Eagle Rock Golf Club (Defiance, OH)

Formerly known as Kettenring Country Club, Eagle Rock is one of northwest Ohio’s premier golf courses. It was established in 1921 when Tom Bendelow designed nine holes for the club near the Maumee River, and later expanded to eighteen holes when William Newcomb added a second nine in 1974. 

(The clubhouse is every bit as close to the final green as it appears in the picture. Last green jitters is a real thing. The patio and upstairs bar can be full with people watching you play out. My CGA buddies would be in heaven here!) 

The front side has a traditional Bendelow look as the fairways bleed right into the greens. The putting surfaces are quite small and are on average about 26 yards deep. They demand high-end iron shots and you’ll be surprised how much slope is in them. A few have a central rise that effectively makes the pinning areas even smaller to attack. For nine holes that tops out under 3000 yards, you’ll be hard pressed to match the 35 shots required to get around. 

(The 307 yard par four fifth looks like a birdie hole on the scorecard but it takes a 230 yard drive to reach the crest of the hill...
...if one lays up or fails to reach the top, then one plays from an uneven lie and awkward angle to a green that cascades towards the valley...
...essentially a three tiered green, it plays from high right to low left. Many tricky and difficult putts are found throughout different hole locations. There isn’t a single bunker needed and yet it’s short length belies it’s strength. Note the green to the excellent seventh hole in the background.) 

(The 165 yard par three sixth plays over the valley to a well protected green. It is the longest iron you’ll hit on the front nine.) 

(The 364 yard par four seventh doglegs left from an elevated tee. The landing area is not visible and one must take care not to over draw it into the creek. The front left of the putting surface is only part seen from the fairway while the rest hidden by the bunker. Like the fifth, it slopes from high right to low left.) 

The back nine is William Newcomb’s work, and he did a nice blending his green sizes to fit  the original’s character. They are not very deep but they’re wider, giving them more space to move the pin around. The fairways bleed into the greens just like the Bendelow nine, but they’re bunkered more closely in the front at the sides. The property on this side is gently rolling but the last three holes meet up at the hilly section that houses the fifth through the seventh, and provides a good ending to the round. 

(The 198 yard par three seventeenth plays from atop the hill to this green next to the water. The hillside left and behind adds to the solitude of this demanding shot.) 


(Eighteen is only 350 yards but it’s a complicated driving hole. Laying back must find the right side to have a head on look at the green. Pushing the ball further down the fairway brings the side slope and rough into play and ultimately makes for a tougher second shot. Remember the patrons are only twenty feet behind the hole so there’s a lot of pressure.) 

Eagle Rock has a vibrant atmosphere. It has a restaurant in the clubhouse plus a separate bar over by the tenth tee. It probably bustles as much at night as it does during the morning. The basketball hoop attached to the bar was one I haven’t seen before. Kudos for some innovative thinking. 

(The 369 yard par four eighth plays on the flatter part of the front nine. Note the raised center of the green.)

The only drawback I found was Eagle Rock’s lack of yardage. It plays just over 6100 from the tips and only has one par four over 390 yards.  Serious players with a strong game are only going to be challenged a few times with a long iron and even average golfers will hit an over abundance of short iron shots. On the flip side, Eagle Rock does host several women’s college tournaments and its length is perfect for them. 

Northwestern Ohio is as rural as it gets, and Defiance in particular, is a long drive from Cleveland. Not many courses out this way are going to pique ones interest to make the trek. In fact, Eagle Rock is one of the few which is why I made the effort to go see it. I give it a 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play). It has a strong following and it’s reputation is well deserved. Definitely worth a visit when out this way.