Pipestone Golf Course (Miamisburg, OH)

For several years, Pipestone was the anchor course for our Dayton/Cincy golf trip. Besides being in very good shape, it was always the most affordable ($13!) course we played. Art Hills designed it in 1992 for the city of Miamisburg, and it's been popular ever since. 

(The 451 yard par four fifth is a tough par. The angled green has a bunker guarding the front right side, however, with the putting surface tilted that way, balls that are missed left have a difficult up n down.)

Pipestone is a good represention of Hills design philosophy. Drives that challenge the hazards off the tee are rewarded with favorable angles into the green. Hills also likes to incorporate trees into his design to provoke shotmaking. The par four third is a great example of this. A large oak guards the left side of the fairway, while further ahead, another large oak on the right interferes with an approach from the that side. The player who draws it down the left is afforded a perfect view for his second, and those who bailed out from the tee will have to contend with the second tree on their approach. 

(The par five sixth is another example of Art Hills using trees to promote shotmaking. A good drive leaves a shot thru the trees, while a mishit will need to be shaped to reach the fairway on the other side.)

Pipestone has a good mix of holes. It reminds me of Brookledge, another muni that Art Hills designed. It has several birdie holes, several very challenging par holes, and a few risk reward holes. 

(The par five second has water the entire left side. The ground tilts that way so be careful not to draw it into the hazard.) 

The front nine is the easier side but it has the best terrain. The third thru the seventh is a nice stretch of golf with shots hit over ravines and between trees. The fourth is my favorite, a 207/189 yard par three over a shallow valley with a creek at the bottom. The wind is hard to feel from the tee, so it's crucial to take enough club to reach the green. 

The back nine is the harder side with several long par fours and par threes. There's more water in play too. Its also flatter so it doesn't have as much character as the front. The final hole is one that most remember a long time. The drive is great! It must carry over a valley with trees framing the left and right. 

A good drive leaves a chance to reach green in two and maybe make eagle. Even the modest hitter has a chance to get it close to the putting surface. It's a really fun hole! 

Pipestone does a very good job doing what municipal courses are suppose to do, and that's providing enjoyment to it's constituents. From the back tees, it makes the scratch golfer work hard to shoot par. Reading the most recent reviews, the course is still in great shape, and it's still very affordable. These are two of my favorite things. Architecturally, the course is solid. I can see it resume as our anchor if we decide to start our Dayton trips again. I give it a 5 (good).