Cable Hollow Golf Course (Russell, PA)

My cousin never hesitated when I asked him what his favorite course was. It was the first time I ever heard of it. Cable Hollow sits in a valley off route 62 between Warren PA and Jamestown NY. It’s the kind of place golf needs more of. 

Cable Hollow enjoys all the attributes people seek when choosing a place to call their home course. It’s in a beautiful setting nestled in the rolling hills, the conditioning is ideal with well paced greens, the challenge is reasonable with good mixture of fun and hard holes, and it’s affordable with a price point folks happily pay because they know it’s a good value. 

(The 161/141 yard par three second plays downhill to a simple placed green. A back to front pitch in the putting surface is all the challenge needed  to keep golfers on their toes. It plays into the wind.)  

(The 355/346 yard par four eighth doglegs left to a big green guarded by two sand traps both front left and right. It’s a good risk reward hole where the long hitter can cut over the corner. Sand and trees guard that line but a successful drive shortens up the yardage considerably.) 

Cable Valley flows very nicely, moving up and down the hillside with ease. The golfer has plenty of room to drive the ball, and the large greens have enough leeway to allow for some offline shots. There are birdies a plenty to be made, and the course is setup to allow for low numbers. Only a handful of holes is the player working hard to make par. 

(I like the simplicity of the bunkering. It has a flat bottom and a small lip for an easy escape. The slope of the green is the key feature when splashing out of them…

…most greens are open in front and can be approached with both a high or low shot.) 

In an area where golf could be hard to find, Cable Hollow provides a true and authentic test. While I played the appropriate tees for me, another set behind can stretch it out over 6800 yards. The par 73 routing does catch one by surprise, and I can honestly say I’ve never played one before. It has the standard four par fives, but only three par threes. 

(The par three seventeenth is a solid 205/175 yards. Bunkers bracket the front. An extra club should do the trick, and bring par into one’s grasp.) 

Cable Hollow was a good find, so props to my cousin for the heads up. Places like this make me smile. Obviously I’m an architecture geek who likes finding intricate and cool places, but growing the game starts with the Cable Hollows of the world. And it seems to be working because this is a popular place. The Cuyahoga Golf Association would feel right at home here. I give it a 4 (above average)(worth driving 30-45 minutes to play).

(The 545/505 yard par five ending hole doglegs left to a green elevated above the fairway. A bunker short left guards the aggressive line for those trying to reach it in two…

…boulders edge the rear left half of the green, a unique hazard. They really shouldn’t come into play, but a pull from an uphill lie could definitely find them. It’s a good birdie opportunity to finish the round.)

Nothing beats playing golf in a beautiful setting!