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/