Belmont Golf Course (Richmond, VA)

The past few years I’ve been writing about the “munaisance” movement permeating golf architecture at the city level. Richmond experienced this trend in 2020 when the county invested money into Belmont Golf Course, a 1917 Tillinghast design that held the 1949 PGA Championship (Sam Snead won 3&2) however, it isn’t a traditional renovation but rather a revolutionary one. The Love Design team with lead architect Scot Sherman decided on a 12 hole course complimented by a six hole par three course, a putting course, and full scale practice facility.

There’s been a big push to “play it forward” and “play nine” but the twelve hole concept, which was novel to me, won me over with a great routing, stimulating architecture, and a pace that was just over a couple hours. I thought it was the perfect compromise as eighteen is sometimes too much and nine is not enough. Jack Nicklaus lobbied for this concept a couple decades ago, and Belmont may be the catalyst for other forward thinking projects. Maybe a great piece of land can’t yield eighteen holes but could twelve, or instead of a municipality closing their golf asset, they convert it to this model.

(The 320 yard opening hole plays downhill to this receptive green that is well defended by sand. There are multiple options off the tee, but the one that finds the fairway will lead to a good scoring opportunity.)

(The 505 yard par five fourth plays slightly downhill before going uphill to a green fronted by a hazard. The second shot is most important as bunkers guard the right and a ravine protects the left. A smart, well executed attack will produce a good birdie chance.)

(After a couple back to back par fives at three and four, the 450 yard par four fifth strives to secure any stroke you may have gained on the previous two. With the boundary line down the right, a forbidding cross bunker on the left fifty yards short, many will play this like a third par five.)

The first three holes play on the clubhouse side before one goes through a tunnel to play 4-11 on the south side. The southern parcel of land has good movement to it including elevation change, a creek that defines the eastern boundary and grassy ravine that influences play on four holes. Another trip through the tunnel brings us back to the starter’s shed to play a par three that lies perpendicular to the opening hole.

(The 180 yard par three seventh plays downhill to green ringed by bunkers. Good internal contouring will funnel most shots towards today’s pin position on the right. The back left will prove the hardest to get close.)

(The 310 yard par four tenth is a really fun hole with a centerline bunker being a great aiming point for conservative and aggressive strategies. Note the hillside that frames the outside of this dogleg right hole. Long hitters could try to cut it off the far end and drive it…

…the putting surface is tucked into a corner of the property with the creek guarding the entire right side. It’s the toughest green on the course too with a lot of contouring in it. Birdie will be well earned.)

I was really impressed with Belmont and could see this being my home course if I lived in town. I think as an introductory progression to new golfers or as a father spending time with their children, the option to play the par three course or even goof off on the putting course, makes this a cool experience. The price point is excellent too. I paid $45 for the twelve holes. I think this place deserves more national recognition, especially when other high end facilities offer similar offerings for quadruple the price. I give Belmont a solid 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play).

(I played with a local golfer and we had the first tee time of the day (7:24) and finished in just over two hours (9:40). I played the Ross tees which if add 7-9 to the first six holes would equal 3,290 yards. That’s a good comparison for those wondering what the length equivalent is.)

(The 430 yard par four eleventh plays uphill to a blind green atop the rise. It’s open in the front for a low runner but if you bail left, a bunker 40-50 yards short will trap you.)

(A set of cross bunkers provides the strategy on the 475 yards par five third. Note the deep lip as the ball goes further into the trap. Avoid the fairway bunkers!)

(On a personal note, this is blog #485. Let the countdown begin for 500!!!)

Sleepy Hollow Golf Course (Brecksville, OH)

Sleepy Hollow is consistently ranked as one of the top municipal courses in America, and is arguably the best public course in Ohio. Designed in 1924 by Stanley Thompson, the course takes full advantage of the sloping terrain, deep ravines, and cool landforms left behind by the retreating glaciers. The greens are pitted with steep slopes that tilt left, right, forward, and away. “Stay below the hole” is a mantra heard at many old school courses, but here, it’s the key to survival. 

Sleepy Hollow captures your imagination right from the start. There’s the great view from the clubhouse; the eighteenth hole rippling its way back to a well bunkered green; the tenth expanding out across the valley to a wide fairway. You know you’re somewhere special the moment you step onto the course. Everything about it looks and feels different from most of the other layouts close by. It can be intimidating, especially if it’s your first time here, or if you’re used to playing at a more playable facility. 

(The 213/204 yard par three second plays slightly uphill to a two tiered green protected by bunkers and a deep ravine. The old yardage book used to suggest playing it like a par four. The slope in the middle section of the putting surface is very severe. Originally, this was two separate greens that was converted into one, thus the different playing characteristics between the front and back halves. Par is a great score!) 

(The 466/454 yard par four third demands a long drive, preferably a tight draw down the right that finds the speed slot. Any kind of poor tee shot will likely result in a pitch out to the end of the fairway. For the short hitter, covering the valley that cuts across the hole should be the goal. Par is much easier from the fairway short. Truly one of the great par fours in northeast Ohio.)

Sleepy Hollow is routed on top of a long ridge. Both nines play downhill before tacking their way back up to the clubhouse. It is a challenging walk. The course will examine both your physical endurance and your golfing skill. Be patient. There’s only a handful of birdie holes. You’re going to get pounded with a plethora of long par fours. Several of them you’ll only want to play to the first third of the green. The putting surfaces are wicked and being pin high or above the cup is an easy three putt, and maybe even a four putt. The landforms are used in a lot of cool ways and you’ll have to negotiate them while still placing yourself in good position. Often times this won’t be the case and a deft touch will be needed to avoid a big number or to secure par. The entire round is engaging without any lulls or breathers. It’s a true championship experience. 

(The 433/423 yard par four tenth has a deep swale crossing the hole off the tee. Most will want to be short of it, leaving a long iron from a relatively flat lie to a small green. Originally, the hole played as a par five, and carrying the swale in two strokes was key to setting up a birdie. A four is a good start to the back nine.)

(The ravines are used in multiple ways at Sleepy Hollow and here at the 411/392 yard par four thirteenth, a walking bridge takes you over to a set of tee boxes tucked into a wooded corner. This is an unusual hole as the green drops below eye level on the backside of the hill. A couple bunkers block any chance of the ball running on, forcing an aerial approach. As a short hitter, getting a long iron or hybrid to stop on the green requires a high shot. It’s a tough par.) 

(The 321/301 yard par four fifteenth is one of my favorite holes. Don’t be complacent on the drive. You need to be in the fairway. The green sits atop a plateau with steep falloffs at every angle. The putting surface is steep. Any putt not directly below the hole will break a foot or more. Being aggressive is a real gamble but with a short iron, or even a wedge in your hand, the temptation is hard to resist.) 

(The 367/360 yard par four sixteenth has a half pipe valley cutting through the fairway. The left side is the garden spot, leaving a flatter lie and being level with the green. It takes a very precise tee shot to stay up there. Most will let the terrain funnel the ball to the lower level but the lie or stance may be complicated. It’s a birdie opportunity if you can avoid an awkward second shot.) 

Like all great courses, Sleepy Hollow is full of history too. Besides being design by “The Toronto Terror” Stanley Thompson, it can boast two two legendary head professionals, Bill Barbour, who still holds the course record with a 63, and Charlie Sifford, one of the greatest African-American golfers who’s ever played. Besides winning the UGA National Negro Open six times, he broke the color barrier on the PGA Tour, and won the 1967 Greater Hartford Open and the 1969 Los Angeles Open. 

(The 374/356 yard par four eighteenth rolls across the terrain and plays to one of the wildest greens on the course. It slopes back left to front right, and has a false front that will spin balls several yards off the putting surface. It’s another example of distance control meets aggression. Birdie opportunities can quickly turn into bogeys. Par is always a nice way to finish.) 

I love Sleepy Hollow. It’s where my love affair with golf began. The Metroparks does a great job maintaining it and they keep it at an affordable price. Recently, there’s been talk about renovating it and Ian Andrews has submitted a plan for doing so, but even he acknowledged the odds of that happening are not in the near future. The Fried Egg guys believe that if it did happen that Sleepy Hollow could become the best municipal course in the country. For golf aficionados, this is a wonderful chance to play an architect whose work is not prevalent in America. I give Sleepy Hollow a 7 (great)(worth driving 3-4 hours to play). 

(Two things about this scorecard. Number one, I like the way the combo tees are easily pointed out to the golfer. Number two, check out the yardage from the tips. The course is only 6,648 yards long but sports a course rating 2.4 strokes over par with a 145 slope. Wow!) 

[Ryan Book wrote an an article about the 497/478 yard par five fourteenth which was referred to as “The Canyon” hole back in 1921. As you can see in this pic, they cut back part of the treeline, and now the green is in view and golfers can give it a rip over the chasm, but back when it first opened, there were no trees, and the view across the ravine (there’s actually a waterfall in it) made it an incredible golf hole. Obviously 1921 is earlier than Stanley Thompson’s 1924 credited design date, so what gives? A 1922 article in The Plain Dealer reveals that nine holes was outlined by a local pair of gentlemen named Harry Bandy and Howard Hollinger. Bandy was the secretary of Cleveland District Golf Association and Hollinger was an impressive golfer who won the 1917 Ohio State Amateur. It’s an interesting article that illustrates how complicated history can be. Check it out.]

https://bethpageblackmetal.com/2020/05/26/ohio-in-50-features-sleepy-hollow-golf-course-and-the-forgotten-abyss/ 

Green Meadows Golf Course (North East, PA)

This was one of the more disappointing courses I’ve checked out. The back nine was chocked full of trees to the point the par threes doglegged. It overshadowed a decently designed front nine and left me with a poor taste in my mouth. I reckon Robert Boyd, who is the architect of record (1975), was also the owner, and maybe he ran out of money or was a super accurate driver of the ball. Either way, a conscience effort to trim back branches and remove multiple trees could make this a local darling among Erie golfers. 

Courses like Green Meadow are very instrumental to introducing people to the game of golf. I think having a nice setting, being in good shape, and being fun are a few of the keys. This course checks those boxes … on the front. Well, the back does play alongside the vineyards and the course as a whole is in fine shape. The price point is great! $21 to walk eighteen holes is 1990s pricing. There’s some good qualities here, for sure, but to travel anything more than twenty minutes is unwarranted. I’m being generous so I’ll give Green Meadows a 3 (average)(worth driving thirty minutes to play). 

#2 503 yards par 5

Favorite Hole: The green on this hole was very cunning. The front edge is not circular but angled, so you can be hole high but in the fairway. That point of green is challenging to get an approach close and anything past the pin is fast. 

Worst Hole:There’s several to choose from on the back but the 291 yard fifteenth is my choice. The back tee was fine but the white tee, where most people were playing, is literally behind a huge stand of trees. My playing partner, who was on his second year, hit a nine iron from the tee just so he could get it over them. 

Diamond in the Rough: The 423 yard par four eighteenth has the potential to be a great finisher. A creek crosses diagonally, forcing a powerful drive down the shorter carry left side. A row of pine trees seventy yards from the green defines the left side. It’s a well contoured putting surface, and if they could get rid of those trees, then this would be an ending worth talking about! 

#17 514 yard par five

(I played the back tees at Green Meadows and did reasonably well on the front nine. A bladed chip on six started a series of unforced errors and saw me bogey the last four holes on the front. When the driver is not your friend, super tight corridors like the back become pitch out fests. An 83 was what I deserved.) 

Old Avalon Golf Course (Warren, OH)

Old Avalon is directly across the street from the Grand Resort. If you ever want to see how much dirt Pete Dye moved to create the Lakes course, pop over here for a round. The place is dead flat. The front is prairie like with an open feel to it while the back is claustrophobic with huge hardwoods lining many of the fairways. A sign on the eleventh tee welcomes golfers to the loop, a five hole stretch (11-15) where you’ll be hard pressed to navigate your ball between the trees and make par. 

I feel sorry for Old Avalon. The city of Warren owns it and they should be doing a much better job running it. Frankly I think the fairways should be wider, especially on the back, and the rough should be cut more often so it’s not so difficult to find the ball. Clover is rampant. Those white little flowers are a nuisance. It’s a shame because the course is a strong test. The architect routed it so there’s a series of long par fours and short par fours. 1,6,7,11,12 are all over 400 yards (three are over 430) while 4,8,18 are under 350 yards. 

(The dogleg left 415 yard par four seventh demands you either drive it long or stay down the right side to have a shot into the green.) 

(The 350 yard par four eighth follows the tough seventh with a decent birdie opportunity if you can avoid going left off the tee. A pond up by the green on the right will persuade long hitters from pulling out driver.)

Old Avalon reminds me of Heather Downs in Toledo. Both have open front nines and heavily treed back nines. The back at Old Avalon however has more doglegs. The size of the trees makes it very challenging to maneuver the ball accurately into position. (The condition of the rough had me wondering which tree was the corner on a few holes.) All the times I’ve stayed and/or played at Avalon Lakes, I never made it over to the Old until now. Truthfully I’m not sure too many people venture across the street to even see it. It does have a good driving range and short game practice area. I give it a 3 (average)(worth driving 15-30 minutes to play). 

(The 550 yard par five seventeenth plays through the trees before doglegging left around a pond to a two tiered green.)

(The 345 yard par four eighteenth has a creek crossing the fairway and a bunker guarding the green. The view of the Grand Resort is literally in your face the entire length of the hole. The difference in price between Old Avalon and Avalon Lakes (separated by a road) is over $100.) 

(The 360 yard par four tenth has the creek playing down the entire right side before the hole doglegs right.) 

East Potomac Golf Links - White Course (District of Columbia)

East Potomac is one of the most energetic, enthusiastic places I’ve seen in my golf travels. The amount of people milling around, on the driving range, practicing their chipping and putting, playing the Blue course, or the nine hole White, or even the par three Red, is like a scene in my dreams where life revolves around golf. Set on the Potomac River, a lively waterfront mixes post round and mid round festivities, making this a cool hang out for any summer evening. 

Robert White designed the 2,943 yard par 34 White course in 1920. Its executive length attracts beginning and intermediate skilled golfers, however, its presentation makes it more interesting than most would admit. The greens are beautifully perched up a few feet above the fairway and are a good representation of what one would find over on the flat linksland of Scotland. The mounding breaks up the sight lines and the bunkering is artfully cut into the base of them. It is not a boring, drab nine holes that barely mimics golf but rather a simple straightforward design that demands quality shots to hit and hold the greens. I would even argue the short game chips and pitches are more challenging than what one finds on Walter Travis’ Blue course. 

(I like the clean look that distinctly differentiates the playing surfaces between fairway, rough, and primary rough. The hazards are clearly defined, a trait not always evident on municipal courses. This is the 285 yard par four fourth. Today’s pin is on the lower tier.) 

(The 247 yard par four fifth is the only hole where bunkers front the green. It’s a dogleg left from the tee with trees, a deep bunker, and mounds encouraging players to play out to the wide fairway right. Imagine a fifty yard pitch to the pin in the picture. Is that a shot a beginner, or even intermediate golfer, would have? 

Note the par three sixth green in the background and how proud it sits above the flat terrain.) 

(The 286 yard par four eighth has a green obscured  from view behind the bunker. Notice how the terrain on the sides of the putting surface catches shots, preventing them from advancing forward.) 

East Potomac prides itself on player development, pointing to all the amenities that encourage golfers to improve. Robert White’s design helps achieve this objective. If he can make a flat, nondescript piece of land interesting, then I’m curious to see how good his other work is. It’s no surprise that he is one of the founding members of the American Society of Golf Course Architects. (First President of PGA of America 1916) (Designed the first putting green on the White House lawn) If you’re looking to play nine holes while in DC, the White course at East Potomac is a fine choice. I give a 4 (above average)(worth driving 30-45 minutes to play). 

(I had to make a trip to DC and found myself with some time to kill on a Friday night. I was paired with a threesome where two guys were teaching the third how to play. I lasted two holes before moving forward without them. They insisted and I didn’t hesitate. I played through three more groups and finished before dark. Sometimes it’s not easy being a single. I shot 37.) 

Medina Country Club (Medina, OH)

Medina has come a long way since I first played it back in the early 1990s. They removed hundreds of trees, giving the course a clean, pastoral look as you peer across the countryside. For many clubs this would be enough, but in 2027, Dave Zinkand will change the routing, add new bunkers, and tweak several holes. It will essentially become a new golf course. 

Medina was designed in 1967 by Jack Kidwell. In order to put 27 holes on the property, he routed only straight holes. On the championship course he used the seldom used combination of five par threes, five par fives, and eight par fours. The par threes have always been the lynchpin, and it’s no coincidence that they are the best holes on the course. The property has good movement with several tee shots hit over the crest of hills. The greens have a variety of shapes and sizes, however, they are all crowned on their sides. Most slope back to front, but a couple feed to the rear, and three of them are two tiered. The course is a lot of fun and yields good scores.

(The 405/375 yard par five opening hole plays shorter than its listed yardage as drives bound down the hill into a shallow valley. A small portion of the green slopes forward with most of it going to the back right corner. Tough green to read. Avoid three putting; be happy with a par.) 

(The 220/185 yard par three third is a great hole! The creek on the left angles in, catching any pull or draw that fails to stop. It even snarls balls hit too strong. This brings the tree on the right even more into play. Par is a very good score.) 

(The 200/180 yard par three fifth is hit from an elevated tee box to a perched green. The two tiered green requires an accurate club selection otherwise one might find himself with a very daunting putt.) 

(The 175/155 yard par three fourteenth is downhill to a forward pitched green. Together with the eleventh, both one shotters on the back nine are good birdie opportunities.) 

The third nine, called Lilac, is opening this summer and will be Ohio’s first reversible course. It’ll be a par 31 with five par threes and four par fours. Dave Zinkand’s work is a preview of what will eventually happen with the big course. The bunkering is very noticeable and pops from the landscape. It’ll be challenging to escape from the steep faced, concaved traps. The heart of this section of property is the creek with is shale stone walls. There’ll be some exciting shots played over and alongside this hazard. For northeast Ohioans, this maybe the most anticipated new course in the past twenty years. (In my opinion, architecturally more interesting than Westfield’s North) 

(#7 clockwise green view…
…and it playing as #2 counterclockwise.) 

(The double green will be #1 and #8 clockwise while only being #8 counterclockwise.) 

I’m thrilled Medina has taken a bold leap to expand in a way that puts Ohio in the national spotlight. Fingers crossed, maybe it’ll provoke someone else into building a new course nearby, especially since we lost so many recently. Even as it is now, Medina is the best course, minus Westfield’s South, in the far southern suburbs of Cleveland. In five years, I’ll be back to revisit Dave Zinkand’s changes. I give Medina a solid 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play). As for the new nine, golf aficionados will be traveling from all over to play it. It might even make the best executive course list. (If there is one) 

(Remember the adage “It’s not how good your good shots are but how bad your poor shots”. My mistakes were quickly punished while my good shots weren’t rewarded or I failed to take advantage of them. My range sessions have been getting better, and I definitely see improvement. My 87 was probably the worst I could have shot.)

(The 580/495 yard par five seventh ends at this pushed up green. The pitch is steep so stay below the hole.) 

(View from sixteen green) 

(The 395/355 yard par four eighteenth used to be a quaint little hole played in the intimate setting of the clubhouse. It is quite surprising how different it looks with all the trees gone. Medina is one of the courses on the ICPGA schedule. It’s an excellent opportunity to play several area private clubs for a modest fee of $75.)