Charleston Municipal Golf Course (Charleston, SC)

The past twenty years golf architecture has really branched out and taken some chances. All on the public side too. Tom Doak did a reversible course at The Loop; Arcadia South employed geometric design like the ultra exclusive Chicago Golf Club; The Muni brought template greens to a John Q public facility owned by the city of Charleston.

(The 515 yard par five seventh hole plays to this monstrous elevated green. It’s at least 10’ high! Reaching this in two and holding the putting surface will require maximum skill. Beware the fool who gets too cute and leaves his shot short. Those bunkers are XX deep! Great golf hole!) 

If you’re not familiar with template greens, then you might think they’re over the top. The premise is simply accessing particular slopes to funnel the ball to precise locations. It’s more of a ground game attack then it is an aerial one. Charleston Municipal is on a flat piece of land with all the greens built up. Many of the putting surfaces are not visible so course knowledge goes a long way. “Don’t shoot at the flag” is a common piece of advice for visitors. Doing so usually results in a ball off the green and down the slope into the rough or fairway. It’s a style not seen that often in America. For locals and astute golfers, seeing the path to the pin via a spot thirty feet away is a real pleasure, especially when it reacts the exact way you envisioned it. 

(The “Double Plateau” opening hole has two raised levels bisected by a deep swale.) 
 

The 11th-14th is the stretch many consider to be the best at The Muni and all four are concepts most have heard before. Eleven is Redan. The green has a massive slope on the front right that will funnel balls that hit it back to the left and closer to the hole. It literally sits next to Maybank Highway, the two lane road that leads to Kiawah, and stuns golfers who stare at it with its massive contours. Twelve is Cape where you decide how much of the water you want to bite off. Thirteen is Road. A Principal Nose bunker forces a decision between left or right side of the fairway. The greenside bunker is bulky and protrudes into the green. The concept is avoiding these two traps as you find an angle to the pin. The fourteenth is Short. The par three has a long narrow thumbprint in the middle of the green that challenges the putter when you have to roll the ball from one side to the other. Being on the proper side makes this a birdie hole. 

(The 175 yard par three eleventh is called Redan. Look at the high slope in the right corner that pushes balls back to the left. Most of the green slopes away, making the putting surface over the bunker out of sight to the golfer.) 

The Muni is rough around the edges. It doesn’t pretend to be something more than it is. There’s a lot of imperfection. Maybe that’s why I’m drawn to it. The live oaks and Spanish moss give it that low country feeling and the burgers at the clubhouse grille are downright fantastic. Unlike The Park, West Palm Beach’s super muni and it’s $250 price tag, The Muni is intimate and welcoming. It’s $60 to walk and you’re just as likely to be paired with a blue jeans/tee shirt regular Joe as you are an Ashworth shirted country clubber. I’m sure the template greens won’t be everybody’s cup of tea. They’re whimsical and don’t always reward good shots. But if you’re looking for something exciting, and want to explore turn of century golf architecture, then check The Muni out. I give it a 6 (very good)(worth driving two hours to play). 

(The 405 yard par four sixth is called Punchbowl. This is the first I’ve seen where a high shot must carry over a gaping bunker. Don’t even look at the pin. The ball will gather most times in the center if you hit a quality shot.) 

(The 365 yard par four third has this unique hazard crossing the fairway. I love the randomness and uncertainty that arises if you hit it in there.) 

(This is the side view of the road bunker and green on the 370 yard par four thirteenth. Look how deep the shoulder influences approach shots. A beautiful view in the background.) 

Wild Dunes - Links Course (Isle of Palm, SC)

Wild Dunes is the real deal! After playing the Ocean Course, I was expecting a complete letdown. The first four holes were not changing my mind, but then the fifth caught my attention, a cool par five with a punchbowl green atop a slight rise. The sixth and seventh followed with a couple strong par fours. At the turn, the short par four tenth climbed a massive sand dune with heaving rolls reminiscent of the pounding surf. It was a genuine “cool” moment, and began a four hole stretch that showcased the talent of Tom Fazio. The final three holes arrive at the ocean and are fantastic. Kiawah would kill to have this sequence at Turtle Point. 

#73 World Top 100 (Golf Magazine)

#91 Top 100 USA Public (Golf Digest)

#93 Top 100 USA Public (Golf Magazine) 

The Links was designed in 1980 and was Tom Fazio’s first solo effort. (Just this fact makes Wild Dunes architecturally significant) It was a very innovative design at the time, and brought people back to the fundamentals of designing in the sand and by the beach. It’s not a surprise that the original 18th hole graces Ron Whiten’s book The Golf Course. Unfortunately, everything changed when Hurricane Hugo wiped out the 17th and 18th holes, and striped all the property of the old oak trees that gave it its cool character. The Links is no longer the course that received all those accolades, the seventeenth was rebuilt, and par five eighteenth had to be abandoned and made into a par three. (Mike Strantz is the one responsible for these new versions. Not that I’m an expert, but the eighteenth does remind me of his work at Monterey). 

(The 508 yard par five fifth ends at a saddled hill with two bunkers carved into each mound. Proper positioning off the tee is the only way to reach the green in two. Cool third shot since only the top of the flagstick is visible.) 

The Isle of Palm is nothing like Kiawah. It’s a crush of people and condominiums. I noticed a lot of younger golfers in their 20s and 30s. The course has a cool vibe because of it. It’s neat to think that Wild Dunes started as one of the best in the country, lost its shine due to forces beyond its control, and has found its place among a group of people that isn’t just a bunch of old dudes. 

(The 192 yard par three twelfth is an optical illusion. All the sea grass and mounding makes it look tight but there’s plenty of room to hit your shot.) 

(The 427 yard par four thirteenth is a slight dogleg left that plays to a high back left to low front right green.) 

Wild Dunes makes me want to go back and look at the old Top 100 lists just to see what’s fallen off. It’s still a really good golf course. For golfers going to Charleston and Kiawah, this is a fine addition. It’s comparable in price to Osprey and Turtle ($205). The setting on the last two holes is second only to the Ocean Course. I give it a 6 (very good)(worth driving two hours to play). 

(The 185 yard par three eighteenth plays into the wind with the white sand dunes and ocean in the background. I love how the fairway comes in at a slight angle. A low shot on that line will be scuttled away to a difficult up n down. The optimal shot is over the sand with a slight left to right bias. This is the best par three finishing hole I’ve seen since Pasatiempo.) 

[We played the 6002 yard white tees. Check out the course and slope rating from both the black and white tees. The course is only a par 70. It was a great way to end our Charleston/Kiawah golf trip!) 

Ocean Course - Kiawah Island Club (Kiawah Island, SC)

#62 World Top 100 (Golf Magazine)

#43 World Top 100 (Golf Digest)

#33 World Top 100 (Architects)

#52 World Top 100 (Golf World)

#24 Top 100 USA (Golf Digest)

#32 Top 100 USA (Golf Magazine)

#9   Top 100 World Resort (Golf World)

#14 Top 100 USA Modern (Golfweek)

#3   Top 100 USA Public (Golf Digest)

#6   Top 100 USA Public (Golf Magazine)

#9   Top 100 USA Public (Golfweek)

..It took thirty years to get back to the Ocean Course…

There’s certain places that every golfer should make an effort to see. No matter what the cost. For the public golfer, with no access to private venues, the Ocean Course is the crème de la crème. Set between the Atlantic Ocean and the saltwater marshes of the Intercoastal, it’s an experience you won’t find anywhere else in the United States. 

(The 495 yard (blue tee) par five second hole is reachable in two shots by the long hitter, but with so much trouble close by, leaving it in the fairway left gives the best chance for birdie. The majority of players will layup to the creek and hit short or mid iron approach. It’s a very difficult green to hold, so beware going long and right. Par is a great score!) 

The drive out to the course maybe one of the most anticipated moments I’ve ever had. With every turn, the landscape entices you with gorgeous views before ending at the beautiful white antebellum looking clubhouse. The scene from the rear veranda is breathtaking! The long view across the dunes and beach to the rolling surf heightens the senses. In my travels, only a few places have captured my spirit in such a way. 

(In the 2021 PGA Championship, Rory McIroy’s drive hung up in this tree short of three green. It’s a 310 yards (blue tee) par four that possesses the smallest green on the course. The plateau putting surface requires a crisp iron shot to hold it. Anything long will go into the marsh.) 

In his book Bury Me in a Pot Bunker, Pete Dye commented after Hurricane Hugo, the central dune that ran through the property was reduced to a series of smaller ones. His wife Alice suggested raising the fairways so the ocean was in view from every hole. Pete took this advice and the experience is tenfold better for it. Unfortunately, this makes the wind more of a factor. During our round, it was blowing a mild 10-15 mph. I didn’t have to make any adjustments for it. The Ocean Course is walking only and requires a caddy, so I let him give me the playing yardage, and hit the club that went that distance. On several occasions I doubt I would’ve figured it out. 

(The 398 yard (blue tee) par four twelfth plays downhill the last 150 yards and offers a stunning view of the saltwater marsh eating into the hole.) 

(Wow!! The 333 yard (blue tee) par four thirteenth asks so many questions. The optimal line is right of the fairway bunker but it looks so narrow. The water is right in your face. It takes complete confidence to strike it pure. The championship tee is unbelievable!) 

My favorite holes were 2,3,12,13. All play along the marsh. I felt the contrast between all the colors and various textures was gorgeous. Pete Dye’s fascination with the plateau green is seen several times including 2,3,8,11,14. Interestingly, there’s no bunkers short of the putting surface on these holes, however, the slopes are so abrupt that bouncing it in is nonexistent. The seashore paspalum prevents much roll anyway. Only a well struck shot will hit and hold these. Going long is the big no-no. The worst spots are back there. On the par three eighth, my ball didn't bite quick enough and went in the back bunker. I spun the bunker shot ten feet from the hole which my caddy said was the best bunker shot he’s seen in two weeks. Usually golfers play ping pong going back and forth from one waste area to another. 

(The 161 yard (blue tee) par three fourteenth is a devil to hit in regulation. The green slopes from front to back. Note how the left bunker is grassed down almost to the base. During the Senior PGA Championship, the leader plugged his ball into the face and took two to get out, losing the tournament in the process. I found that bunker, a good ten feet below the green. I hit it to fifteen feet.) 

The Ocean Course is unquestionably one of the finest in the world. Pete Dye jokingly said he would’ve traded his wife in for a chance to design on piece of property like it. It’s a setting we haven’t seen in this country since the turn of the century. The PGA of America has made it one of their stalwarts and it has hosted the 1991 Ryder Cup, 1997 & 2003 World Cup, 2005 PGA Club Professional, 2007 Senior PGA Championship, and the 2012 & 2021 PGA Championship. I don’t really need to add much more than that. It’s my third perfect score. I give it a 10 (perfect)(must play once in your life). In 2031, it will host its third PGA Championship. 

(The par three seventeenth is a 161 yards (blue tee) that plays into a hurting cross wind. It doesn’t necessarily fit in with rest of the course, but the donor die high drama has been the site of many infamous moments.) 

[we played the blue tees at 6,202 yards. The yardage was perfect and gave us some opportunities to make a few birdies. Check out Tim, a 22 handicap. He parred the toughest hole and made a 65 footer for birdie on eleven! A couple nice 4 for 2 moments!] 

[The cost of the round was $480 dollars, plus a caddy is mandatory which adds another $125. The total is a whopping $605! (Don’t choke reading that number again) We all knew the deal before stepping on the plane. YOLO]

The other two 10s:

Whistling Straits

http://golfingwithshawn.blogspot.com/2018/06/whistling-straits-kohler-wi.html?m=1

Pacific Dunes

http://golfingwithshawn.blogspot.com/2017/09/pacific-dunes-bandon-dunes-resort.html?m=1

Turtle Point - Kiawah Island Club (Kiawah Island, SC)

Turtle Point’s entire reputation hinges around three holes 14-15-16 that play alongside the Atlantic Ocean. Two par threes bookend a short par four. As much fun as it is to reach the shore, the holes, in my opinion, are disappointing. They’re wedged between the villas and the dune, and are really tight. There’s little room for error. The green on fourteen, the best looking hole of the three, is a two level affair with the rear significantly higher than the front. It’s the only green at Turtle Point that does this! It’s so out of place that it’s shocking when you first see it! And the biggest kicker?! You never see the ocean during this stretch because the dune is too high. 

(The fourteenth green occupies a beautiful location in the dunes. Even though pictures tend to flatten out slope, you can still make out the height difference between the back tier, where the pin is located, and the front where the pin shot marker is. The dip between them is even evident.) 

Jack Nicklaus designed Turtle Point in 1981. Most of the holes play in the lush environs of Kiawah Island. (We saw more gators here than anywhere else.) The interior holes are solid, if not exciting. Water guards eight greens, and surprisingly, five times it’s on the left. This should bail out many of the resort golfers who are hitting a left to right shot. 

(Jack does a good job giving golfers plenty of room to bail out. The sixth is a fine par four with plenty of short grass right and long of the green. While par is a good score, weaker players who hit smart shots can secure a five handily.) 

The best two holes are nine and eighteen. Nine is a dogleg left that entices players to cut the corner, however, the smart play is out to the fairway bunker which opens up the angle into a green guarded by water left. Eighteen is a straightaway par four with water on the left and red stakes on the right. A good drive leaves a mid iron approach over water and sand. Even this early in his architectural career, Nicklaus had a penchant for finishing off his outgoing and incoming nines strongly. 

(The second par three on the ocean feels cluttered with the plants and palmetto bushes breaking up the view. The wind has a huge impact yet the lack of references makes it hard to judge. The villas are just beyond the bushes to the right. The picture used in advertisements is from their balcony.) 

Golfers debate which course is better, Osprey or Turtle? Many publications put Jack’s course ahead so I’ll let architect Brian Curly make the call. He recollected that if the Ocean Course wasn’t ready in time for the Ryder Cup, the contingency plan was Osprey. Enough said. I give Turtle Point a 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play).

[It hurts looking at this scorecard. I got off to a decent start, and totally lost it at the turn. Everyone in the group made a birdie. That’s always a great thing. My birdie came on one of the ocean holes. I thinned a 5hy about four feet off the ground, watched as it ran at least fifty yards before exhausting its last breathe two feet from the hole. Better to be lucky than good. It cost $225. A hundred more than I think it deserves.]

Great group of guys making memories at Kiawah! 

Osprey Point - Kiawah Island Club (Kiawah Island, SC)

Kiawah. Every golfer knows the name. It’s home to the Ocean Course, host of several PGA Championships and the 1991 Ryder Cup known infamously as “The War by the Shore”. Before then, it was an idyllic island, very much like Hilton Head. Osprey was built in 1988, three years before, and the agenda was good golf in a beautiful, serene setting. Tom Fazio was considered the best at the time, and his name would resonate with folks looking for a place to vacation. 

(The lovely par three fifteenth is beautifully framed by the sand in symmetrical fashion. Architect Mike Strantz was the chief associate on this project, and much of the framing is his. This explains some of the gorgeous bunker work at Osprey. This tidbit will make you look at the course in whole different light.)

Osprey has kept to its original intentions, and it is a solid course that interacts beautifully with it’s setting. The course is located in the heart of the island among the marshes and lagoons. The wildlife and natural vegetation makes this lush paradise a memorable experience. The course is very playable. The grass is seashore paspalum, a thick sticky texture that catches balls and limits the roll. They will not be bounding into hazards. The greens are receptive with modest contour in them. 8 or 9 on the stimpmeter. 

(The par three third across the marsh is a terrific hole. Note how the green angles diagonally with only 15% of the putting surface in view. Muscles tighten up, the pulse quickens, breathing gets rapid. Strike it with confidence!)

There are only a handful of exciting holes. The rest fill out the card in typical Fazio fashion. Most will consider three and eleven the best, forced carry par threes over the swaying lowland marshes. The par four ninth is a cape hole hard against the water that torments your confidence as you choose what line to take and how far you can really carry the ball. For myself, I loved the par five eighteenth. It turned around the water exactly where you want to land your second shot. You know how well you’ve been striking it all day, or how poorly. Choose accordingly. 

(The par four ninth is possibly the most intimidating shot on the entire island. A centerline bunker breaks up the sight line and forces the player to be aggressive or conservative.) 

It’s silly to talk about value since everything at Kiawah is a big ticket item, however, all the amenities you expect, such as free range balls and complimentary water, are provided. If standing alone, few would pay the $225 dollar green fee, but being part of the resort makes it easier to swallow. Many feel it’s the second best course on the island and I concur with that sentiment. I give it a 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play). 

[we played the silver tee at 6162 yards.  The Hollywood game had Paul and I as partners the last six holes. I made a 8 footer for par to go 1 Up on seventeen. Yapping all the way to the next tee, I was really giving the boys the business. Our third shots all came up several yards short of eighteen. I spun my wedge a couple feet short of the pin, celebrating mine and Paul’s secured par when Joby putts it ten yards off the green, ramming it dead center of the hole. Not only did that putt save them from humiliation, but effectively won my buddy $105 dollars for +4 in quota game plus a skin.]

(The par three eleventh plays over the water to a long diagonal green.)

Rivertowne Country Club (Mt Pleasant, SC)

Rivertowne was designed in 1998 by Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay. It’s beautifully routed close to the lowlands with many of the holes touching or offering views across the river. You can rest assure that Palmer wasn’t going to let any opportunities go to waste. His persistence leaves many memorable holes, but also makes for a couple awkward ones too.

Architecturally, the vegetation and mounding obscures the landing zones. It is hard to make out where the fairway is, and often times, you will see it land but not where it ends up. The course plays firm and fast so this creates uncertainty and tension off the tee. On the back nine, there is little buffer once the ball goes offline. This unfortunately is the reality of playing in this type of environment. 

On a few holes, there is a cement wall that holds the ground in place. A couple par threes have this feature and it’s a unique hazard. Not only can the ball hit it and ricochet but a recovery shot with it in the way can be unnerving. The seventeenth in particular uses it to great effect. The green is set at a diagonal and the wall fronts the middle and rear pins. It’s quite a sight! 

The starter suggested getting your birdies on the front because the back side is four shots harder. What he really meant is the marsh is on every hole, and a few times, you’ll be laying up to it unless you’re bold enough to take on the carry. I feel Palmer focused too much on the setting, and not enough massaging loose swings. Overall, it is a beautiful course, and locally, it’s considered one of the better courses in the area. It filled in adequately as the first course in our Kiawah trip. I give it a 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play).

 [we played the blue tees at 6267 yards. We treated it mostly as a practice round. Paul felt the wrath of the forced carries the most, and his eight water balls highlights the shortcomings of the design. As a foursome, we tallied a dozen lost balls. I went on the bogey train for eight straight holes, but thankfully, no doubles. None of us were at our best.]

Bunker Hill Golf Club (Medina,OH) [Updated]

I love that the owner of Bunker Hill is always looking to improve the golf course. My original post commented on the purchase of additional land where they designed the third and fourth holes. This time, they took the seventh, a mediocre drive and pitch par four, and extended it into what will be a fine par five. Unfortunately, in order to keep the course at par 72, they chopped the driveable par four second into a difficult par three. If they can elevate the tee box and expand the green then it’ll look more natural than what it is now. 

(The opening hole starts below the clubhouse and plays uphill to this plateau green.) 

The heart of the course is still the property by the clubhouse. The rolling land makes 1,9,18 all very attractive golf holes. While the new third, fourth, and seventh holes are huge improvements, they still need to tackle the two 90 degree dogleg left holes at six and fifteen. (Fifteen is an absolute dog) Bunker Hill has definitely shedded its mom n pop image, and it should be noted that they have taken two of their drive n pitch par fours, and made them into a legitimate length par three and par five. 

(The tough par four fourth hole was added ten years ago and has become one of the featured holes.) 

Bunker Hill has consistently improved every year, and the conditioning is first rate. This gives it a loyal following, and it seems to have adopted its cousin down the street, Shale Creek, and piggybacks on their high end green fees. I used to think it was a good bargain, but it slowly has become expensive. I guess someone has to pay for the new holes. I still feel the same about the place but it’s not far off being bumped up one. I give it a 4 (above average)(worth driving 30-45 minutes to play).

(The eighteenth is still my favorite hole. There’s a definitive advantage being over the creek in two shots and hitting a short iron third.) 

Signature of Solon (Solon, OH) [Updated]

Signature is a private course designed by Craig Schreiner in 2002. The fairways are broken by wetlands and low grass crossings at various points. While there is plenty of room to lay back, the skilled golfer who judges his distances properly can place it closer while the longer hitter tries to overpower the obstacles with his length. Unfortunately, this isn’t the only hazard one has to worry about. Red or white stakes line every hole with wild mishits quickly adding strokes to the card. Having a bad day means shooting a 100 plus losing a half dozen balls.

(The final hole of the day plays 405/385 yards  to a peninsula green. Two quality shots are needed to secure a par.)

Signature has excellent greens with good interior contouring. The mounding on the outer edges dictate the hole locations and is a good indicator where the approach should land. Most of the movement is here too. It has a very modern look to it, and I feel the greens are like a catchers mitt so the ball gathers towards the middle. Many of the front edges are tipped   It’s hard to see the bottom of the cup when the pin in in this location. 

(The 376/362 yard sixteenth is the epitome of the course. Off the tee, you’re trying to hit it far enough to get a good look, yet not long enough to find the gunk or get stymied by the tree. The pin in pictured is hidden by the slope. This is much of the strategy found at Signature.) 

The area has always been known for its wet conditions, and when you realize both Geauga Lake and Aurora Lake are very close by, then you’ll understand the difficulty Schreiner dealt with when he was designing the course. It also explains the abrupt transitions you encounter on the course. In my original post, I gave it a very harsh review, but I’ve soften that stance and I am willing to bump it up a couple. I give Signature a 4 (above average)(worth driving 30-45 minutes to play). 

(The massive clubhouse frames the last hole with the round rotunda a bar where folks can watch you finish the round. It’s a very exciting atmosphere!) 

Turkeyfoot Golf Links (Akron, OH) [Updated]

Turkeyfoot has not been immune to the rash of closings seen in the region the past several years. The third nine, also known as the Lake nine, was sold to developers late last season. The main course is still intact and will be celebrating its centennial anniversary in 2025. For area golfers, this is a wonderful place to learn the game. The lack of water hazards, except for the par three thirteenth, allow players to hit the ball without the fear of losing it to a poor shot. The sandy soil keeps the turf in fine shape and is always dry even at the beginning of the year. 

(Looking from the twelth green, the severe pitch of the thirteenth is boldly evident. Players know to keep below the hole to have an easy two putt par, but when the pin is in the front, like today’s, all hell breaks loose as you oscillate between being too precise, like the pin shot next to the hole, or ultra conservative to the middle of the green where a heavy hand can scurry the ball past the cup and down the fairway.) 

For me, Turkeyfoot represents a bygone era full of quirk and charm. It consistently challenges the single handicap player despite its short stature of 6300 yards. How is this possible? First, the par threes are all long. Two of the five play well over 200 yards. Second, the handful of short par fours, including a few driveable ones, have the most difficult greens. Birdies are not on the menu unless you execute a very good shot. Thirdly, OB makes its appearance, specifically on 10,11, and 18, in bold fashion. The white stakes are literally just a few yards from the action, all on the right. A mistimed slice is a legitimate fear. Finally, the par fives, which everyone views as birdie holes, are very long with a couple clocking in at 570+. Only a select few are reaching these in two shots. The rest of us must string three shots together. 

(The fourth hole plays as a par five from the regular markers but a par four from the back. It enjoys a great view of the Portage Lakes. The green is a simple one but the nuance breaks are difficult to read.)

Turkeyfoot also has my favorite drive. I love cruising through the Portage Lakes, peering at the canals and the homes that line them. There’s a seaside town vibe that permeates the air. The Upper Deck is directly across the street and is the perfect place to recap the round. The scenery isn’t too shabby either if you know what I mean. Everything about Turkeyfoot makes for a fun day. It’s an easy walk, the greens rival any in the area, and a good score is available for those playing well. I’d put it on the short list of best public courses in Akron. I give it a solid 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play). 

(View of nine green from the first tee.) 

South Toledo Golf Club (Toledo, OH)

From South Park to South Toledo, here is another example of a well respected greenskeeper designing a golf course. This time it’s William Rockefeller from Inverness. Before discussing the architecture, a quick history lesson. Originally, this was part of 36 hole Heather Downs Country Club. Rocky designed both courses in 1925. When the Great Depression hit, the membership couldn’t afford two courses so the South was auctioned off. 

If we were to look at both courses, I think everyone would agree that Heather Downs possesses the best topography. The northern part of their property has a beautiful valley with good elevation change. South Toledo has none of that. It’s flat as a pancake! If it wasn’t for the beautiful specimen trees and a narrow little crick, it would be completely devoid of character. It also doesn’t help that the back nine is totally encased by the local community with houses lining the left side on every hole except the par threes. Thankfully, the greens are very well done.  They’re pushed up with a strong back to front tilt with a rolling center that creates a variety of interesting and challenging pin positions. Putting across the middle, especially long putts, can be very difficult. 

(Look how steep the bunker is and the slope of green pitching forward! Cool architecture like this adds intrigue to a flat site.) 

The bunkering is very good too! You can tell Rocky took Donald Ross’ style, and flawlessly executed it here. Ross visited several times to prepare Inverness for a couple US Opens, and worked exclusively with Rockefeller who was the superintendent. The sweeping face bunkers guard the sides and really punishes the player who has missed his target left or right. Some of them have steep lips that require a shot get up quickly. Foreshortened bunkers are used too. 

(The 414/406 yard par four third doglegs left around a pond before playing to a green fronted by a creek. Playing safe off the tee can unintentionally leave a much longer than approach. Note the winter flag only three feet tall.) 

South Toledo tips out just over 6500 yards but don’t for a minute think it’s going to be a pushover. Seven of the par fours play over 400 yards. On the front, the dangerous third gets your attention with the creek crossing short of the green. Then the back nine finishes with four of the last six holes 420-453 yards. The flat terrain, especially when it hardens up from the summer sun, shortens the distance that they play, but the elevated greens tighten the mid to long iron shots needed for the approaches. Hitting to the front of the green will leave you below the hole but the aforementioned roll in the center is a vexing feature to putt or chip over. 

(The 140/133 yard par three seventh is the signature hole at South Toledo. The horseshoe shaped water hazard guards almost the entire green. It takes nerve to shoot at a flag anywhere in the edge.) 

William Rockefeller only designed a few courses and his work here proves that he learned a lot from Donald Ross. I personally love the backstory to Inverness. It’s a solid course that serves the golfers in Toledo well. I give it a 4 (above average)(worth driving 30-45 minutes to play). I give it a slight nod over its brethren across the street. 

[Toledo received two inches of rain a couple days before I arrived so I was only able to play the front nine. I could not believe the amount of water that was still sitting on the back. It makes me wonder if the housing that surrounds the course prevents it from draining as quickly. Hmmm. I shot 39]