Silver Lake CC (Silver Lake, OH)

The private golf scene in Ohio features some of the best courses in the country. This leaves a plethora of courses that fly under the radar but hold up very well on their own. Silver Lakes CC falls into that category. This Packard design uses the excellent terrain to create a very fun, very challenging golf course. It's the best private course I've played in quite awhile, which has me wondering why so little is said about it. 

(The above pic is the reachable par five second from about 230 yards out. It's all downhill, but to reach it in two, the ball must carry over the fronting bunkers.)

Packard does a great job attacking the hills in a variety of ways, and in the first five holes, the golfer is treated to some interesting golf. 

This is the long uphill par three third. It plays at least two extra clubs. Then the fourth is a beautiful short par four. 

While most players think birdie when they step to the tee, the picture shows just how difficult a three is to achieve. It's a tight driving hole, the approach is off an uphill lie, and the green is pitched forward, making for some testy putting. Put it all together, and it adds up to a great short par four! 

The fifth follows with another excellent par four. 

The player drives to the base of the hill just short of the creek before hitting a long iron or hybrid uphill to a large green. It's one of the best holes here at Silver Lake! 

The par three sixth plays downhill, and it's this up and down movement hole to hole that makes this such a pleasure to play! This is the kind of golf I love playing!!

And the view is pretty damn good too! 

The seventh is a solid par four that plays back to the clubhouse. Eight tees off next to it, and nine plays back towards the other side of the clubhouse. These three holes play right in front of the clubhouse for all the members to watch. It's a cool quirk in the routing. As for the golf, eight is a good par five that can be reached in two. There's a lake on the right that channels across the fairway bout 280 from the tee. Nine is a long par four that doglegs right before it plays uphill. Unlike seven that has a bunker guarding the green, nine has an open entrance to run the ball on. 

The back nine starts off with a short par four whose tee box is directly behind the pool. (On a nice hot day, this is the most scenic tee shot on the course.) Its a straightaway hole with a marsh all down the left. Getting the ball in play should give the a good birdie chance. The par five eleventh offers another good birdie opportunity. 

All the par fives so far have been reachable, and this one is no exception. The longer players should be able to carry the hazard short of the green, but it's presence will make them think twice before pulling out the lumber. The twelfth is yet another birdie opportunity, and it's also the only forgettable hole on the course. It's a really weak par three. And to be honest, this is the weakest stretch on the course. 

The thirteenth rekindles the golf with a solid uphill par four. 

As you can see in the pic, the elevated tee box gives a great view of the challenges ahead. It also makes what could have been a slog of a hole, something holes of this nature seem to be, into a really nice hole where a good drive will leave a mid iron into the green. 

Fourteen follows with one of my favorite holes on the course. 

I love how the green sits atop the highest knob, sand guarding the left, a mound protecting the right, and a natural slope short for those who mishit their shot from what is usually a sidehill lie. It's a fabulous hole! The player has to golf his ball to make a four! 

Then fifteen follows with another great par four! This one doglegs left around a tree filled valley. The drive is simple, but the green is beautifully placed on the slope of the hill. (I wish I had taken a pic of it) I like how the bunkering and the mounds behind the green frame it for the approach. 

The finish starts with a 506 yard par five with trees left and right. It's still reachable in two, but the drive must be long and straight. The par fives are the key to a good round at Silver Lake. Each one is a good birdie opportunity. Seventeen continues with a well designed short par three. 

The little green just sits all alone with sand guarding the front and sharp slopes all around should the tee shot miss it's mark. Typically this is an easy yardage to hit a short iron, but depending on the situation, the pressure could make this a tough little hole. 

The last hole is a 425 yard par four. 

A large bunker eats into the fairway forcing players to carry over it or fit it past. It then plays uphill to a sloped green. It's a solid ending hole that doesn't give up birdies too easily. 

Silver Lake really impressed me. Having played several private courses the past couple years, I don't hesitate to comment this is the best one I ve seen so far. And it just goes to show the  strength of northeast ohio golf. I give it a solid 6 (very good).