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.)