Fire Ridge Golf Course (Millersburg, OH)

Fire Ridge enjoys a prime location in Amish Country just outside downtown Millersburg on state route 62. 

(The opening hole is a par five from the back tees but a par four from the alternate tee.)

I’m going to skip any discussion about the back nine. Instead, I’m going to focus on the front which was designed in 1929. It played as an eighteen hole course by using alternate tees. I’ve mentioned this concept before, but Fire Ridge is the time I’ve seen it actually incorporated. What’s cool is many of the ladies tees are the old alternate tee. In my opinion, the course should reestablish the old tees, and give golfers the unique experience of playing eighteen holes via both ways. 

(The 235 yard par three second is much easier from the 163 yard tees. From the rear tees, it’s close to being a Redan where a draw that finds the front will release to the rear.)

(It’s been a while since I’ve seen a sleeper bunker. The wooden slats add an imposing quality to the short par three seventh.)


(The view of the valley and countryside from the ninth green is a beautiful sight. This is a short par four that literally climbs straight up the hill. Even from 120 yards, you won’t be able to see the flagstick.) 

I’ve played nearly every course in the region and Fire Ridge was one of the exceptions until recently. The greens were in nice shape but fairways were only marginal. The back nine is beyond quirky and is the biggest reason why I think the alternate tees should be reintroduce. I’d like to see the old fifth restored where the player drives to the creek and hits his approach uphill to the green which is now the ladies tee box for eighteen. 

(This view shows the remnants of the old fifth hole.) 

Amish country is the biggest tourist draw in Ohio, and Fire Ridge is positioned to capture much of the golfing dollars. While it saves many husbands from a day of shopping for faux Amish goods, it’s not worthy of a trip in itself. I give Fire Ridge a 3 (average)(worth driving 15-30 minutes to play). This is predicated on playing the front twice. The back nine is an absolute waste of time. 

(The two tiered par three fourteenth is pinched in the middle by this huge rock. It’s uphill and semi blind. It maybe the best hole on the back which should tell you how vacuous the others are.)