Squaw Creek Country Club (Vienna, Ohio)

Not all Stanley Thompson courses are the same. I fell in love with Sleepy Hollow the first time I played it. Thompson's bold greens and aggressive use of landforms made me very eager to see more of his work. When I found out Squaw Creek was a Stanley Thompson course, it became a priority on my must play list. 

(The par three third is across a shallow valley to a green perched slightly above.) 

Squaw Creek starts with a nice par four. The hole plays in a valley between the ninth and seventeenth holes. 

(Note the players on far left. A creek goes down that side and cuts diagonally across. Players just need to get past the tree in order to have a good look at the flag.) 

The second is a short par four. 

(A great tee shot at the second, one of the few that got me excited!....

...the approach however shows little of the boldness Thompson is known for in the way of greens and bunkering. Note the big roll short of the green. Long hitters might find a dicey stance for the approach.) 

The third is a well designed par three. I like the look of the fairway short of the green. It makes the hole look longer, and it gives seniors and juniors a bailout. Four follows with a nice par five where the trees encroach from the right, making a high fade a perfect second or third shot. It's a really good opportunity to make birdie. 

Stanley Thompson always has a long 200+ yard par three on his courses, and the sixth fills that roll at Squaw Creek. 

(The green is nicely placed on a slight rise, but it's reasonably sloped so two putting is not that difficult.)

The seventh green is really cool. It's bold putting surface had me dropping a couple balls and trying to figure out the best way to chip to the hole. 

(The front third portion of this green acts as a false front, sending any ball spinning back into the valley.) 

The eighth is a long par four that doglegs right after it crests the hill. 

(A low runner has plenty of room to get on the green.)

The ninth is another long par four, and similar to eight, there's plenty of room to run the ball onto the green. 

(Note the openness of the green. The player has many options available to attack the flag.)

The back nine begins with a straightaway par four that plays slightly uphill. Then the course hits a three hole stretch that demands precision play. 

The eleventh is a 600 yard monster that doglegs left. Keep the ball out to the right to have good angles to the green. 

(The green is tucked in a little grove of trees with a hidden creek fronting it. A mid or long iron is a common club for the third shot. A par is a great score.)

I imagine at one time twelve was a fantastic short par four, but the version today is too narrow in my opinion. A draw is required off the tee, while avoiding the creek that diagonally crosses the fairway. With the branches on the left protruding out as much as they do, the driving line is compromised. 

(A great view of the approach shot on twelve. The green slopes away on the sides, yet still pitches forward.)

Thirteen is a beautiful par three across the valley. 

(The left bunker noses into the green making the front and left pins difficult to attack. Putting over the trap's shoulder is just another challenge on this bold green.)

The next two holes have branches intruding into the driving lines, and depending on one's ability, can wreck havoc on the tee shot. 

(The par four fifteenth doglegs right, and with the branch (on the right) nearly reaching out halfway across the fairway, the drive is the key shot. I was able to hit a low ball underneath it, and I'm sure longer players can go over it, but such a feature is unnecessary. Squaw Creek has four holes with this "hazard"!)

Sixteen is a short par four. 

(The small green is well bunkered, but once again, I have to wonder where the boldness of Stanley Thompson is.) 

The seventeenth is a great par five! 

(The elevated green is pitched towards the player while crowned on the sides. Also the bunkering on the right is edged into the base of the hill, a look that let's one know avoid at all costs.) 

(View from behind seventeenth green. Note how the hole plays from high ground before dropping downhill and finishing up at an elevated green. For the long hitter it's reachable, but the second shot has to be perfect!) 

Squaw Creek finishes with a par three over water. 

(You can tell immediately that this is not a Stanley Thompson hole! The hole itself is okay, but overall, it doesn't catch my eye or make me feel like I have to hit a great shot. The fountain is cheesy and the party center looking clubhouse all combine to make an uninspiring finish.)

Squaw Creek was a bit of a disappointment for me. There was only three holes that had Stanley Thompson's bold greens. (7,12,17). The overcrowding tree branches was another issue. Truth be told, my expectations were too high. The course is in great shape, there are plenty of solid holes, and the membership is filled. I give it a 5 (good rating) (worth driving 1 hr). Youngstown continues to show off it's collection of golf courses.