For most golfers, the four uphill holes (6,9,14,18) will be what they remember the most. Each one sits high on the hill and are difficult to gauge. Both fourteen and eighteen are par fives so a short iron alleviates the problem of getting the ball elevated enough to hit the green. Nine is a short par four that can be handled without much hardship. The sixth however is a different animal. It’s a strong par four that often times requires a mid to long iron shot. Getting the ball airborne and having it hold the green will require a great amount of skill.
(The 374/361 yard opening hole starts with downhill tee shot. Hopefully some good range time allows a full shoulder turn and a powerful drive down the middle.)
(The 402/372 yard par four fourth offers another downhill tee shot to launch the ball…
…the hole doglegs right and the long hitter must take care not to block it into the water. Usually a good drive leaves a short iron and good opportunity for birdie.)
What goes up must come down! And at Columbia Hills, the golfer enjoys several downhill tee shots! I find it interesting that a few of these are short par fours including the driveable sixteenth. Club selection from the tee can change drastically depending on course conditions. Even the tenth might be reachable for the long hitter.
(The 168/145 yard par three fifth is one of the few times you’re hitting over the river and it’s the only green pressed against it.)
(The 408/388 yard par four sixth is the toughest hole on the course. Look how abrupt the elevation change is! The wise player will have seen the pin placement while hitting his tee shot on the fourth. Note the grass circle on the left. A large tree once guarded this green! Four is a great score!)
On a personal note, I targeted Columbia Hills for a visit because it’s a Harold Paddock design. I have played all his northeast Ohio courses and this is the only one that is private. (He added nine holes to Oberlin which is also private) I’ve always felt his work at Sugarbush and Pine Hills were his best. They are both on rolling pieces of property. Columbia Hills has a touch of that, but overall, the course is flat. Even on the downhill holes, the fairways are dead flat. This leads to the greens which are somewhat bland. The second green is elevated (wonder if it was redone due to flooding) and the rest are at grade with the fairways. The par threes are surprisingly short. (Even Ironwood has a couple 200 yarders) Both three and eleven are short irons and the only one I feel is memorable is fifteen.
(The drive on the 422/401 yard par four twelth is a butt pucker! While not technically a chute, the gap between the trees in the distance is narrow. A four is a good score.)
(The 509/481 yard par five fourteenth is my favorite hole on the course. The tee shot plays alongside the river, often a layup since the hazard cuts across the fairway. I love the look of the green atop the hill. A well placed second shot will leave only a wedge for the third. I wonder if the long hitter can carry the river off the tee? A shot just short of it will leave 240 yards to the green.)
(The 196/178 yard par three fifteenth is an intimidating shot over a valley to a well bunkered green. Long is death! The putting surface slopes strongly to the front. The tree midway on the right surely catches shots hit offline. Mercifully a drop zone up by the green keeps damages to a minimum otherwise you could see some very big numbers.)
(The 324/300 yard par four sixteenth comes at the right time for some old fashion glory. The large tree just right of the bunker is the line to the green. It’s a fun hole that sees a variety of scores!)
Columbia Hills is one of the few private courses on the west side of Cleveland and it’s location in the southwestern suburbs makes it a convenient and popular choice. The membership must be really great because the course itself is player friendly and not very difficult except for a few tough holes. As much as I enjoyed it, and it was in great shape, I can only give it a 4 (above average)(worth driving 30-45 minutes to play).
[we played in an ICPGA event from the white tees playing just over 6,000 yards. It had rained hard a few days earlier and the course was very soft. The holes played longer as the ball pretty much stopped where it hit. Scott had a terrific day, holing out for birdie on the first hole and making several long putts on the back. I played solid golf, with only 3,4, or 5 on the scorecard. I chipped in on seven but my three quarter pitching wedge on sixteen to four feet was my favorite shot. My swing is slowly coming back.]
(I’m a big fan of courses that go the extra mile with their landscaping. Such features brighten up the atmosphere. Out of view is the concession house. Four holes (3,4,6,7) share this area.)
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