Firestone Country Club South Course (Akron, OH)

Firestone South has long been one of the principal courses of the PGA Tour. Every summer for the past half century, television viewers have seen the very best golfers play here. If the adage that the cream rises to the top at the best courses is true, then Firestone South must be held in high esteem since the greatest players in the sport have all won here. 

(The par four third is a dogleg right with water fronting the green. Finding the proper position off the tee is key to have a straight shot at the pin.)

As much as the pros love Firestone South, the gca pundits dismiss it as lacking variety and strategy. It’s true the course has many similar holes. It’s routed up and down a hill with eight going uphill and six coming down. Only the par three fifth and par four sixth play east and west. However, Firestone’s greatness comes from the slopes in the fairway, and how you attack them. It comes from the ability to hit sidehill lies to a set of greens that play smaller than what they really are. 

(This is a view of the par three seventh.) 

(The par four eighth is one of my favorite holes. The fairway cants to the right and a drive hit down the left will crest the slope and race down the fairway. It plays shorter than it’s listed yardage, but the approach will be hit from below your feet.)

(The ninth is the longest par four on the course. If the drive carries the ridge in the fairway then it will roll another thirty to forty yards. Otherwise the approach will be a couple hundred yards from an uphill lie. The clubhouse in the background is in play, so folks on the patio best be paying attention.) 

To say the South lacks strategy is a little misleading. Several holes demand the approach come from the correct side of the fairway. Three, eleven, and eighteen come to mind instantly. The trees are tall and ancient, so one has to be mindful where they are laying up and what angle they’re try to achieve. 

(The eleventh green has tiers in both the back left and back right quadrants. One should take a peek while playing the front as the opposite side of the fairway gives best angle and avoids working the ball around a tree.) 

(Twelve is a terrific par three. It’s uphill, bunker fronting, and fall aways on both sides. It’s a demanding tee shot to say the least.) 

(The tee box on thirteen is offset enough to make this a slight dogleg right. It’s imperative to be in the fairway to have a good look at the green. A false front along with bunkers front left and right must be negotiated. Four is a good score.) 

In recent years Firestone has hosted the Bridgestone Invitational and not too long ago World Series of Golf, but between 1960 and 1975, it hosted three PGA Championships. Jay Herbert won in 1960 (281 +1) Al Giegberger in 1966 (280 E) and Jack Nicklaus in 1975 (276 -4).  It’s not a coincidence that it was chosen after RTJ Sr lengthened it in 1959 almost 600 yards. He also added two ponds and fifty bunkers. It pretty much emphasizes his philosophy “easy bogey, hard par”. 

(The view of fourteen green from fifteenth tee. It’s a beautiful parkland course and is in impeccable condition.) 

(The par five sixteenth is known as the monster. It’s six hundred plus yards long, and the fairway tumbles and twists all the way to a green fronted by a pond. At least two of your shots will be from a sidehill lie and if you manage to make a five, then you’ve done a great job. It’s considered by many to be one of the best par fives in the world.) 

Being from northeast Ohio, Firestone is a source of pride. It handles the pros very well, and the tournament is one of the best in the world. For a competitive player like myself, a round of golf here is satisfying. It’s a chance to see just how good you are. I understand the criticism it receives. It can be boring. I get it. But when you shoot a good score here, it’s highly rewarding. I give Firestone a 7 (great)(worth driving 3-4 hours to play). 

(Looking down the hill on seventeen. It goes uphill more than one realizes. From the 150 marker, I couldn’t see the bunker that fronts the green.) 

#88 TOP 100 USA (Golf Magazine)

#96 WORLD TOP 100 (Golf Magazine)

#97 TOP 100 USA (Golf Digest)

#99 TOP 100 USA CLASSIC (Golfweek)

(The eighteenth hole is a long brutal par four with an approach shot that must be threaded between the goal posts. The ability to shape the ball is a great advantage. The option to go low is available too but it’s a tough shot to judge. Note the rear left Sunday pin location in photo.)