Black Gold Golf Club (Sugarcreek, OH)

The Mid-Ohio region boasts long views of rolling hills and verdant valleys. Farmlands team with crops and livestock while horses gallop across fenced in fields. Life slows down, literally! Horse drawn buggies share the road with modern vehicles. Its simplicity lets one peer into yesteryear’s challenges. Such riches brings in four million visitors annually, yet surprisingly the region lacks a surplus of quality golf courses. One place has invested in the game, and over the past few years, I have heard it’s name mentioned as a course to check out. I finally got down to Amish Country to see it! 

Formerly known as Willandale, the original course had 27 holes. A gentleman out of Canada bought it, trimmed it to 18, and redid all the greens before renaming it Black Gold. (He made his fortune in the oil business thus the name) The course spreads out over rolling terrain with some beautiful views of the countryside. It does a good job of moving around the hill, offering several different looks. 

(The par four second plays next to the boundary line to this well protected green. Today’s pin is on a steep slope so being above it is an invitation to three putt.)

(The par three fourth hole is over wetlands to a peninsula green. This is the view from the ladies tee which in my opinion might be harder than the men’s tee…
…this pic shows how the water guards the front as well as the back. There is fairway short left if one wants to bailout. It’s a tough little hole especially if there’s any type of wind.) 

(The par four sixth plays uphill to the highest point on the course. The best way to describe the green is to call it whaleback. It has a severe slope in the rear that goes right. The panoramic view is pure Tuscarawas County.) 

Off the tee, Black Gold is wide open. There are a few ponds to watch out for, but overall, the course is pretty generous. The challenge comes from the greens. Several have some pronounced slopes in them, and being out of position will result in an additional stroke. My playing partners and I commented on how on emphatically you can feel the slope in your feet as you stood to make your putt. There’s also greens that slope from front to back, and keeping the ball from running through was a challenge. 

(The downhill par four eleventh plays back towards the clubhouse. It’s a well bunkered green with the central trap demanding an aerial attack. The fairway is offset, curving to this green as a opposed to playing straightaway…

…looking backwards, one can see just how much it plays downhill. This also gives a good indication how much movement there is on the course. Note the homes in the background. They’re not in play but realize that even in Amish country, residential progress fuels golf’s growth.) 

(The downhill thirteenth is a long par three that can be played short and scampered onto the green. Bunkers guard the sides but plenty of room in the front.) 

Back in the day, courses used to grow each year, and add features to one or two particular holes until the layout was finally complete. I wonder if that is what’s going on here. The eighteenth had some unique bunkering guarding its fairway. It makes me wonder if they started by toughening up the last hole, and then will go to others in the upcoming years. With how wide it is off the tee, such a program would definitely give it a “wow” factor. 

(The last hole has two interesting fairway bunkers guarding the left side. They are mounds with sand cut into the bottom and grass is left to grow on top. Note the fairway bunker further ahead in the picture…
…this is a better picture of eighteen. The fairway doglegs around the side slope with the aforementioned bunker protecting the inside angle. The green is fortified by a couple fronting bunkers with just a small opening for a run up shot. Par on this two shotter will be a good score.) 

Black Gold has a chance to establish itself as the go-to course in Amish country, especially on the eastern side. (Believe it or not, the Amish Byway is 76 miles!) We played it in October and the course was in excellent condition. After playing it, I understand why I’ve been hearing it’s name the past two years. Combined with the beautiful Mid-Ohio region, it’s a solid choice to play golf. I give Black Gold a 4 (above average)(worth driving 30-45 minutes to play). 

(The par five sixteenth plays downhill to a green guarded by water. It is reachable for the longer player but it’s a small target from such a long way back. This green has a good left to right slope so bailing out left leaves a very difficult up n down.) 

[I didn’t get a scorecard and all I was able to find was the back tee yardages. From the middle tees, it’s a more playable 6,091 yards.]

(The excellent clubhouse has a restaurant inside during the summer. I know it received high approval from the guys who love hanging around after the round. I love how the back tee on the first hole is in full view for those lounging in the open section. Talk about first tee jitters!)