Chenoweth Golf Course (Akron, OH)

With the Cuyahoga Golf Association merging with the North Coast League this past winter, Saturdays have become much more interesting. One of the members of NCL is Rick Todd, owner and architect of Chenoweth. 

(Looking down the hill on the third hole with the fourth green and fifth fairway in the background.) 

Chenoweth is off I77 at the Arlington rd exit. I’ve driven by it for years (you can see the first hole from the freeway) and it’s one of the new courses on the schedule. Obviously with the connection with our league, it’s a no brainer. For me, it was an up close experience to see how a local guy like myself went about orchestrating a respectable, playable, affordable course. 

(The biarritz green at the par five was unusual. I like how it’s narrow in the front and how the rear tier is shallow. Even though is a mundane hole, very few birdies will be squeezed out of it, especially when the flag is in the back.)

The hill that the course sits on is the main feature. Todd was able to route six holes up and down it. (1,2,6,7,8,18)  The stretch from 6-9 will be the holes players remember the most. It’s best not to get too greedy on the dogleg holes and position the ball in the fat half of the fairway. A pond behind the clubhouse guards both the ninth and eighteenth greens. Nine is a lovely par three while the uphill par five eighteenth has the potential to be a dramatic finish. 

(The picturesque ninth hole is all carry to a bunkerless green.)

The back nine goes through the residential community and it lacks the excitement that the front possesses. The terrain is also flatter and it isn’t until the sixteenth that the player will face a quality shot over an interesting feature. Chenoweth is in very nice condition and draws a medium skilled crowd. It did surpass my expectation. I give it a 3 (above average)(worth driving 15-30 minutes to play).