Green Hills Golf Course (Clyde, OH)

I was very impressed with Green Hills. Not only were the greens as smooth as any I’ve putted on all year, but several of them were downright treacherous with bold contouring and rolls that even Perry Maxwell would love. From the back tees, which maxes out at 6,521 yards, the course possesses several muscular par fours and the 601 yard par five sixth has to be seen in person. It has a fantastic green perched at the end of a large hill where only the top of the flag can be seen. Don’t mistake this place as your typical country course. It’s a lot more than that. 

(The 450/425 yard par four eighth starts at an elevated tee box and finishes at an elevated green. The putting surface has a sunken front right side and rolls to a back left portion that slopes away. A four is a great score.) 

[Before I hit the first tee, the course was already winning me over. It’s hard to explain, but little things go a long way. The flowers by the tee boxes; the gazebo and wooden benches on the driving range; the tavern that serves as the clubhouse. Excellent stuff!]

(The 489/474 yard par five fifth has a cornfield lining the entire left side. It’s reachable in two shots but the reverse C green has OB left and a hidden pond in the cut on the right. While a front pin position might give up a few eagles, the back ones will give players fits. I’m not sure you could putt from the front right to the back right.) 

(The 110/109 yard drop shot par three fourteenth is a beautiful hole with a creek sliding short of the putting surface. Be careful with how much spin you put on the ball. Enjoy the cows watching on the left. It was a first for me.) 

I haven’t ventured past Eagle Creek in Norwalk for several years (Findlay is the best I’ve seen and Fremont is nice) but MVC has been hyping this course up so I was confident it would be worth the 75 minute drive from my house. Dismiss the goofy short par four second hole, and the other seventeen holes are really solid. The greens on 1,6,8,10,12 are terrific! If conditioning is important to you, then you won’t mind the additional time in the car. I wish it was a tad closer because it would become a CNCGA darling. I give Green Hills a solid 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play). 

(The 358/350 yard eighteenth hole plays up and over a slight rise with a soy bean field marking OB down the left. The two tiered green is nicely defended by traps.) 

(Played the blue tees just over 6,000 yards. I bogeyed the last two holes on the front and the last three holes on the back for a 78. The real key at Green Hills is the putter. I escaped with 0 three putts but I’m positive that’s not the norm.)