Ohio is as rural as it gets, and Defiance in particular, is a long drive from Cleveland. Not many courses out this way are going to pique ones interest to make the trek. In fact, Eagle Rock is one of the few which is why I made the effort to go see it. I give it a 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play). It has a strong following and it’s reputation is well deserved. Definitely worth a visit when out this way. 

Shelby Country Club (Shelby, OH)

Shelby became semiprivate five years ago. It’s the second course in the greater Mansfield area to open its doors to the public. (Ashland did several years prior.) With it’s rolling hills and bucolic setting, this area of Ohio is a strong candidate for golfers looking to get away. 

(The 161 yard par three fifth plays to a small green defended by two sand traps.) 

Shelby is the tale of two nines. The club was established in 1928, and a local named Boyd Wierman drew up blueprints to route the front nine. This explains the minuscule greens and fiddly doglegs that one must navigate. Most putting surfaces are open for the run up shot with notable exceptions being the first and sixth greens.  Both are small saucer shaped targets with a good deal of slope. 

(The sixth features a fearsomely small green for a not a too short 550 yard par five. Note the small grass covered bump guarding the front left. The gnarly bunker short right is the worst place a long hitter can be.) 

(The 182 yard eighth is the longest par three at Shelby.) 

The back nine was added 35 years later in 1963 by Ben Zink, the former superintendent of Acacia. The terrain is more rolling on this side, and Zink’s style is well represented as the fairways rise and fall all the way to the greens. The greens are 3x the size of the ones on the front and players will feel much more confident hitting to them. 

(The 356 yard par four tenth plays uphill to a skyline green. Judging the pin position is a challenge and one must take care not to be long.)

(The retention pond on the 509 yard par five eleventh forces the player to choose from tee how to play this hole. The entire strategy revolves around hitting two shots past the large oak on the left side of the fairway...

...avoid it and the reward is an open green that offers a birdie opportunity. It’s easier said than done, and most will find themselves scrambling to save their par.) 

Zink has beautiful driving lines, and that is what stands out at Shelby. He’s able to find natural features and use them from the tee. The driver always seems like the right choice and you always feel like you can carry it over the rise. Long hitters are going to love the challenge. 

(The 353 yard par four fourteenth displays the allure of Shelby. This hole welcomes, even screams, for a long drive down the left side where the slope will gather it in the fairway. It’s a visually strong hole.) 

Shelby’s biggest weakness are its par threes. The two on the front are fine but the two on back are forgettable. I’ve always believed that these holes should be the face of a golf course but Shelby’s one shotters lack that description. 

(The 460 yard par four fifteenth is the one hole where a big number is close at hand. Besides length, water guards the right side of the green. A four is a winner every day of the week.) 

(The 419 yard par four eighteenth finishes the round in style. Long hitters can cut the corner but most will be hitting a long iron to the elevated green.)

Shelby still maintains a membership, and has a restaurant associate with the clubhouse. While it’s out of the way for most golfers from Northeast Ohio, it’s secluded location is its biggest draw. It’s a classic golf course, albeit two different styles, and is a worth seeking out. I give Shelby a 5 (good)(worth driving an hour). 

Valley View Golf Course ( Galion, OH)

Valley View was recommended to me by a friend. He is one of a few people I personally know who has played more courses than I have and our architectural tastes are very similar. I asked him how he found it considering Galion is in the middle of nowhere, and he told me back when he was trying to qualify for the US Senior Amateur, the only playing partner who ever did was from here, so he searched it out. 

(The 170 yard par three ninth plays over a valley to green set into the hillside beneath the clubhouse. Long is nearly an impossible up n down. Note the totem pole on left side of pic. Patio alert for all my CGA friends!) 

Valley View is a do-it-yourself course designed by owner Lee Stuckman. A beautiful spacious valley is the prominent feature of the property with a creek running through the bottom. Stuckman routed eleven holes through the valley using every slope and curve the best he could. The other seven are atop the hill  on the flatter portion. 

(The downhill 140 yard par three second hole plays to a shallow green with a creek behind and two bunkers fronting. The traps are graded above the putting surface so the slope behind them can shed the ball off the back.) 

Valley View has some interesting holes. The three that I found most engaging were 6,8,17. Six is an uphill reverse cambered dogleg right hole with a giant oak tree guarding the inside corner. The golfer must figure a way to get by it with either a fade or draw. The uphill second shot is then played to a difficult green that tilts to the front left. The eighth is another reverse cambered hole but this one doglegs left. The play is over the crest of the hill where one can get close to the green. The drive must be very precise, otherwise one can be blocked out. Both are very intriguing holes that take multiple plays to figure out.

(The oak tree in background is actually the inside corner of the 370 yard par four sixth. A draw approach can catch the green and funnel towards the hole, but it can also stay up on the fairway and leave an impossible putt or chip.) 

The last 70 yards of the par five seventeenth plays downhill with the green falling away to the rear. In the summertime, it’s reachable for several different types of players. Being short can be problematic and a deft touch is needed to get close. I think it’s a great hole that sees a wide variety of scores. 

(This is the view of seventeen green from the fairway. Note the transition area where the fairway picks up. One has to get to this spot to have the ball run onto the putting surface. At 550 yards from the tips, most golfers will be happy to have a view similar to the one above.) 

Valley View takes great pride in their greens and they are known to be some of the best putting surfaces in the area. They are fast and firm. The valley holes have more tilt and slope in their greens but the seven holes on the flatter portion of course are more subtle. 

(The downhill 335 yard par four tenth showcases many of the attractive qualities at Valley View. The giant oak tree on the right tends to get a lot of action from the tee. Note the creek that crosses the fairway fifty yards from the green.) 

The only drawback to Valley View is the upper holes lack the character and interest of the valley. The flat terrain is nondescript and somewhat of a letdown. That doesn’t mean they are easy. Stuckman gave them the most length. They’re the longest holes on the course and are likely to add several strokes to your score. 

(The 315 yard finishing hole ends the round with a birdie opportunity providing one can hit a good drive from the tee.)

Valley View is the kinda of place I cherish in my travels. A local guy builds a fun beautiful course and the native golfing community loves  it and supports it. It’s in great condition and has a reasonable rate. It’s a solid choice should one find himself in the Mansfield-Bucyrus-Shelby area. I give it a solid 4 (above average)(worth driving 30-45 minutes to play).