Butler’s Golf Course - Woodside (Elizabeth, PA)

Butler’s is a family owned golf course that has been in business for nearly 100 years. It has grown a local following and is the type of place that often times gets overlooked. While municipal courses have been getting a surge of recognition lately, it’s the mom n pop courses that are contracting out of the game as developers offer large sums for what is often times prime real estate. That makes a place like Butler’s, which has two golf courses, even more special. 

Woodside is the original course at Butler’s and was designed in 1928. It maneuvers around the property in yeoman’s fashion, offering nice vistas where applicable, and demanding precision for most everything else. The beginning holes look like they were added on to help the Lakeside course, but starting at the sixth, the golfer will be challenged with several solid golf holes. 

(The 392 yard par four fourth has a distinctive slope that most balls will be hard pressed to finish in the fairway. The first four holes play on this type of terrain, and the golfer needs to aim high on the hill and let it trundle down.) 

(The 322 yard fifth is where one starts playing the original course. The bunkering gives it away as the next fourteen holes feature these small sand pits guarding the greens.) 

I’m curious who designed the course. The routing takes advantage of all the good undulations in the property. The way it works up and down the long slope of the hill is classic, and the ones that play across the terrain add another dimension of depth control and distance. The sand pits guard the front flanks and challenge those not coming from the fairway. It reminds me a lot of the old Maplecrest down in Tallmadge that no longer exists. Good players have a great shot at going low while high and mid handicaps eye the 80 mark for a possible personal best. 

(The 352 yard par four eleventh is well bunkered with some tricky pin positions requiring an excellent approach shot.)

(The downhill par three thirteenth plays 161 yards with a elevated bunker guarding the left side and falloffs right and long…

…the view from the tee is pure western Pennsylvania.) 

Woodside starts off slow but starting at the sixth, the golf gets much better. The last four holes plus the entire back nine are give and take with birdie opportunities sprinkled with tough pars. Several holes have great views and the routing does a fine job of climbing and descending the main hill. The last three holes are very good, all par fours playing over 410 yards. Any quality round will need to end strong. 

(The 411 yard par four sixteenth plays uphill to a severely pinched green. Check out the depth of the front left bunker. Missing on that side is instant bogey.)

(The 420 yard par four eighteenth plays downhill then back up to a green bracketed in front by two deep traps. It’s a small target with a hybrid to long iron in hand. A par is a really good score. Should one play the last three in even, surely he will gain a few strokes on his opponent.) 

The folks who own Butler’s have a good thing going here. Two golf courses, a restaurant, and even a bed n breakfast makes this a prime venue for the Pittsburgh golfing public. Everything is well done and I’m sure it has many faithful patrons who appreciate having two courses to choose. Im always intrigued by business models and what works in todays world. Here in northeast Ohio, Mallard Creek and Bob ‘O Links are two 36 hole facilities that do very well with both daily fee players and outings. Butler’s possesses that same advantage except their courses are better. I give Woodside a high 4 (above average)(worth driving 30-45 minutes to play). 

(The 168 yard par three fifteenth is well bunkered with a large pine backdrop that frames the hole well. It’s all about the wind and plays slightly uphill too. Four pars to end the round is solid playing.) 

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.]

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!]