Cook's Creek Golf Club (Ashville, OH)

Hurzdan didn't want to design Cook's Creek. The majority of the course sits in a flood plain between Little Walnut River and the Scioto River, and it was in danger of flooding every time there was a heavy rain. But John Cook persisted. 

(The beautiful fifteenth is 223/183 yards downhill to a penisula green. It comes at a point in the round where a solid is needed to secure a par.) 

...so Hurzdan and Fry designed Cook's Creek in 1993. To combat the flood plain problem, they built up the fairways and greens. 

(The second hole illustrates how much the playing corridors are elevated above the wetlands.) 

(219/208 yard sixth is frought with danger everywhere. Any shot that finds the green or short in the fairway is acceptable.) 

Many of the holes on the front look alike. The wetlands and vegetation blend them together. And with trouble on both sides, fairways have to be very wide. 

(The seventh climbs up the hill, the only significant feature on the property. 521/484 par five is reachable.) 

Besides the wetlands, a large hill is the only elevation on the property. The seventh plays up it, eight and nine atop of it, and on the back, several tees boxes. Hurzdan and Fry are responsible for most of the hazards and features golfers play over. 

(The tenth is reachable in two, but a water hazard fronting the green demands a premium second shot. As the pic shows, plenty of room for those playing it conservatively.) 

(The pic above is the par five sixteenth. All the trouble is up by the green. Many of the holes play like this, and this my main criticism. When fairways are as wide as they are here, a significant challenge is lost for the player.) 

For a long time Cook's Creek was consistently rated as one of the top public courses in Ohio. But it always had the potential to flood, and usually it played soft. (Or at least every time I played it) John Cook sold Cook's Creek and built another one up in Sunbury called Northstar. So which course is better? I personally think Cook's Creek. 

While the fairways are wide, the greens are well defended. It's a playable course for everyone, and it's scenic. I give it a 5 (good). It's a top twenty five course in the state.  

(Rainieri bought Cook's Creek, and gave it a new name, Raintree South. Yes I almost gagged when I saw the sign. Surely they can come up with a better name than that! Nonetheless, Rainieri is slowly building quite a portfolio. That's two public courses he owns that Golfstyles rates as top 100 in Ohio.) 

Cook's Creek (5) is much better than Raintree (4).