California Golf Course (Cincinnati, OH)

I get an undeniable amount of pleasure seeking out municipal courses that have cool history plus have an architectural pedigree that makes for a fun day. California is a WPA project built in 1935 during the depression. It was built atop a hill overlooking the Ohio River next to the Cincinnati Reservoir. The man who was tapped to be the architect was William Diddel.  

William Diddel is an underrated architect whose work gets overlooked because most of his courses are either municipals or low budget designs. His philosophy reflects his work. He felt that if greens were placed in natural locations then bunkers were not needed to defend them. He was a master at walking a site and routing the course to take advantage of all the best features. His lay of the land approach is economically friendly, and allows the superintendent to focus on maintaining the playing areas in tiptop condition. 

(The 480 yard par five second hole has a significant drop from the upper fairway down to the green. The bunker guarding the right is one of five on the entire course. Short left is the proper leave as the green slopes in that direction. This is the only par five on the course, so there’s a lot of pressure to make four.) 

(After driving past the water pump building, the 393 yard par four third will require this uphill approach…

…there’s plenty of room to land it on the putting surface. The challenge is selecting the correct club. Note the building in the background. It is in play and counts as an unplayable lie. It’s a fantastic par four with an unusual hazard.) 

When you’re trying to incorporate all the best features into a routing, par tends to take a back seat. That’s the only way to explain this par 70 course which possesses one par five and three par threes. There are fourteen par fours which is the most I’ve seen on a golf course. They all range in different lengths. Five of them are 400 plus while two just eke past the 300 yard mark. The other seven go between 350-390. One hardly notices the over abundance of two shotter due to their variety. The routing is excellent and moves throughout the property in exciting fashion. 

(The 307 yard par four fourth looks similar to Langford and Moreau’s style. The green is built up with falloffs all around except for the narrow entrance in front. The pump house lines the left side of the fairway. My playing partner told me that his buddy hit it on the roof once, saw a ladder so he quickly climbed it, found his ball and knocked it onto the green.)

(The 361 yard par four sixth plays next to the reservoir. The elevated green is on the same ridge as the third but it’s smaller with no room short. An extra club could bring the back into play where the bank slopes away into a valley.) 

(I love how each tee box on the par three seventh has steps to climb to the top. Note the service road on the left. It goes around the entire reservoir and is considered in play…

…the 205 yard par three plays over a corner of the water to a large green on top of the hill. It’s steeper than the picture shows so most short shots won’t make the climb to the putting surface.) 

One of my favorite things about old courses is the chance to stumble onto something different. At California, it’s the par three thirteenth. Double greens are nothing new but in my experience one is usually head and shoulders above the other. California has two greens that are equally impressive. 

(The 166 yard par three thirteenth has two greens. This is the left green playing downhill with falloffs left and right…

…the right green is more secluded with a falloff on the right. The hill on the left is like a giant wedge that separates these two putting surfaces. Both are engaging downhill shots and each has it’s individual challenges.) 

(The 401 yard par four twelth is a slight dogleg right that plays in a valley with its green perched on higher ground…

…this is the bookend of four straight 400+ yard par fours starting on the ninth. This is the key stretch for those trying to match par or break their handicap. Note the great upkeep as all the trees are bare yet the ground is not clogged with leaves. Kudos!) 

(The 301 yard par four fourteenth plays downhill before sweeping up to the left. I love how the tiger player must shape his ball if he’s attempting to drive the green. Anything left in the ravine is big trouble. It’s a hard back to front sloping green that makes four a good score.) 

(The 369 yard par four seventeenth plays over a pronounced slope which can be used to propel the ball further down the fairway. The green is elevated with a large tree guarding the right. It’s a wonderfully natural hole with enough nuance to keep golfer on his toes.)

I gather California is a mainstay on most traveling leagues itinerary in the Cincinnati area like several municipals are up here in Northeast Ohio. It’s popular with the locals but it’s notoriety doesn’t extend much past that. As a muni, there’s plenty I could nitpick about, mainly the ill advised location of the cart path on a few holes, but overall, this William Diddel is cleverly routed with strong holes challenging the golfer. If one is in the area, this is a solid place for a game. I give California a 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play). 

(The 384 yard par four eighteenth begins in grand with a drive over the road and the reservoir…
…the golfer must take care not to hit it too far up the fairway where the terrain begins to climb up a diagonal hill…

…the green lies at the edge of the hill with a fall away on the left and false front short. The player has the option to bail out right where he must contend with a downhill chip. It’s a terrific ending hole!)

[It is said that William Diddel shot under his age more than 2000 times. He holds the record at Pinehurst for lowest round under age when he shot 69 at eighty-three years old. He was the 5x Indiana State Amateur Champion. All these are grand achievements but his biggest influence on golf was mentoring Pete Dye. In his book “Bury Me in a Pot Bunker” Dye talks effusively about Diddel. Clearly Diddel’s work is worthy of seeking out.]