It’s a humbling experience looking out across the Ohio River from the patio of Williams Country Club. The river below stretches across the landscape weaving it’s way through the hills. Skyward, eagles glide effortlessly in the air. It’s a moment to reflect and thankfully the course matches with an intensity of its own.
Williams has an interesting backstory. It was named after JC Williams, the president of Weirton Steel at the time. It was his idea to build a golf course on this property. Being so close to Pittsburgh, it’s no surprise that Emil Loeffler, head greenskeeper of Oakmont, would be the one to design it.
(The 393 yard par four opening hole plays downhill to a green that slopes away. Bunkers guard both sides waiting to catch an errant approach that wavers from hitting short and bouncing on.)
(The 336 yard par four second hole drops down into a valley before climbing up to the green. The fairway is well bunkered and a decision needs to be made to either challenge them or lay back.)
Williams occupies a fantastic piece of land. It heaves and rolls, plummets and rises, and twists all throughout. The ability to hit from multiple lies is a huge advantage. Locals know where the flat spots are located and how to find them while the unfamiliar will have to scour over unfolding terrain and decide where to play. Either way, the options are numerous and the player must adapt to fit the conditions of the day.
(The 558 yard par five third plays uphill over this rise. Note how the terrain falls to the right. A long ball that crests this will roll all the way to bottom...
...the large green is out of view as it sits atop the hill. Note the severity of the slope in the fairway. It’ll take three good shots to reach this in regulation.)
Williams has an unusual routing, something Loeffler had no qualms doing in his designs. It has three par threes, three par fives including back to back on the front, and twelve par fours. The par fours play across the terrain every way possible. And each green is well guarded by sand.
(This is the view from the fifth tee. This is what I envisioned when I started blogging.
Magnificent!)
(The 238 yard par three sixth plays downhill to a green that is over fifty yards deep. With six bunkers guarding the left and right sides, only an accurate long iron will suffice. A par will gain a stroke most times.)
(The 133 yard par three eighth is over one hundred yards shorter than the sixth. It’s a downhill drop shot hole where the player must guard against going both long and short. A central slope divides the green into left and right, placing even more pressure on this finesse shot.)
(The only water hazard is found at the 210 yard par three twelth. The slope is very apparent as you prepare to hit, and short grass right and behind makes them the smart miss. Avoid short and left, and three is a good possibility.)
The elevation change gives the course an added dimension when selecting the proper club. Most often it’s readily visible, but there’s times when it’s not so clear. Steep traps and false fronts are obstacles that give erroneous perception issues too. It takes multiple plays to ultimately figure out several pin positions.
(The uphill 410 yard par four ninth is hazardous on the right for its entire length. Take advantage of the left to right slope in the fairway and blast it at one of the big trees in the distance.)
(The tenth is my favorite hole for many reasons. I love how the tee box abuts the parking lot and members stare as you drive it downhill. I love how the entrance road lies twenty feet below the fairway yet a push or too much faded ball can drop down the embankment and a set of steps allows you to go down there and whack it back up. And I love how green is bracketed by bunkers yet looks inviting.)
Williams has a “member for a day” program that allows outsiders to experience their golf course. It’s been a huge success for the club and they’ve seen their membership rise because of it. It’s a very reasonable fee ($85/$70) with a cheaper rate in the afternoon.
(The 404 yard par four sixteenth plays slightly uphill with a large roll in the fairway being the catalyst. The long hitter who can clear it will get the benefit of its speed slot. However, for most of us, positioning our drive on top of it gives a clear view of the green and pin. Those unfortunate folks who miss the mark will watch their ball roll down into the right rough. It plays as the toughest hole on the back nine so par is a terrific score.)
(The 378 yard par four eighteenth plays straightaway and slightly uphill to an angled green beautifully guarded by bunkers. Today’s pin is easy enough to assess but as it pushes further to the rear, the player will need to fade it in or take advantage of the left to right slope and let the ground contour guide it back.)
Williams should be on everyone’s must play list. There’s only a handful of courses within a three hours radius I’ve given a seven rating and I would choose to play Williams over all of them. When I started my blog seven years ago, the tag line was “enjoy the experience”. Williams is an experience. I highly recommend driving down and taking advantage of the opportunity to play here. I give Williams G CC an 8 (excellent)(worth a weekend visit).
Williams hosts the Tri State Open every year.
[Trivia tidbit: The West Virginia panhandle is only 4 miles wide.]
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