Devou Park Golf Course (Covington, KY)

Devou Park is the first exit in Kentucky as you go over the Ohio River on the I-71 bridge. The park has 700 acres and is a wonderful asset full of recreational activities that includes an 18 golf course. It’s very hilly and rests on the top of the ridge overlooking the city of Cincinnati.

Devou Park is a fun municipal course full of exciting features that offsets its drawbacks. It started off as a nine hole course before expanding to eighteen holes in 1995. Club professional John Brophy did the original holes in 1922. These holes are the ones that occupy the center of the property today. Gene Bates work goes around them, and even crosses the road to play next to the Behring-Crawford Museum and Northern Kentucky Children’s Home.

(The 533/523 yard par five fourth illustrates the insane lack of width that is given to golfers off the tee on the Bates holes that play on the extreme part of the golf course. Thankfully the tees are usually moved up and the player can hit a three wood. The hole opens up after this but what a daunting drive!)  

(Check out Brophy’s work on the 347/325 yard uphill second. A fun drive over the valley followed by a wedge into a banked hillside green. Note the first hole in the distance and the tremendous amount of pitch in the fairway.)

The rugged landscape of the interior holes are really impressive. Driving in, one sees all these tee boxes and greens benched into hillsides and atop of ridges. The juices get flowing right away, and the excitement of driving over all these cool landforms begins even before pulling the clubs out of the car. Just like I mentioned at North Park, the old architecture attacked this type of topography without any preconceived notions. The main focus was on engaging shots. 

(The 401/377 yard par four ninth plays downhill to a fairway that weaves it’s way between two hills…

…the second shot is all uphill to a back to front sloped green. The front is just sloped enough that anything short will roll back into the rough.) 

(My favorite hole is the 310/288 yard thirteenth. The top of the hill is the best spot to be for the approach but can one control the urge not to bomb it from the tee…
…there’s fairway below the wall of rough for long hitters. The green is nicely positioned for a short pitch. The putting surface slopes to the right.) 

The newer holes literally play on the edge of the ridge. They struggle with having enough width especially on the drives. Some of the holes work out fine, and of course, the signature fifth which tees off behind the museum and finishes with an incredible view of the city is first rate. 

(The 342/332 yard par four fifteenth doglegs up the hill above the valley. It offers several options ranging from laying up to the far left corner to driving over the cart path to the front left corner of the green…

…the green has a few challenging pins that take advantage of its perched location. I love how all these cool holes are short par fours that can be played in multiple ways.) 

Devou Park has a great atmosphere! It reminded me of Oglebay with all the cool attractions. It’s F-U-N ! I know the back tees supposedly max out at 6100 but only if they’re measuring the back of the tee box to the back of the green on every hole. The park brings in many people and there’s no way the course doesn’t lure a good percentage of them to try the game. This place has that type of pull in my opinion. It may not be a serious course but it’s a good time. I give Devou Park a 3 (average)(worth driving 15-30 minutes to play). 

(The 156/139 yard par three seventeenth plays way less than it’s listed yardage. The long slender green is angled with drop offs on the entire right side. It’s only a short iron shot, but your eyes won’t leave the ball as it hangs in the air, descending hopefully onto the green.) 

(The view from the Drees Pavilion is amazing! It’s one of the park’s biggest attractions and for good reason. Photographers, lovers, and families all soak in the view from the hillside. Devou Park is a gem.) 

Dale Hollow State Park Golf Course (Burkesville, KY)

Dale Hollow is my 350th post. I originally wanted to go somewhere well known, a place that would really make a splash, but instead I choose this relatively hidden gem that is starting to get some national recognition. In Golf Digest’s 2021/22 best courses in each state, Dale Hollow was the only public course listed. This out of the way place is located in a remote area about two hours east of Cave City on the Kentucky/Tennessee border. 

Designed by Brian Ault in 2003, Dale Hollow occupies a rugged piece of property chocked full of rock outcroppings and severe elevation change.The routing will take you along ridge lines, across side slopes, and over deep ravines. One will definitely say wow several times during the round. 

(The 374/342 yard opening par four is a great chance to start with a birdie. The hole plays downhill and a draw off the right bunker will scoot down the slope into flip wedge range.)  

(After two short par fours to start, the 240/228 yard par three third will make your palms sweat as you try to decipher the exact yardage the hole is playing. Fairway short of the green makes that the obvious miss as anything long is a lost ball. Enjoy the view!)

Dale Hollow has bent greens and zoysia fairways which are beautiful surfaces to play on. The zoysia grass has a larger blade so the ball sits up higher. This produces a little bit more carry from the fairway shots and more spin with the short irons. Chipping becomes easier too since sits up so nicely.  Zoysia is a prominent grass in the southeastern states because it’s drought resistant and handles traffic well. It does brown up when the temperature goes down but I love the brown hue, especially against the bent grass greens.

(The 533/511 yard par five fourth plays downhill before doglegging right. The fairway bunkers are perfectly positioned to force a decision on the second shot…

…as this view shows, most pin positions can be attacked with aggressive play, but a rear right flag must be treated with caution. Even putting from the center to that section is tricky.) 

(The 197/187 yard par three fifth is a long carry over a deep ravine. It plays slightly uphill with fairway covering the front. A couple swales make for interesting recoveries…
…the two forward tees play from a completely different angle. The left trap should be taken out so the ladies can run the ball onto the green but otherwise it’s a terrific solution given the carry would be too far even from the front of the men’s tee. ) 

This is my first Brian Ault course and I’m duly impressed. It was a difficult piece of property and he did a tremendous job coming up with an engaging yet fair golf course. I’m sure the purists will point out the almost nonexistent ability to walk it but with topography like this, I’m willing to give him a pass. The par threes are fantastic! They’re four different holes but each one is memorable with its own personality. The fifteenth is considered by many as the best par three in Kentucky! All the par fives play downhill from the tee, giving the long hitter an opportunity to reach them in two shots. Meanwhile, the par fours come in all sort of lengths, playing uphill and downhill. This is one of the times where the saying “you’ll hit every club in your bag” applies. 

(The 441/389 yard uphill par four sixth plays on a hog back fairway. It’s a very demanding tee shot followed by a long iron to an accessible green.) 

(The 363/326 yard par four seventh should be a birdie opportunity, but look at that drive over the valley! The left is the best angle but it’s also the longest carry.) 

(The 371/349 yard par four ninth is a slog up the hill. Note the severity between the two levels. It plays a good 2-3 clubs longer on the approach. It’s one of the few mediocre holes) 

The two sequences that really stand out at Dale Hollow are 3-7 and 12-15. The first sequence is highlighted by two great par threes. The second sequence is even better, and by this time, one expects the golf to be superb. Dale Hollow not only meets that expectation but exceeds it. 

(The 618/564 yard par five twelth plays completely downhill while doglegging left with rock outcroppings guarding the inside of the turn. The player must keep his ball right to get a peek of the green for his third shot. Anything hit left is at the mercy of the rocks.)

(The 462/435 yard par four thirteenth doglegs left with a green cut into a little shelf in the hill. It takes two well struck shots to reach this in regulation and cutting the corner is not recommended. Par here is like a birdie.) 

(The 528/492 yard par five fourteenth is a beauty! This is the view from the ladies tee. The men’s tee is higher up the hill and more to the right. It challenges the player to take the aggressive line and carry it back over the water to wide part of the fairway…

…the second shot is then uphill to a green just beyond a rock wall and bunkers. If one hits a successful drive then it’s only 180-210 yards to the green. It’s a great chance for birdie or possibly an eagle, but it takes confidence to snag it.) 

(Considered the best par three in the entire state of Kentucky, the 194/184 yard fifteenth plays over the tree tops to a green perched atop a finger of land. It’s a slightly downhill shot, and being short is no-man’s land. It’s a euphoric feeling watching your ball soar through the sky and land safely on the putting surface…
…for the ladies, the forward tees play above the green adjacent to the right. If this was the regular tee box, the hole would still be terrific! It’s such a cool concept and I’ve never seen such attention given to make the ladies shot as cool as the men. I love it!!)

Dale Hollow is part of the Kentucky State Park golf system and is one of twelve courses. They’re not all of this caliber, but each one is well kept and several are very good. (I wish Ohio placed as much emphasis on golf at their state parks.) Being part of this golf trail, Dale Hollow comes at a very affordable price. I paid $25 with a cart to play eighteen holes. I believe it’s still under $50 in the summer months. This is a tremendous value! 

(The 371/332 yard par four seventeenth is a nice birdie chance before the daunting eighteenth. The player can either layup to fairway bunker or try to skirt it and run the ball closer to the green. Note the bunker renovation. They’re putting all new sand in them. Personally, I think they could fill 80% of the traps and the course would still be fantastic. The natural features more than challenge the player.) 

I know Kentucky doesn’t scream golf destination, but if one ever wondered how good it is, Dale Hollow has a resounding answer. I am really shocked how good the course is, and I need to credit golfclubatlas for giving me the incentive to play it. The one gentleman from Cincinnati raved about Dale Hollow and I’m very happy for seeking it out. I wish courses like this were given more recognition. I give Dale Hollow a 7 (great)(worth driving 3-4 hours to play).

(The view looking back on the long par three fifth.) 

[Last year at this time, I was blogging my 300th course. It’s amazing to think I’ve blogged 50 more courses in a years time. It’s a lot of fun and I’m having an absolute blast doing it. Many times the journey is as exciting as the golf. It’s a really great experience that I wish more people would do. As for me, I’m sure I’ll be at 400 before you know it!] 

 

Heritage Hill Golf Club (Shepherdsville, KY)

Located just south of Louisville, Heritage Hills oscillates between being ranked one or two on the state’s best public course list. It plays over rolling farmland while dipping into forested terrain with rock outcroppings. Designed in 2007 by Doug Beach, it was selected by Golf Digest as one of the top ten new courses in 2008. 

(The drop shot par three eleventh plays over natural creek bed to green split in two by a rise in the middle. Club selection is critical to hitting to the appropriate section. It’s a real stunner. 181/158/129)

This is the second course I’ve seen this year designed by an associate of Jack Nicklaus. The first one was Rick Jacobson’s Bear Trap Dunes in Delaware and now it’s Doug Beach’s Heritage Hills. I mention this because I see similarities between all three men’s work. The fairways are very wide off the tee and become more challenging the closer one gets to the green. It’s like a funnel and Nicklaus has used this philosophy for years. The approach is typically the key shot and the player who can work it both ways into the green has the advantage.

(The par three second drops down to this angled green surrounded by trouble. A draw is the shot of choice…
…the view looking back shows the beautiful setting the course plays in. It’s a long par three that wastes no time challenging the player. Note the internal contours with today’s pin on a high spot in the center. 214/194/168)

The routing is very good, and the spots where the holes dip into the wooded areas are the highlight of the round. From two through five, the course plays next to the Salt River and gives off a really cool vibe. Several rock outcroppings makes this feel almost like a hike and the wildlife seen by the water adds to that feeling. The front nine has a 3-3-3 configuration with an equal amount of par fives, fours, and threes. One does not play the same par hole twice in a row until the back nine. 

(How can the tee box on the par four third not excite you?! The walk up the stone steps is plenty cool…
…the view from the back tee is pretty awesome. The drive plays through a chute. The tee box below is where I played, and the fairway bunker was more of an aiming point as I easily carried it…
…the fairway doglegs slightly back to the tree line and the green is well bunkered in front. A par is a good score. 435/423/393)

(The par three seventh plays over rolling terrain to a green tucked atop of a knob. The wind is a major concern as the distance is quite challenging…
…this view shows the extreme amount of slope short of the green. The bunkers on the right actually save your ball from a worse fate. Nothing on the left provides that relief. A back right pin placement should not be fooled with. 220/206/181)

The back nine plays on more open land and the holes have a pastoral feel to them. Beach incorporates more bunkering on this side and besides the gorgeous eleventh, the holes don’t interact with the forested areas any more.  In fact, the fourteenth and fifteenth holes play through some low density housing and the views stall in this sequence. The last three holes push towards a large hill where the eighteenth tee sits seventy-five feet above the fairway and has terrific views of the countryside. 

(The par five tenth has a cluster of bunkers that force the player to decide what angle he’s attempting to obtain. Laying back is the best way to attack today’s pin position. The longer player can carry the sand and take advantage of his strength. 555/543/481)

(Like the tenth, the sixteenth is a par five with bunkers crossing short of the green. Once again the long hitter has a decided advantage, but the player who can get a good angle will get a reasonable birdie chance. 538/526/503)

Heritage Hills is in excellent condition year round. The tee boxes and fairways are zoysia while the greens are bent. In the pictures, one can see the zoysia is already going dormant but it still provides a beautiful surface to strike the ball from. The reason is that zoysia is a larger blade of grass. The ball sits up on it like new driving range mat. Zoysia also requires less water to maintain so it really is a win-win for the golf course. 

(The seventeenth hole doglegs slightly right to this beautiful green complex. A mound on the right side can be used to feed the ball back onto the putting surface. I love the look of the rock which contrasts well with the other colors. It shouldn’t come into play but one never knows. 432/396/353)

(The final hole plays from an elevated tee box to a fairway that doglegs around the water. It’s not a long hole so driver is not necessarily needed off the tee…
…what is needed is a confident drive that plays close to the water to shorten the approach and to get a straightforward shot. Players who bail out right or lose it far right will be struggling to reach this green in regulation…
…the long hitter may have a chance to drive this green. Depending on the tee box, it can be under 280 yards. It is downhill and if downwind could be a very doable shot. It’s a terrific hole that finishes off the round in style. 377/359/331)

Heritage Hills is a wonderful golf course with a lot of variety to it. It has the length to handle the high caliber player and can easily host any type of state or local tournament. However, I’m a little perplexed by its status as the number one, or even number two course in Kentucky. I’m curious if it’s proximity to Louisville is what elevates it. Or maybe its championship length and conditioning gives it an edge. Comparing it to other great courses I’ve seen, it lacks the landforms to be so highly rated. Regardless, I had a great time and it is definitely worth a visit if driving South on the I-65 corridor. I give Heritage Hills a 6 (very good)(worth driving two hours to play).

(The short par four thirteenth is the only uphill hole at Heritage Hill. The long narrow green is angled just enough to make it hard to hit even with a short iron. 348/334/317)