Lassing Pointe Golf Course (Union, KY)

I don’t seek out Hurdzan courses that much anymore. I’ve played so many of his that I rarely find anything new or exciting. Don’t take this as a put down, Hurdzan’s work is solid, it’s just I think he’s too generous off the tee which eliminates one of the most exciting aspects of golf. His bottleneck philosophy where it gets more challenging the closer you get to the green is a popular one. The longer hitter has an advantage since he can drive comfortably and hit shorter irons. 

Lassing Pointe opened in 1994 to rave reviews. This was right before the Tigerboom when a gluttony of new courses was being designed every year. Lassing Pointe was instantly accepted and hosted several big tournaments in its early years. The Kentucky Open was played here in 1996 and 2000, and the NCAA Regionals followed in 2002 and 2004. From the tips, it’s not a very long playing only 6724 yards. 

(The 555/524 yard opening hole plays downhill before going uphill to a split level fairway…
…there’s several options for the second shot. The biggest blunder is hitting it in the rough between the two fairways…
…longer hitters can reach the green in two. Most players should take the lower route and hit it as close as possible. It’s a good birdie opportunity.) 

(The 185/179 yard par three second is a solid hole over a valley. There’s a lot of room on the left to avoid challenging the bunker short. Certain pin positions are gettable but usually a par is a good score.) 

The front and back mirror each other with a 5,3,4 start on both nines. This unusual feature is great for tournament and league play as one nine is not stronger than the other. The front nine has three par threes mixed in with a couple short par fours. It would seem this is the scoring side with the par five eighth the key hole with water guarding the green. On the back, thirteen and seventeen are strong par fours where par is a good score. The par three fourteenth over the water gets most of the attention. The eighteenth is the only hole worth discussing architecturally. The green is 100 yards long with a small narrow handle in the front. The rest of the green feeds into the back with water all along the left. How often does one see a seven club green?!!

(The heart shaped 162/140 yard fifth can give up a deuce but care must be taken not to over club or leave it out to the right. The water tends to make players bail short so two putting us typically from long range.) 

(The 196/173 yard par three seventh plays to a slender diagonal green across a valley. This may well be the most difficult hole on the front. Trouble both short and long can lead to some crooked numbers.) 

It should be noted that Lassing Pointe still graces the best municipal courses list. There is a master plan to redo the bunkers next year which should help reinforce its position. Being close to Cincinnati, it’s often referenced as a Queen City course. It joins Blue Ash and The Vineyards as municipals designed by Hurdzan. 

(The 183/167 yard par three fourteenth is similar to the seventh except this time one is hitting over water. I guess it’s possible to play from the hazard short of the green. It’s more of a rocky subsoil there.) 

(The 422/388 yard par four seventeenth plays uphill to a green set diagonally against the ravine. The player will need to hit two quality shots to reach it in regulation…
…looking back one can see just how narrow the entrance is. Shooting at todays flag requires a confident swing!) 

Lassing Pointe is a fine choice for those playing in Cincinnati but that’s more of a referendum on the quality of courses in southern Ohio. (Ironic since Lassing Pointe is in Kentucky) Truthfully, Lassing Pointe looks like every course I’ve seen of Hurdzan’s  in Columbus. Royal American, Cumberland Trail, Walden Ponds… they’re all the same. Like them, Lassing Pointe is also a 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play). 

(The 441/407 yard par four eighteenth is the best hole on the course. This is one time you’ll wish you had a rangefinder. The green is 100 yards! Obviously all the pin positions against the water are tough to get close, but how cool would it be to have the flag stuffed in the back right or left corner.) 

(Look at the back tee rated a full stroke and a half higher than par.) 

[I played the black tees at 6256. I hit the ball very well off the tee and had many short irons into the greens. While 75 is a great score, I felt like it should’ve been lower. The putter was so inconsistent. All my 15-20 footers never even sniffed the hole. Both of my birdies were inside three feet. On the par three fourteenth, I hit it up by the bushes and hit the nicest little chip to tap in range. I proceeded to birdie the next hole and closed out the round -1 on the last five holes.]