Shelby Country Club (Shelby, OH)

Shelby became semiprivate five years ago. It’s the second course in the greater Mansfield area to open its doors to the public. (Ashland did several years prior.) With it’s rolling hills and bucolic setting, this area of Ohio is a strong candidate for golfers looking to get away. 

(The 161 yard par three fifth plays to a small green defended by two sand traps.) 

Shelby is the tale of two nines. The club was established in 1928, and a local named Boyd Wierman drew up blueprints to route the front nine. This explains the minuscule greens and fiddly doglegs that one must navigate. Most putting surfaces are open for the run up shot with notable exceptions being the first and sixth greens.  Both are small saucer shaped targets with a good deal of slope. 

(The sixth features a fearsomely small green for a not a too short 550 yard par five. Note the small grass covered bump guarding the front left. The gnarly bunker short right is the worst place a long hitter can be.) 

(The 182 yard eighth is the longest par three at Shelby.) 

The back nine was added 35 years later in 1963 by Ben Zink, the former superintendent of Acacia. The terrain is more rolling on this side, and Zink’s style is well represented as the fairways rise and fall all the way to the greens. The greens are 3x the size of the ones on the front and players will feel much more confident hitting to them. 

(The 356 yard par four tenth plays uphill to a skyline green. Judging the pin position is a challenge and one must take care not to be long.)

(The retention pond on the 509 yard par five eleventh forces the player to choose from tee how to play this hole. The entire strategy revolves around hitting two shots past the large oak on the left side of the fairway...

...avoid it and the reward is an open green that offers a birdie opportunity. It’s easier said than done, and most will find themselves scrambling to save their par.) 

Zink has beautiful driving lines, and that is what stands out at Shelby. He’s able to find natural features and use them from the tee. The driver always seems like the right choice and you always feel like you can carry it over the rise. Long hitters are going to love the challenge. 

(The 353 yard par four fourteenth displays the allure of Shelby. This hole welcomes, even screams, for a long drive down the left side where the slope will gather it in the fairway. It’s a visually strong hole.) 

Shelby’s biggest weakness are its par threes. The two on the front are fine but the two on back are forgettable. I’ve always believed that these holes should be the face of a golf course but Shelby’s one shotters lack that description. 

(The 460 yard par four fifteenth is the one hole where a big number is close at hand. Besides length, water guards the right side of the green. A four is a winner every day of the week.) 

(The 419 yard par four eighteenth finishes the round in style. Long hitters can cut the corner but most will be hitting a long iron to the elevated green.)

Shelby still maintains a membership, and has a restaurant associate with the clubhouse. While it’s out of the way for most golfers from Northeast Ohio, it’s secluded location is its biggest draw. It’s a classic golf course, albeit two different styles, and is a worth seeking out. I give Shelby a 5 (good)(worth driving an hour).