#73 TOP 100 USA CLASSIC (GOLFWEEK)
Ohio boasts a strong collection of private courses that continually make America’s top 100. With Keith Foster’s restoration, Moraine has climbed on that list and is challenging to be a top 5 in Ohio, and a possible top 50 in the USA. It has all the attributes of a seaside links as the terrain sweeps and swoops opposed to rising and falling. Many of the greens are placed atop the plateau of the sweeps with large deep bunkers guarding them.
(The 374/364 yard opening hole has a wrinkled fairway that may or may not give you a flat lie for your approach shot. The green crests left center so todays pin front right is not one to play conservatively. Coming from the center to the outer pin locations is always a downhill putt…
…the back tee is located on the far side of the putting green. It’s a very cool start for high level players.)
(The 205/194 yard par three second plays slightly uphill to a green that’s open in the front. The running shot seems to be the best option although my high cut with a 3hy was the only shot on the green. A par on this hole is good every day of the week.)
(The 407/359 yard third curves to the green with a high left to low right fairway. If the ball get to the right side then it’s a straightforward uphill shot, but if it stays in the middle then you’ll have to cut it off a sidehill. A spine divides the green in two. It’s not an easy two putt.)
(The 523/506 par five fourth has a massive hill to play over. It’s possible to reach the top but it requires a big poke and the fairway tapers too. For those who fail to crest the hill, the ball will roll all the back down…
…most will hit over the hill to a topsy turvy fairway that is hard to hit. The green is open in front for a low shot. Note how the green ties in to the fifth tee box behind it…
…looking back reveals the rolling nature of this hole. It’s unique.)
(The 140/130 yard par three fifth is a lovely hole that requires a delicate shot to have a chance for birdie. The green is deceiving and doesn’t pitch as much as it looks. Be mindful of the wind. Any mishit will be be in the sand.)
For years Moraine flew under the radar but the restoration opened up the views and revealed the wonderful topography. The removal of 2000 trees instantly propelled it into the national spotlight and it’s stock has gone up every year since. The landforms are impressive. There’s a fluidity to it. The views can be extended or they can be cut with multiple rises hiding features and misjudging yardages.
(The 320/302 yard par four seventh offers the long hitter a chance to reach it in one shot. The diagonal ridge that slopes down to the right can propel the ball towards the putting surface. The green is not an easy target to hit…
…this view short of the ridge offers little in terms of depth perception. The front right bunkers eat into the putting surface and it’s a delicate shot to get close.)
(This is the view from the back tee on the eighth…
…the 552/532 yard par five is all downhill and plays to the biggest green on the course. The putting surface is two tiered with internal movement that is hard to read. It’s a good chance for birdie.)
(The 429/416 yard par four tenth has not one single bunker defending it. Instead the green has short grass sloping away on all sides.)
(The 406/370 yard par four fourteenth is a wonderful hole. Golfers drive the ball uphill between bunkers on both sides. The green sits on the ridge with a false front guarding the left. Anything short will spin all the way back down the fairway.)
(The 161/150 yard par three fifteenth is actually a Foster creation. It had been changed in the ‘50s and he brought it back. Deep bunkers pinch the front making the opening look small. Anything right will go down a steep embankment. Just a mid iron, the player has a chance to get a lost stroke back.)
(The downhill 382/370 yard par four sixteenth has this tabletop green sitting below the player with deep bunkers guarding all sides. I love the view in the background, and note how the seventeenth tee is connected in the back…
…this is another view from further back in fairway.)
Byron Nelson won his ninth (his record of eleven straight wins will never be broken) tournament in a row at the 1945 PGA Championship held at Moraine. Back then it was a match play event, and he beat former MLB player Sam Byrd. During the morning round, Byrd birdied the last four holes to take a 2up lead and looked good until four bogeys during the middle stretch on the second eighteen cost him. Nelson eventually won 4&3. Moraine has also held five Ohio Amateur Championships. Some of the winners have gone onto the PGA tour. John Cook in 1979, Rob Moss in 1989, British Open Champion Ben Curtis in 1999, Alex Martin in 2009, and OSU standout Maxwell Moldovan in 2019.
(The 470/449 yard par five seventeenth is the best chance to snatch a birdie from the course. There’s not much room to run the ball on and the right green side bunker is very deep. The left bunker is a good leave and should leave one with a fine chance to up n down.)
(The 445/430 yard par four eighteenth drops down into a slight valley before steadily rising to the green. The bunker in the distance is a good aiming point while the tiger golfer can challenge the tree line. The eighteenth and ninth green are separated by a bunker and short grass. A swale cuts into the eighteenth green and one wants to be on the proper side of it. There are several great pin locations that make par a great score.)
Moraine is a great experience. Both nines go uphill and then play downhill to the clubhouse. One can see the action on several holes at any time. The course is in impeccable condition. Having played Inverness, I can say Moraine is at the same level. The only difference is Moraine is more playable. There are more short iron shots albeit with a variety of stances and lies. An invitation here should be accepted as quickly as possible. I give Moraine an 8 (excellent)(worth a weekend visit).
[we played the white tees at 6401 yards. We were playing a team four ball match and both of my opponents are members at OSU Scarlet course. Mr Larson in particular was very impressive! He was -2 with four to play and went bogey-triple bogey on 15 & 16. He birdied 17 and finished with five birdies for a 73. My partner and I were six down after nine lol. My 80 is a bit deceiving. I hit 13 fairways and 11 greens but could not even sniff a putt. I’d have five feet and not even hit the cup. I three putted 5,6,18. Disappointing but I had a great day!]
[there is a championship tee but one needs permission to play it. The yardages are on a separate scorecard. It stretches to 7240 yards.]
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