(One of the original holes, eighteen plays back to the quaint little clubhouse.)
Founded in 1928 as the Catawba Cliffs Beach Club, the course was simply a few holes where members could hit balls when they grew tired of being on the water. Thankfully, for golfers, The Stouffer family bought the property in the late '60s with a vision to being a club that offered a variety of anmenities, and in 2008, that vision was fully achieved when Art Hills renovated and expanded the course to eighteen holes. 
(Hills par three sixth is unlike any other I've seen. A huge slope separates the upper shelf from the lower shelf. If you look at the bunker fronting the green, you can see how dramatic the elevation is.)
The new nine plays inland from the clubhouse. Hills dug out several lakes and routed the holes around them. I guess when the terrain is flat, one has to figure a way to make it interesting. 
(The par five fifth is a reverse S shaped hole with water guarding short of the green. Playing to the outer edge leaves an angle that doesn't have to carry the water.)
Catawba is a solid course. The principles and strategies are consistent with other Hills designs. What makes it stand out is the conditioning. It's superb! The fairways are tight, and the greens are fast. The ball rolls beautifully on them, and the player better be cognizant of the slopes and pitches.
As nice as CIC is, I don't have any interest in playing it. Port Clinton is on a spit of land that stretches out into the lake like a penisula. The wind is a constant here, and sometimes it blows very hard. In my mind, I feel Art Hills should have taken that more into consideration. Low shots should be more accessible, yet the architecture demands high lofted shots. It makes no sense to me. My friend who hits it far loves the place, but only because his ability to hoist short irons is to his advantage.
(Back to back par threes over the water is the highlight of Catawba. This is the fourteenth 157/136....
(....then fifteen follows with 167/157 par three. Don't be fooled by the yardage. These holes can play very long. Notice the housing in the background. They weren't there a few years ago.)
CIC does have one thing going for it, and that is it's location. Put-in-Bay, Cedar Point, Marblehead...this is one of the best regions in Ohio. You can also watch perfect sunsets! Regardless how I feel bout the course, CIC is well thought of, and I'm sure some golfers in the Toledo Golf Association would rank it high in the district. I give it a 5 (good)(worth driving an hour).
(The par three ninth 180/160 yards)
No comments:
Post a Comment