Springfield Country Club (Springfield, OH)

How does a golf course barely over 6700 yards host a U.S. Open qualifier? Easy. Turn two of the par fives into fours and have a set of greens that are severe and treacherous. When I say treacherous, I’m talking about greens that are literally sliding off the hills. They are unbelievable. Now some folks believe that makes them great, but I’m not buying it. When you can de-green yourself on several holes, it gets to the point of being silly. Nonetheless, Springfield has solidified itself as a stern tournament course, and for the foreseeable future, it’ll be testing the next generation of golfers. 

Donald Ross designed Springfield in 1922. The clubhouse sits high on the hill with the first and tenth tees in front and the ninth green below a set of Adirondack chairs outside the pro shop. Right from the start, the first hole flips you off with an incredible green that shouts “stay below the hole!”  This mantra will be seen time and time again. There are a couple greens where the corner is very steep and the putting surface races downhill in opposite directions. Pace and line are repeatedly challenged in order to two putt for par. 

(The 422/399 yard opening hole plays over the brow of the hill to a green in the distance. It’s a blind drive with a couple trees as reference…

…it’s a bunkerless green with the trap in pic seventy yards short. The putting surface slopes hard towards the front right corner. One will learn right away to keep it below the hole…
…this view looking back shows the rolling topography well.) 

(The 177/170 yard par three third has a classic foreshortened bunker that hides the ground behind it. Players bouncing it in are playing for a particular spot. My entire foursome hit the same shot with all the balls finishing on the front edge. Four easy pars.) 

(The 412/391 yard par four sixth has a creek fronting the green. It’s another bunkerless green but the putting surface slopes hard to front right corner. With the hazard short, the approach tends to be pin high or even long. This green sees plenty of three putts. A par is a good score.) 

There is a wide swath of flat property at Springfield which houses many of the northern holes. Most of them run parallel to each other and there’s a similarity to them. Both two and five are downhill par fives that look and play exactly the same. In fact three of the par fives play in this area, and it is a glaring weakness. The holes that play in the glacial terrain are the headliner. I specifically liked eight and nine. The eighth is a short par four with crossbunker nudging the golfer to think twice before hitting driver. The skyline green is two bowls divided by a spine. The ninth is a great downhill par three that plays in the shadow of the clubhouse and pro shop. Four bunkers surround the green placing pressure for those trying to get below the hole. 

(The 401/376 yard par four tenth plays parallel to one and has water on the right side. It’s another bunkerless green which is two tiered with a lower right side. The approach must be right of the hole to have a decent birdie putt. Get on the wrong tier and three putting is a concern.) 

(The 380/373 yard par four eleventh is good chance for birdie. The wide fairway leads to an open green. A mid to short iron approach means all pins are accessible.) 

(The 179/164 yard par three thirteenth slopes from high left corner to the right and to the front. That back left corner is tipped to unstoppable pace. My playing partner was up there and his ball went forty feet by the pin…
…this pic shows the intensity of the pitch. Note how the back right corner slopes away. It’s a very difficult green to read.) 

(This is the view from sixteen tee looking over fifteen and thirteen greens. The fifteenth has a punch bowl green where the rear slopes can be used to bring the ball back to the front.) 

(The 196/188 yard par three sixteenth is a long one shotter that plays uphill. It’s well bunkered with a back to front slope. I like the shot through the valley feel.)

(The 597/568 yard par five seventeenth begins with a dramatic blind tee shot over the crest of the hill…

…a good drive hits and runs down to the turn. A miss left is a huge mistake…
…like the other valley greens, this one is receptive to running and aerial shots. It’s wide open so two good pokes will give one a chance to snag one last birdie.) 

(The 412/386 yard par four eighteenth is similar to Manakiki’s ending hole. The green sits above the fairway to a green benched on the hill. It’s one of the few times playing short is not the proper strategy…
…the false front will repel balls back down the slope. A front pin position elicits fears of de-greening with an aggressive putt. A four is a good score.)

I have played multiple Donald Ross courses and I’ve always felt his design philosophy was very playable but Springfield displays how difficult his green locations can be when he placed them on the hillside. In a way it reminded me of Bedford Springs. The holes that moved up the hill were significantly tougher than the valley ones. In his book, Daniel Wexler said Springfield was short on flash, but long on natural, lay of the land holes. It’s a solid golf course that for the Donald Ross enthusiast is a good find. I give Springfield a 6 (very good)(worth driving two hours to play). 

[Springfield was a singles matchplay event played from the white tee at 6403 yards. My opponent was part of the triumvirate from OSU Scarlet course. Both of us were 4 handicaps and I knew he would be a very tough competitor. My strategy was simple. The only yardage I would play to was the front to middle number. This kept me in front of the hole and most times putting uphill. My opponent was more aggressive and that cost him a handful of times. The match decidedly went in my favor when I birdied fourteen, parred fifteen, and then he threw putted sixteen. My conservative strategy paid off with a 2UP win and a solid 78.]