Gleneagles Golf Club (Twinsburg, OH)

Gleneagles is a Ted McAnlis design that Twinsburg purchased in 1996. Ted McAnlis worked for Tom and George Fazio in the 1970's. Several of his best courses are in Florida, and if it's one thing golf in Florida excels at, it's residential golf communities. Not sure if that was the reason why he was picked to design Gleneagles, but it is a residential golf community. (Really ugly golf community) 

The housing definitely has an influence on  the routing and it's very prevalent on the back nine where a few holes have houses left and right. Most of the challenge at Gleneagles comes at the greens. The putting surfaces have humps and bumps in them. Many of the fairways have mounds in the rough to define the shape and direction of the hole. It reminds me of a Floridian course. The mounds keep the ball in play, the greens are pushed up so the wind has more influence, and the approach shots have to be better judged, and the water hazards are in lurking positions so the player tends not to equate them into the shot calculation until the ball hits a slope and bounds into it. After a few times, the player realizes that is in play. 

Three holes stand out at Gleneagles, all par fours. The third is 430 yard downhill par four that doglegs left. With OB left, the play is a draw down right half of the fairway. The hole then goes slightly uphill. It's a good looking hole, especially the second shot. 

The ninth is the best home on the course in my opinion. 

It's an awesome second shot hit across the corner of the lake. It's one of the few water hazards that prominently challenges the golfer, and that is why is the best hole in the course. 

The fourteenth is another really good par four. 

The hazard is right of the tee box and goes straight ahead. The player who doesn't shy away from it is rewarded with  a great view of the flagstick. Play away, and the bunker must be carried on the approach. 

If you ve ever seen a George Fazio course, you ll notice how the green pads are built up to include every feature and aspect of the approach shot. McAnlis uses that same technique and it's seen mainly on the par threes. The thirteenth is the primary example, basically forcing players to hit perfect shots over to the green or risk having the ball bounce down into the water. 

There are several holes that lack any real challenge at all. They are mostly found on the aforementioned back nine where all the housing comes into play. Ten, eleven, and twelve are very pedestrian holes. Fifteen sixteen and seventeen kinda fall into the same category. It's a shame that the back nine is as bland a it is because the front nine is decent. For the majority of golfers, it's a fine place to play, but I want better than fine, so the only time I play here is when the CGA comes. It's a 3 rating (average).