Golf Digest 2003/2004
Top 100 Public Courses
#100 Eaglesticks Golf Club
On the wall in the pro shop is a framed poster celebrating Eaglesticks achievement in 2003 for making it on the Top 100 list. I stared at it for awhile, looking at all the courses that made it, including four other Ohio courses, Stonewater, Avalon Lakes, Longaberger, and Shaker Run. I started counting all the ones that I've played...13. And if you include the time I paid to walk The Prince Course, the number is fourteen.
One of the upsides to my blog is it gives me a reason to visit courses I haven't seen in ten to twenty years. I last played Eaglesticks in the late '90s, and the only time I ever hear it mentioned is when someone is discussing the 9-star of golf package they have with Longaberger.
($175 weekday 195 wknd for overnight stay with rounds at both courses)
Eaglesticks is designed on small parcel of land, in fact, it's only a 150 acres. Dr Hurzdan achieved this by looping the front nine clockwise around the perimeter, and looping the back nine clockwise inside it. Large hills separate the holes from each other. 
(The 363/338 yard par four fourth shows how Hurzdan massaged the course into the land. Hills left and right of the fairway make each hole seem isolated.)
On a small piece of land like this, five par threes gives the architect plenty of leeway. Here, they allow Hurzdan to design the holes on the good terrain, and put the short holes on the less than desirable terrain.
(The tenth is a challenging 193/168 yard shot over water. The back hill might be dry, but doesn't give up a three very easily.)
(The gorgeous twelfth is the best par three. The triple tier green places a premium on obtaining an exact yardage, and hitting the appropriate iron.)
The par fours are the strength of the course, with several short ones mixed in with a few long ones. I was playing with a member and he told me a couple of the short par fours are driveable. 
(The 338/313 yard seventh is downhill where a drive carried to the second crest can roll to the apron. The green is actually quite narrow, and the back left pin position is on a small tier. Water right of this green is in play.)
(The eighth is 437/397 yards. Both the driver and the putter will be challenged here. Four is a good score.)
(The ninth plays shorter than it's 453/422 yards, but any drive not in the fairway will be struggling to find the green.)
(The uphill approach to 439/424 yard fifteenth becomes more complicated as the flag moves closer to the right.)
(A good birdie opportunity at the sixteenth. The downhill par four is just a short iron approach, though a pin on the left can be semi hidden.)
There are only three par fives at Eaglesticks, making this a par 70. Hurzdan did a good job varying the length, designing one reachable par five, one definite three shotter, and one risk reward. 
(The downhill third is only 493/482 yards. A long drive will give the player a chance to reach the green in two...
...the green is well protected but plenty of room short to bounce it on.)
(The long eleventh plays 591/562 yards, most of it uphill. The creek crosses the fairway at a point where a poor drive will need to be laid well back. The best hole on the course in my opinion.)
(The final hole is 541/525 yards. The green is set at a diagonal with a deep bunker guarding. The further right the pin position, the more difficult it is to make birdie. It's a beautiful finisher!!)
Eaglesticks has a few shortcomings, most notably with the par threes. Hurzdan tends to have a couple "throwaway" holes where it seems like he just put them in. Five and seventeen sorta fit that bill. Both are short par threes, 151/140 yards, and are nondescript. Also, since the holes are looped the way they are, several seem to be repetitive. An example would be nine and eighteen.
Still, Eaglesticks ticks all the boxes that I look for in a course. It's in great shape, has a lively clubhouse, and is very affordable. Three things that most players look for too! I give it a high 5 (good)(worth driving one hour). We used to drive from Cleveland every year, but it's lack of length eventually was the deciding factor for some not to come, and considering it's just over two hours, it's a valid reason.
(Eaglesticks is consistently ranked in the top 10 for Ohio)
No comments:
Post a Comment