Longaberger Golf Club (Nashport, OH)

For the past fifteen years, Longaberger has been the number one rated public golf course in Ohio. I'm not sure if there's a more pure golf experience. Being in the foothills of the allegheny mountains, the views and vistas really separate Longaberger from rest of the crowd. 

On the first hole, the size and scale will let the player know this is going to be a great day! 

When one glances at the scorecard, the length catches your attention because it looks and feels longer than what it really is. A good drive leaves a short to mid iron approach. Judging the elevation change and selecting a good club is key. Most find out right away an extra club is best. 

The second follows with a lengthy par four that doglegs left. Playing atop the hill, I like how Art Hills placed the green on the side. It brings the danger on the left more into play. Then the third follows with a classic par four that doglegs left up the hill. 

The safe play is up the right side, but the approach is longer and from a sidehill lie. The aggressive player who can carry the trap will have a much better view and a flatter lie. 

The fourth is our first par five of the day. 

The views are awesome from the tee! What a exciting drive too!! If this doesn't want to make you turn your shoulders and unleash a cork of a drive, then golf isn't your sport! The criticism that I hear bout this hole comes at the second shot. 

There is no bailout area to go for the green in two. The shot would have to be absolutely perfect. I have no problem with that. Of course I'm laying it up and wedging it close anyway, but my opinion is why should there be bailout? There's three other par fives to come that are reachable! Just a beautiful hole! 

Five is a good par three across the valley. 

It takes advantage of a natural hazard and is fun to hit over. That being said, this is the best par three at Longaberger. Art Hills short-changed the place with some underachieving one shotters, especially on the back nine. 

One, six, and eleven are my three favorite holes here. (All three are dogleg right too!)

Six is a driveable par four if the player can carry the traps visible on the right. Art Hills makes that line visually intimating too but it's a bold play that's totally doable if one has the length. A player of my length can try to scoot the ball past the trap to set up a little wedge. Some might argue it's not needed since a prudent drive straightaway leaves 100 yards anyway. But the better view can be gained by being past it. 

Seven is a good par five that doglegs right off the tee before going uphill and bending back to the left. There is plenty of bailout area for those going for it in two. For us shorter hitters, it's imperative to be atop the hill for our third shots if we have any thoughts of getting a birdie. 

Then we come to the eighth, arguably the most memorable hole on the course. 

Looking at pic above, two options are presented. Out to the right the fairway curves around the trees. Down the left it's straightaway, but the drive must carry to the fairway. Having played this hole several times, I can't think of any reason why one would play it from the right. The left side cuts off significant yardage, and the lie is relatively flat. Granted the green is a penisula, but there's plenty of room to bailout right. 

(The view from the right shows just how well protected the eighth green is)

The front nine ends with a solid par three. 

Nine plays across the water with the green perched above it. I've heard it likened to Augusta National's twelfth. The left side is a lil shallower then the right, so a crisp strike is required to find the green. Being long leaves a downhill chip with water waiting for a mishit. Three is a good score. 

Ten is a short par five that is reachable in two. (All those complainers about the fourth should really be quiet after this hole.)

While the green is protected by a small creek, the layup is very ho-hum for the short hitter. It really emphasizes Art Hills underachieving here. As you can tell in the picture, it's a bland looking hole. 

Eleven follows thankfully with my third, and last, favorite hole on the course. 

From the tee, the player is looking at a wide fairway on the left while the right side looks awfully small with the hazard guarding that line. Players who are brazen enough to challenge the hazard are looking at a much easier approach. The green is well defended by a water hazard and the approach from the right plays into the slope. The left side is partially blocked, played from a sidehill lie, and brings the water more into play. It's a great hole! 

The next three holes are the weak link at Longaberger. After playing some good golf, these holes are nonchalant, seen them before on lesser property type of golf holes. And that really is the issue. Hills has all this room to make some awesome golf holes and the 12-14 are boring holes. Twelve is a slightly uphill par three. Mounding behind the green is the view from the tee. Thirteen is a long straightaway par four. It's length is the only real obstacle to overcome. The green does expand out on the right making those pin locations all carry to attack. Fourteen is a par three and the last hole in this sequence. It's similar in look to twelve except its downhill and the mounding is on the left. A picturesque view greets you on tee and gives a glimpse of the last few holes. I guess it's not too horrible a hole. 

Fifteen gets back to Longaberger golf! It's an uphill par four where the pro told me to favor the left and I'd be rewarded with much shorter approach. The right half is more into the hill so the drive  stops quickly. The green is on a little ridge and the shorter approach is much appreciated. It's a tough target to hit a long club in hand. 

Sixteen is a short par five and one that entices players to be aggressive. 

As the pic above shows, the corner of the lake hugs the right side and it's imperative to know how much you can carry. The water etches in the closer you get to the green. A long drive therefore makes it possible to carry the ball all the way to the green. There's little room to run it on, so for a player of my length, that's the biggest concern. The green is two tiered and has an elevated back shelf. It's a fun hole and comes at the right time. 

Seventeen then follows with a mid length par four that doglegs slightly right. Along with eleven, this might be the second most natural looking hole on the back. I'm surprised that the green isn't better defended. A bunker just cries out to be posted on the right. Instead grass is there and doesn't really present too difficult a shot to get up n down. 

Eighteen finishes the round with a monster par four. 

It plays uphill and doglegs to the left. The pro told me that Art Hills tricks you into playing a draw off the tee but the right side will hold the ball up. Instead he said to shoot it just inside the left bunker and he drive will gain a significant amount of yardage. Like the first hole, I think it's size and scale dominates the view and makes it a dramatic finish. 

Longaberger is in the 6 (very good) category of my rating but all the anmenities is what propels it to be rated as the best course in the state. A great clubhouse, a wonderful bar and grill, and nothing but serene and relaxing views in all directions. It really is a golf experience. That being said, Art Hills missed on an opportunity to design a top 25 public golf in the USA. Yes I think the property gave him that chance. 

The Quarry Golf Club (East Canton, OH)

Brian Huntley has been designing some very good courses around northeast Ohio so it was only a matter of time before he would be given a great piece of land. That opportunity arose with The Quarry, and Huntley hit a home run!! 

I personally feel that it's the best course in state. It takes advantage of every great feature on the site, and it is loaded with great views. Each hole is memorable, and demands the golfer to think his way around the course. It is just an absolute blast to play!!

The Quarry starts off with a good par five. The tee offers great views of the course and it really gets you excited to play. 

It's a reachable par five if you can avoid the wetlands off the tee and somehow get the ball to stop on the small green, but for the majority of players, the key is getting a good yardage for the third. Like I mentioned, it's a small green and a gaping bunker fronts it. Good hole! 

Two is a long par four whose fairway tilts towards the left. It's usually into the wind so it plays even longer than the listed yardage. Three follows with a fine par four where a couple Dolly Parton mounds block the view from the tee. Huntley does a good job tying the green in with the bunker and wetlands. Nothing spectacular til this point but the fireworks will soon begin. 

The fourth hole is a driveable par four. 

If you look at the top pic, you're able to see a kick plate coming off the hill. A well placed drive between the high grass on the hill and the center bunker will catch that slope and roll down towards the green. The green is pushed up with fall offs front, left, and rear. If the drive is left of the center bunker then a deft chip is needed to get close to the hole. Therein lies the beauty of the hole. All the chips and pitches round the green are testy including the toughest shot, a 40 yard bunker shot should the drive be pulled just a bit when trying to drive it. 

The fifth is the toughest hole on the front. 

It doglegs around the quarry to the right. The player must decide how much yardage he can carry from the tee. The green can be seen and that tends to entice players to bite off more than they can handle. The conservative strategy is left of the fairway bunker which minimizes the carry but leaves a long approach to the green. The quarry is alongside the hole the entire way. A long iron approach must be just as accurate. 

As you walk to the green, this view greets you. Unknown to the first timer, the par four 14th will play up that hill! 

We finally encounter a par three at the sixth. It's just a little thing, but it packs big bite. 

Water short, ravine long, the wedge shot must be perfect from the tee. While the left pin position does leave some wiggle room, the right side is punishingly exact. A great short par three! 

The drive up the hill to seven tee makes one anticipate the tee shot coming down it. 

Being a par five makes the drive even more enticing. Two great shots can leave one on the green putting for eagle. As you can see in the pic, the putting surface is a good bit up the hill. So the second shot easily plays thirty yards longer. For the shorter hitter, two good shots leave a challenging pitch to the flag. The uphill lie causes players to dump it short in the sand or blade it long over the green. Four is a well earned score. 

The eighth might be my favorite hole on the course. Huntley does a great job letting the natural beauty set the tone and difficulty of this long downhill par four. 

Obviously there's water all down the right but notice not one sand trap is needed to defend par. Visual intimidation is the main defense and it's all carry to the fairway, then into the green. Beautiful hole. Four is a good score. 

Nine is the only hole I consider to be nonchalant. 

A central fronting bunker creates all the interest, especially for front pin positions. It's a mid to short par three so a good chance to end with a birdie. 

The tenth starts the back nine off with a difficult par four. 

It plays a little bit shorter than it's listed yardage which is good considering how well defended the green is. In pic above, the bunker towards the right is where green is divided into two tiers. The back right section requires a shot directly over sand trap. Also, the long hitters must account for the wetlands off the tee that is visible on left. 

The drive on eleven makes this a par five that most will play as a three shot hole. 

The fairway doglegs slightly right with water down the entire left side. Trees on both sides is enough pressure to take a three wood or hybrid from the tee. This is a fine play since you can play the second well clear of the water and hit a short iron third. Not sure if this is a good par five to go for in two. Plenty of bad places to make a bogey, or worse. 

Like three, twelve is on the other side of the lake. Huntley took a big risk here making a very good short par three that he had to know would be criticized simply because it's the second short par three. 

This gull winged beauty has a couple real classic pin positions on the far left and right sides. On the left, the bunker and false front make this a super tough flag to fire at and get the right distance. The right is a bit easier since you can bounce it in. This hole absolutely works! It's such a great shot! I wish more architects weren't afraid to find good holes reguardless of distance. 

The next hole doesn't work quite as well. It's such a punishing precise par four, it borders on the unfair. The drive must be hit straight and long, otherwise it's possible not to have enough club to reach the green. 

I don't even shoot at the green. I aim at the right fairway and try to up n down for par. In the pic above, the green is over the two grass bunkers. You may also notice in the pic how the farther your drive goes, the lie becomes more downhill. It all adds up to a very difficult hole. 

Then we arrive at fourteen, the hole that plays up the cliff to a spectacular elevated view. 

As you can see in the photos, it's a ways uphill, and the rock outcropping is the main feature. The prudent play is a three wood to the right where there's plenty of fairway to attack an open and inviting green. The aggressive player tho can take a crack at carrying the unique hazard, and driving up short of the putting surface. It's another hole I absolutely love! It's fun! It's different! And it makes this course that much more special! 

The reward for the bold routing up the hill is the tremendous view from the fifteenth tee. 

This par five allows players to soak it all in and then decide how aggressive they want to be. A piercing drive down the right side that can skip by the trees leaves a manageable distance to reach the green in two. Down the left makes this a simple three shot hole. 

It's a small green so not an easy target to hit from the valley below. Much like seven, the third is from an uphill lie but a smaller green to hit. It's still a very good birdie opportunity. Then sixteen follows with a dogleg right that drops downhill once it gets over the crest. The green is uphill with a large central bunker fronting. The interesting thing bout this hole is rear tee way back on the hill. They have the option of making this a long par four or a short par five. 

Seventeen is the last par three of the day, and after playing a couple short ones, the only acceptable distance would require a long iron shot....and Huntley delivers with a beautiful downhill par three. 

Played over the corner of the lake, there are several pin locations that get the blood flowing. It's another shot that I love hitting! Plus plenty of short grass if one chooses to bailout. It really solidifies the strength of The Quarry. 

Finally we come to eighteen. It's a solid par four that doglegs left around the water. The imposing clubhouse lies directly behind the green, and it's large veranda allows the membership to watch the action coming in. 

Players choose two distinct lines off the tee. Left leaves a shorter shot, but the approach is all carry. Hitting it close to the OB right leaves a longer shot, but a better angle with less carry. Being a left to right player, this might explain my unusual success here. I've made many birdies here and it's because I can attack the right and rear pin positions without worrying bout the hazard. Nonetheless it's an exciting finish. 

The Quarry is Brian Huntley's best golf course. It surprises me why it doesn't get more fanfare from the publications.  I really believe it's the best course in the state. I give it a 7 (great) rating. Btw, The Quarry is not the best "tournament course". It's quirky and full of local knowledge. But that s why it's #1! 

Springvale (North Olmstead, OH)

ISpringvale is one of the few places I've seen before I actually started playing golf. My father belonged to a league there and I caddied a couple times for him when I was a kid. It s always been known for the party center, where there is a huge ballroom, than it was for the golf.

 Well, things have been changing ever since the city purchased the course. The course is in very good shape and the word is getting out. Being in a prime location just off 480 by Great Northern Mall means more and more players are showing up to check it out. 

I went to check it out a few weeks ago. It was designed in 1956 and the two nines are very different from each other. The front is pretty much pitch n putt. There are many short par fours and it doesn't get interesting til the seventh, a short par five with a pond fronting the green. 

The back nine is much longer and possesses a couple long par fours. 13, 14, 16, and 17 are all in the 400 yard range and require solid play to walk away with a par. The two best holes on the course are also in the back, eleven and eighteen. 

Eleven is a wonderful par five that takes advantage of the valley that crosses the property. The valley is actually the only distinguishing feature on the course and it's no surprise the two best holes use it. 

Eleven is reachable in two shots but from the fairway it looks very intimidating. The green is quite pitched towards the left so the left bunkers are not horrible place to be. However, being long is a nearly impossible up n down. It's a terrific hole!

Eighteen uses the same valley off the tee as the fairway doglegs left around a lake formed by damming the creek that flows thru. What makes this potentially an awesome hole is the ability for the long hitter to drive the green! 

It's an incredibly crazy play, but it's possible! Most players will hit a nice drive past the dogleg and take a chance getting short iron close. Either way, it's a picturesque and memorable finish. 

Springvale used to be a par 72 but nine and seventeen were both shortened into par fours. 

Nine is a well bunkered hole. It doglegs right and the valley that I feel is the best part of the property is not used. Then seventeen is simply shortened. 

You can barely see the bunker in pic above but it guards the left side of the  green. Not bad. 

The par threes are the big disappointment at Springvale. As a whole they are pretty forgetable. Two of them are easy simple shots. So even tho the conditioning is much better, the design makes this a league type of course. Nothing worth seeing. I give it a 3 (average). Eleven and eighteen give it a nudge. 

Madison Country Club (Madison, OH)

Madison CC was designed in 1923 by Sandy Alves, and is probably one of his best preserved designs. Driving out there, I was wondering how it would compare to the three Alves courses I grew up on, Ridgewood, and both Highland Park Blue and Red. The three courses just mentioned are owned by municipalities, and have undergone changes besides not always being kept in good condition. 

Madison connects right away with a great clubhouse located on the main road. The ambiance is very welcoming, and the course looks fantastic when glancing across the road and seeing the first few holes. 

Now the best feature on the property is a valley that runs parallel to the road. Sandy takes full advantage and routs the course so the player is consistently hitting shots over or thru this valley on both the tee and approach shots. The photo above is of the second hole. Players can lay back to leave a 200 yard shot from a flat lie, or risk hitting it closer to the water and hitting a 170 from a downhill lie. It's a slightly uphill approach, so either shot must be hit perfectly to get on the green.  

Now I notice a couple things in the first three holes. On the first hole, the green was protected by a large crest bunker. A crest bunker basically has a flat bottom, but flashes up like a cresting wave. It hides the putting surface and makes it difficult to gauge where the pin is located. The second hole had a bowling alley where the bunkering is short and way off to the sides so the player can hit a long club into the green. This is seen on 9 & 18 which are both long wooden approach shots. The third has sunken bunkers where the traps are below the level off the green. The green looks inviting til the approach is a short. 

The other thing I noticed is when the holes are not by the valley, then the land is flat. The par three 4th above illustrates that fact. (I would put the left bunker in the crest category. It hides the putting surface and makes front left pin location difficult) This section of the course is not as interesting but there is plenty of bunkering to keep the player alert. (ie..par 4 fifth)

Six is a reachable par five. 

The water hazard in pic does not cross the fairway so hitting long right is definitely an option. I love the rear bunkers. They keep the long hitter honest. 

The seventh hole is similar to the first. 

As you can tell in the pic, the drive is over a valley to a tight landing zone. At 425 yards, it's a good poke to find a flat spot. 

The eighth follows with the best hole on the course, a twisting turning par five that uses the terrain excellently. The player drives it over the hill to find a sidehill lie that must be hit over the creek to the fairway. All the while, the hole doglegs to the right. The player who can control his swing and his shot will be rewarded with a good birdie opportunity. 

The back nine starts off with a par three that I nearly missed. Eleven tee is just up past eighteen green so I assumed it was ten. The pro pointed to behind the clubhouse....where sure enough there was a little 160 par three. It sorta reminded me of a fill in hole. 

A three hole stretch is the highlight on the back nine here, 12-14. Twelve is a mid length par four that doglegs left around a valley. 

A tree at the corner reinforces the need to be right. It's then a beautiful second shot into an open front green. It's just a classic par four. Thirteen follows with a driveable par four that doglegs left. 

A stand of tall trees persuade players to attack the hole the conventional way via a ball down the right side, but the long hitter could take his chance carrying them. Sandy Alves always seems to have one really good short par four in his design. This is a very exciting hole! Then one of the longest par fours follows at fourteen. 

Uphill, OB right, and trees left makes this a dangerous hole. The green has the most tilt on the course which adds to the difficulty of making a four. It's a great three hole stretch! 

The last two holes provide a good finish to the round. I love seventeen!

This is the type of hole that can be birdied or bogeyed. It's only 330 yards, but the green is small and pushed up. The front bunker makes the green look even smaller. And going long is no good either. Great hole! 

Eighteen is a 440 yard dogleg left par four. The valley bisects the fairway bout 280 off the tee. The approach shot is backdropped by the rear portion of the cart shack. It is one of the ugliest shots I ve seen. (Lol)   It's too bad since this is a very strong ending hole. Like two and nine, the fairway flows into the green so being short is not a bad leave. 

Madison CC is the top public course out in the far eastern suburbs. There's not much out here to play which surprises me considering the explosion of the winery business that has attracted plenty of tourists. It's a definite place to play should I make my way out. I give it a very solid 5 (good) rating. 

Bucknell Golf Club (Lewisberg, PA)

Coming back from Philliadelphia, I stopped off in Lewisburg and played nine holes at Bucknell Golf Club, home of the Bucknell University Bisons. It was designed by Emil Loeffler in 1930, and plays over some interesting terrain. A couple holes are quite challenging with extensive length that reiterates how  architects in the 1930s followed the lay of the land and didn't let "par" define how they designed a golf course. 

I played the front nine. The first three holes are the ones that stand out. The first is a 329 yard par four, a simple looking opener on the scorecard, but in reality, it plays straight uphill before doglegging right and cresting at the green. The opening tee shot must be well struck to have an unhindered short iron in otherwise it's a very difficult shot over the trees. 

The second is a long par three well positioned on the side of the hill. 

It has the kind of length where hitting the green requires for the average man a full blooded three wood. Hitting to the fairway just short of the putting surface is possibly the best option. Just a very tough par three. 

The third hole completes the triumvirate with a 605 yard par five. 

It plays over a hill, curves left, drops downhill, and then swoops up to the green. Three full wood shots makes this an incredible three shot hole. Talking to one of the members, I was told three is the toughest hole on the course. It's a source of pride so par is well earned and a well respected score. 

After a nice little downhill par three at four, the fifth thru ninth played across the street. These were fine holes but there was a redundancy to them as five, six, and seven were parallel to each other. When I was playing the first three holes by the clubhouse, it looked like the back nine was more interesting. Or at least the greens looked more interesting. 

The main reason I ended up playing Bucknell was it's Emil Loeffler background. Being a superintendent at Oakmont afforded him a chance to design golf courses, and he designed a fair amount especially in Pennsylvania. I wish I could've played the entire course. I'm giving it a 4 (above average) rating, but it might very well be better than that.