Salt Fork State Park GC (Lore City, OH)

Salt Fork is the largest state park in Ohio, and golf is just one of a myriad things to do. 

(The par four tenth is one of eight holes that features a huge elevation drop from the tee. 

“Bombs away!”) 

Salt Fork is a crazy hilly piece of property, and props has to be given to Jack Kidwell for designing a solid golf course. It reminds me of  the Speidel Jones course which is only 50 miles away and has almost the exact same topography. 

(The 316 yard fifth is an excellent short par four. It plays atop a ridge and doglegs right with fall offs both right and left of the fairway. A conservative tee shot will still leave a short iron in. Par is a welcomed score.) 

Kidwell did not flinch, and he designed holes with maximum thrill in mind. There are many holes with awesome views of the countryside and huge elevation drops from the tee. Bombers will have to keep their emotions in check and keep the ball in play. Straying from fairway too far will likely mean a lost ball. For average hitters, it’s a chance to go deep with the big dog. 

(The 368 yard second hole is the first opportunity to let it fly! The long hitter can fly it over the cart path.) 

The downside to Salt Fork are all the uphill approach shots. They play 2-3 clubs longer, and the flag position will be relatively unknown. For those who think 6,000 yards is short, this course will give a reality check. It’s deceivingly long. Most of that is elevation change, but it’s also a strong set of par threes where three of the five plays over 190 yards.

(The 199 yard ninth is all carry over a valley. There’s no real bailout but it’s a huge green. Anything hit left is gone. Par is a great score.) 

(The seventeenth is my favorite hole and is also a challenging one. It’s 193 yards and is all carry to the green. The hillside short left can be used to kick it onto the putting surface. The bridge to the left adds to the ambiance.) 

Of course with terrain like this, some of the holes will slope more than usual, and the obligatory straight uphill hole will occur. All of it is to be expected and should be embraced.

There’s plenty of quirk to be had, and shooting a good score is going to be a challenge. I’m sure some players will walk away shaking their heads. And that’s okay because the theme at Salt Fork is having fun, not necessarily the lowest score. 

(The 373 yard thirteenth requires a precise drive to have this unhindered view of the green. Uphill and somewhat narrow, the approach is very demanding.)

I usually talk about the clubhouse, but at Salt Fork, there’s an entire lodge. Impressive is a good word to describe it. So is gorgeous! It’s really quite the place to have drinks and go over the round. 
(The 299 yard finishing hole is a good tease for the long hitter to try to drive. The green is severely elevated above the fairway, and laying up in the flat is the prudent play. It’s two tiered so birdies will be held in check.) 

I give Salt Fork a 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play).  Most people coming here are bringing their families and enjoying themselves. It’s not really a golf destination, but rather a destination that has golf. The guys at work have been coming here for over a decade for their golf trip. Besides the golf, a 3000 acre lake to fish, hiking, horseback riding, swimming... kind of a no-brainer. 

The Elms (North Lawrence, OH)

The Elms hosts the Tigertown Open, Ohio’s richest one day tournament, and attracts the regions finest players as they battle for the $5,000 first place prize. 
(The 505 yard eighth is a beautiful rolling uphill par five. In an unusual twist, there’s an alternate green higher up and to the left in above picture.) 

Each year the highlight of the golf season at the Elms is the tournament . If you go to their web page, there’s a clock with a countdown to the event and this year will be the 68th edition. It’s a successful tournament that gathers 150-180 entrants every year. Obviously the prize money is the main draw, but it’s also the tradition and the condition of the golf course too. 
(The 166 yard par three ninth is well bunkered and demands a precise iron shot to get below the hole for a chance for birdie. ) 

The Elms was designed in 1924 by an unknown architect. When I spoke to the owner, he speculated that it was one of the construction guys who built Canton Brookside. I wouldn’t be surprised by this since several of Donald Ross’ project supervisors went on to become architects themselves. 

(The 473 yard par four sixteenth has water fronting the green. It’s the start of a fearsome finish, and anyone who can par the last three holes will be in good shape.) 

The main defense at the Elms are the small greens. I haven’t seen putting surfaces this small since Pine Lakes in Hubbard. They have tilt to them, and when they’re playing firm and fast, can be difficult to find in regulation. The plus side however is a good birdie putt. Several stand alone with nothing guarding them, while others are bunkered tightly. There’s usually a proper side to be coming in where the tilt holds the shot. When the tilt is against, then it’s challenging to keep it on the green. 

(The 440 yard eighteenth has a cop short of the green that is high enough to hide the bottom of the flagstick. It also influences the approach to a front pin position. The viciously sloped green has caused plenty of three putts for those contending for the Tigertown Open.) 

The routing brings several holes back to the clubhouse. I find this interesting because I feel the future of golf might be playing four or six hole loops.  The Elms has the ability to set this up while still maintaining a standard nine for league play and others. This course is nearly 100 yrs old, so I’m not sure if this was the thinking back then, but it definitely gives management flexibility. 

(Looking back from fourteen fairway to seventeen green) 

The Elms is well known in the Massillon area, and is endeared by many. I don’t think it’s too well known up here in Cleveland except for the excellent players who may be playing in the Tigertown Open. I give it a 4 (above average)(worth driving 30-45 mins). 

(The clubhouse reminds me a lot of Turkeyfoot’s. It has a diner type feel to it with bar stools at the counter, and tables. The outside patio has several view points to watch the action on the course. This used to be an old farmhouse, and is 152 yrs old. Also, the club had a swimming pool, but like all good things nowadays, they closed it because the insurance was too high.) 

Turkeyfoot Golf Links (Lakes Nine)

Turkeyfoot was one of the first courses I blogged back in 2013. Like Fowler’s Mill in Chesterland, it possesses a third nine that gets overlooked by most players, and with the big push by the USGA to Play9, I thought it’d be fun to examine its qualities. 
(#4 265 yard par 4)

In many ways, the Lakes nine occupies the best portion of the property with dramatic rolling topography and beautiful views of the Portage Lakes. It’s a sporty loop with four par fours playing between 240-280 yards. Perfect for junior and lady golfers! 

(#2 120 yard par 3)

With five holes playing alongside the water, this is the ideal place to take a youngster or a beginner. There’s plenty of challenge to it, it’s fun, and visually, pretty inspiring. 

(Tee shot #3 400 yard par 5...
...approach on #3)

(#5 101 yard par 3)

In the locker room, there’s an article on the wall about a book of matches the course hand out back in the ‘30s and ‘40s. Inside the book was a scorecard for all 27 holes. There’s several interesting bits of information. First, the front used to be the back nine. The first hole was present day 14, and the ninth was present day 13. The third nine had two par fives at 495 yards.  They are much shorter now, and I wonder if 21st tee and 27th green were across the road where the 19th hole is presently located. Interesting stuff. 

It’s cool that this nine holes exist. If the course was being designed today, the big course would be playing significantly by the water. Turkeyfoot is definitely growing the game the right way. It clicks all the boxes a first timer would want.