River Hills Country Club (Lake Wylie, SC)

A late night rain shower mixed the morning air with the sweet aroma of pine and moisture, flooding my memory with all the great spring golf trips we made to Columbia SC back in the ‘90s. River Hills is very similar to many of the courses we played then. The hilly property and Bermuda grass pose a distinct challenge that requires acclimation.

Willard Byrd designed River Hills in 1972. His work is found mostly throughout the southeastern part of the United States. He specialized in routing courses for housing developments and resorts. Architecturally, his principles focus on playability and maintenance.

(The 357/335 yard par four second plays down and up a “V” shaped valley. Personally, these are my least favorite as the approach shot is off a steep uphill lie. Two bunkers are cut into the front left and right sides of the green, hiding the putting surface from view.)

(The 180/166 yard par three fifth is slightly uphill with a green bracketed by bunkers and a raised back tier on the right. It’s a small target to find and the rear section is several clubs longer. Regardless of the pin location, a three is a tough task.)

(The 369/356 yard par four seventh doglegs left off the tee and plays to this beautifully situated green. Note the bunkering and how the edges drop down into the sand. They’re very “pit like” and can be challenging for some players to physically get in and out.)

(The 394/367 yard par four eighth doglegs right while climbing up a pronounced hill. The second shot plays at least two clubs longer and the putting surface is out of view.)

River Hills has a lot of variety to it. There are both doglegs left and right (3R,8L) as well as uphill and downhill holes (9U,5D). It’s a very demanding tee ball course. The uphill holes play very long so there’s pressure to hit it as far as you can, while on a few holes, the angle and trees make for uncomfortable tee shots. At least half the greens are blind or semi blind from the fairway. The course reminds me of Crickentree and Cobblestone Park, two courses in the Columbia area that we played on our spring trips. Many of us were single digit handicaps and both of these places would drub us. River Hills is the same quality. Breaking 80 is a good achievement.

(The 173/158 yard par three eleventh is on a steep incline with the flagstick the only thing in view. Selecting the correct club, often two more than usual, might put doubt in your head. Be confident and swing away.)

(The 558/519 yard par five twelth is one of the few downhill holes. A fairway bunker forces your hand on where you want to hit your second shot. Note how the green nearly stands alone as the terrain scuttles balls away. The long hitter will have his work cut out to hit this in two.)

Being in a housing development, there are several drawbacks River Hills possesses. Walking is a nonstarter as long green to tee transitions are found throughout. OB is present on many, if not all the holes. They’re not in your face, which is a blessing, but don’t be surprised when your poor shot finds it. Lake Wylie only touches the course twice, behind thirteen green, and thirty yards short of the eighteenth putting surface where it breaks up the hole. That said, it’s in top notch shape (greens were rolling 10.5 on the day we played) and the club has a laid back vibe. It’s a really solid course and is worth playing if in the Charlotte area. I give it a 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play).

(Believe it or not, eighteen is one of my favorite holes. It’s a 372/347 yard par four with an arm of Lake Wylie crossing the fairway. There’s a chute to drive the ball through off the tee but three tall pine trees 150 yards away guard the preferred line. It’s so tempting to take the higher lofted club and blast over them, but woe is the golfer who fails to cover. A good drive makes this a good birdie opportunity.)

(Claire is a member at River Hills and was gracious to host me. I played with her friend Gary, and her grandson Morgan, a twelve year who is playing many regional junior events. I played the blue tees at 6,289 while they played the whites at 5,735. Morgan had the only birdies of the day, stuffing tee shots on both par threes on the front. I hit a lot of poor drives, leaving just advancement as second shot options. I had four really good up n downs which salvaged a respectable score. Blog 490)

(The 216/184 yard par three seventeenth is downhill to a well bunkered green.)

East Liverpool Country Club (East Liverpool, OH)

As recently as five years ago, I would not have had an opportunity to play East Liverpool, but things change fast in rural America, and here, the club has fallen below 100 members making outside play a welcome addition. This is not a new phenomenon and for architecture enthusiasts like myself many of these places are designed by the golden age architects. This one is a nine hole Willie Park Jr design dating back to 1920.

Park’s decision to route every approach shot uphill, including the par threes, makes East Liverpool a very challenging course. There are no flat lies, so one is constantly trying to judge the trajectory and shot shape into the putting surface. Park once said “any man who can putt is a match for anyone.” Trust me, these are greens where you don’t want to be above the hole, and yet those tough sidehill lies don’t always allow such conservative play.

(The 341 yard par four third is a reverse camber dogleg right where getting the proper line off the tee is key…

…the more aggressive shot brings the trees inside the elbow into play but will cut off significant yardage if successful. The green sits on a small shelf benched into the hillside. With no view of the green, it’s very difficult to ascertain the pin position. It’s a sneaky difficult hole.)

(The 541 yard par five fifth plays downhill before turning slightly right and sliding back uphill. A meandering drainage ditch wiggles across the fairway at a diagonal placing pressure on the second shot…

…the green is carved out of the hillside and is semi blind from the fairway…

…this view looking back shows just how much movement this hole has. The green is subdued with mostly back to front tilt. The back third has some flat spots for easier pin positions. It’s an excellent golf hole!)

(The 144 yard par three sixth looks like it possesses only a sliver of green. Note how the bunkers are hidden with only the rolled down grass faces and front mounding giving away their presence.)

(The 612 yard par five eighth is a monster that plays downhill until it reaches a small drainage ditch that creases diagonally across the fairway. The green is fortress-like with a steep slope in front and a fall off into a bunker left…

…looking back reveals just how much one should drive it down the higher side of the fairway. It’ll take two all out blows to get it over the hazard. The green is two tiered with good internal contour. It’s another excellent hole!)

(The 362 yard par four eighteenth has two distinct greens with the one atop the hill playing the hole’s full yardage while the one on the left playing forty yards shorter…

…the shorter green receives the most play. I reckon the aging membership and the opportunity to end on a good note is the overwhelming reason. It’s also a nicely designed green complex that’s crowned on the sides. The one further up the hill is harder to hit with only the top of the flagstick visible. For a nine hole course, it distinguishes the last hole for those making a second loop to play eighteen.)

With the membership dwindling down to two digits, East Liverpool finds itself making do on a shoestring budget. The overgrowth of trees has hindered proper play on the par three fourth and taken away aggressive lines on a couple others. Park’s insistence on making every approach uphill has me wondering if a couple downhill shots would make this a better, more enjoyable experience. Besides the shorter green on eighteen and the opening hole, I would contend there are no true birdie opportunities between 2-8. It is one of the toughest nine hole courses I’ve played. I give it a 4 (above average)(worth driving 30-45 minutes to play).

(I played to both greens on the last hole making a twenty footer for birdie on the short green and a up n down sandy on the long green. A 39/40 depending on what score I took. Blog 489)

Chautauqua Golf Club - Hill Course (Chautauqua, NY)

Be patient with the Hill course. It starts off slow but turns into a rollicking roller coaster from the ninth tee until the final putt on eighteen. It’s an out and in design that transverses the beautiful western New York countryside. It may not be the most sophisticated architecturally, but if conditions mean a lot to you, the greens were the best I’ve played all year.

Hill was designed by Xen Hassenplug, a civil engineer turned golf architect whose work is found mainly in the New York-Pennsylvania-Ohio triad. Working on a severe piece of property like this one, he did a great job routing some cool holes. I’m particularly impressed by the cross sloped ones. I also like that he didn’t make the natural water features the dominant hazard. They’re nuanced with plenty of give for those who don’t want to challenge them.

(The 463/450 yard par five eighth plays straight uphill to this green. After being in the meadow down near the clubhouse, this climb sets in motion the drama for the next ten holes.)

(The 346/298 yard par four tenth doglegs slightly left before ascending to a small shelf of a green. Judging the yardage appropriately will be key. Anything short will tumble back down the fairway.)

(The 473/469 yard par five eleventh demands an accurate tee shot between the trees. One can cheat a bit by playing down the left and getting a favorable bounce…

…from there it’s straight uphill to a green that has one of the few bunkers on the course guarding the front left. It’s a good birdie opportunity if you can negotiate the tee shot.)

(The 386/380 yard par four twelth drops down between two small ponds on either side of the fairway before playing back uphill to the green. Notice how the lay of the land design flows effortlessly without the need for sand traps to provide challenge.)

(The 168/136 yard par three thirteenth provides one of those deep breathe moments. No houses, no noise, just peace and solitude listening to the sounds of nature. It’s a lovely shot to a large green that should yield a stress free par unless you challenge a front pin position.)

(The 388/361 yard par four sixteenth comes out of the trees before doglegging left, dropping downhill, and climbing to another elevated green. It’s beautiful hole but I’m unsure of the mowing lines…

…this view looking back shows plenty of grass in the elbow of the dogleg which shortens the hole. I feel this is the line most players take. Regardless, the green is hard to hit and quite challenging once you arrive.)

The Hill is one of two eighteen hole courses at the Chautauqua Golf Club. Together, they make for an ideal 36 hole golf getaway. (Cleveland is just over two hours away) If the first six holes matched the quality of the last ten, the Hill would be rivaling Peak n Peek’s Upper as the best course in the area. Nonetheless, it’s super fun, very playable, and a great value at $58. I know my friends love Deer Ridge in Belleville, and I think they’d have the same affinity for this place. I give the Hills a solid 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play).

(The 389/365 yard eighteenth completes the round with a dogleg right downhill par four. One can fly his approach to the green or use the tumbling fairway to run the ball on.)

(I played the white tees at 5,961 yards. The swing changes from my lesson seem to be paying off and I’m getting more comfortable trusting them on the course. I tied my best round of the year, but the 11 GIR tell me it could’ve been a few strokes better. Golf is a funny game. I shot a 94 the day before. Blog 488)

Giants Ridge - Quarry (Biwabik, MN)

#35 Top 100 Public USA (Golf Digest)

#68 Top 100 Public USA (Golf Magazine)

#36 Top 100 USA Resort (GolfWeek)

#44 Top 100 USA Public (GolfWeek)

#1 Best Public Courses Minnesota (GolfWeek)

Taking a page out of Mike Strantz’ book, Jeff Brauer created a wild, raucous ride full of heart pounding holes and cool shots. Like Tobacco Road, it plays easier than it looks. Wide fairways and multiple options allow players to choose how daring or conservative they want to be. The rich Northland terrain fits beautifully with the scale of the course, a mix of hardwoods, fauna, rock piles, and old quarry remnants.

(The 575/558/525 yard par five second can be played many different ways but the temptation to play it as a straightaway hole is there for the tiger golfer. Most of us will tack our way around the hazard, trying to obtain a good angle for our third…

…the central bunker is the last line of defense against the long hitter while squeezing the angle for short hitter coming from the side. It’s a terrific par five with many options to make it exciting for every level of player.)

(The 369/346/313 yard sixth is a great drive and pitch par four featuring a thrilling tee shot over a quarry…

…as this pic shows, the pitch portion of the hole is to a massive green full of great pin locations. Today’s flag is tucked onto a tiny tier in the back right corner. While this Sunday pin is hard to negotiate, most others are very accessible. My only thought is do they ever stick the pin in the sunken “bath tub” seen on the left side of the picture?)

(The 189/175/142 yard par three seventh plays over another quarry to an unusual green where the front half is three times wider than the back. Imagine a pin squeezed into the far left or far right. How juicy would it be hitting to those flags?!)

I saw a lot similarities with Tobacco Road, many times on the par fives where the low index player can take on risk and be rewarded with a shorter shot. It even has a dell type green where the flag can be hidden behind a hill, reminiscent of Tobacco’s famous par five thirteenth. The par fours are terrific, and the three short ones in particular are excellent. The past several years, the drive and pitch has been forlorn for the dramatic driveable hole, but the Quarry reminds us how exciting these types are, and for good measure, has one of the best driveable par fours in the country. It’s no surprise they’re my favorite holes on the course.

(The 377/353/325 yard par four ninth has a wide fairway that bottlenecks between two large hills. A shot down the left leaves the best angle while an indifferent strike to the right can be blocked out…

…the passage through the neck is quite narrow. Notice how unfavorable drives from the tee can leave very tricky approach shots.)

(The 323/296/275 yard par four thirteenth is the hole everyone associates with Giants Ridge. A centerline bunker forces a decision between laying back, hitting to the lower right, or playing to the upper left. The large green is angled so it’s thirty yards less to carry to the right side of the green…

…it is a wall of rough fronting the green so aggressive players best not be short. This is the view from the upper left where every pin is in view…

…being short or on the lower right leaves a blind to semi blind shot. It’s a classic 2 or 7 hole. Architecture rarely gets better than this!)

The Quarry has been getting accolades since it opened in 2003. It won Best New Course that year, and climbed the rankings to the 18th best public course in America before settling in the mid 30s. The unfortunate truth is that the last two holes play on the land by the clubhouse, away from the first sixteen. It makes for a long transition between 16-17, and creates an awkward last hole. Brauer acknowledged this much in an interview and commented they thought about making eighteen a par three over the corner of the lake. Regardless, the course is such high quality, I’m willing to let a few blemishes slide. I give Giants Ridge Quarry an 8 (excellent)(worth spending a weekend to play).

(The 513/499/454 yard par five fourteenth plays uphill to a saddled green that hides behind two ridges. Today’s pin is on the right, just out of view from the left fairway. Imagine how it looks from the center or right half. Strantz would love it!)

(One of my better rounds this year unfortunately. If I didn’t have 170 yards or less, I’d lay up and take my chances with my short game. Not a bad score playing with that mentality. I played the white tees at 6,101 yards. The course is in excellent shape and the $140 price tag is a great value considering it’s ranked inside the top 50. Minnesota is the 32 state I’ve played in.)

(454/431/398 par four fifteenth has an interrupted fairway. The approach is 180-200 from this view.)

(The 558/502/473 par five sixteenth is an excellent driving hole. Bailing out right makes second shot an intimidating one over a cross hazard. Excellent green!)

(The 220/181/156 yard seventeenth is a straightforward hole and relatively easy if you refrain from being too aggressive. Plenty of green to hit from the tee.)

(The 468/448/408 yard eighteenth hole doglegs left. A draw is optimal but it’s a longer carry than you think. The fairway does run out before tumbling over the ravine into the water…

…the approach is typically 200+ so layup like I did in the pic, or try to work it off the backside of the slope. Right is dead. It’s a tough ending hole.) Blog 487