Valley of the Eagles (Elyria, OH)

This is my 250th golf blog and I couldn’t be more pleased to be writing about a new local course that just opened up this year after watching so many in the area become NLE. It’s Jack Nicklaus’ first public golf course in northeast Ohio and is a welcomed addition to our golfing landscape. 
(The opening shot of the day can ruin your round right from the beginning. It’s best to play safe on this 360/335 yard par four and take your chances on the other holes.)

Valley of the Eagles occupies the land that was once Spring Valley Country Club. Nicklaus’ team redesigned the course, and opened up views in several spots exposing the natural beauty of the Black River and it’s shale cliff walls. The valley is full of life and yes there are eagles that fly through the air here. There’s no denying the property is a very special place. 

(This view of the first green takes your breathe away as the river completes the scene. With the fifth green visible across the water, the player instantly knows he’s in for a good day of golf.)

From what I’ve read and based on the comments of golfers who remembered Spring Valley, many of the holes are remakes of the old design. Some of them are reversed where tees now are where greens used to be, and others are the same hole except with new green complexes.  By attaching themselves to much of the former routing, the Nicklaus team saddled VotE with the deficiencies of the old course. #2 and #11 are essentially the same hole, 12-15 feature three big dogleg rights, on eight of the holes the green isn’t visible from the tee, and on the cliff hole #7 there is no way  there’s enough room for a shot from the back teeing area. I’m not panning the course, but just pointing out that they did not do a total makeover. 

(The par three fifth can be extended to 276 yards for the back tee while most golfers will be playing it between 196/179. The slope to the right can be utilized to bounce the ball back towards the putting surface. Beautiful views of the river partially compensate for bogey or doubles.) 

The advice I was given before playing here was to hit it to the 150 marker. There’s opportunities to cut off yardage but local knowledge is needed to take advantage of it. This creates many layup holes where driver isn’t needed nor is it the proper play per se. Whether or not one likes that kind of golf is a personal preference. On the plus side, this is the first Nicklaus course I’ve played that’s playable for everyone. There’s enough room for players to avoid the trouble, the short grass around the greens give multiple options for recovery, and there’s a lot of flexibility in the tee boxes to accommodate everyone. 

(The tenth shares the tee box with the first hole, and plays to an angled green 120 yards away. A strong wind will bring this hole to life, and players will be forced to hit a quality shot. Otherwise it’s pretty much a stock wedge.) 

Opening up the views of river was the Nicklaus group biggest achievement. Every person told me when it was SVCC, you knew there was a river here, but you never saw it. With the natural beauty now showcased on several holes, that will be enough to grow a strong following and make this a healthy golf course. I assume they will trim back more trees and vegetation, and expose more views on other holes. 
(The view of the island tee of the 376/344 yard fourteenth. Note the shale cliff walls...
...from the tips, it’s a tight driving lane to the fairway...
...the island green finishes off the hole. It’s normally a wedge to short iron, but can be a tricky shot if the wind is up or one gets an awkward yardage. From the up tees, this turns into a super cool driveable par four!)

This is Valley of the Eagles first year open.  As it matures and management puts in more money, the course will become more playable and the strategies will be better defined. Whether the doglegs are strategic or gimmicky is the real question. On some I think it’s cool and on others I shake my head. Either way I think there’s too many of them. I give it a 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play).

(Eighteen green is fronted by the river and deters most from attempting to reach this 569/512 yard par five in two.  However, from the 441 yard white tee, it becomes a fun risk/reward ending hole. The drop level front right section is a really cool feature and makes a pin location in that area exacting.) 

(A great clubhouse, a convenient location, and beautiful views like this equals a strong future for Valley of the Eagles.)