Lancaster Golf Club (Logan, OH)

I really wanted to say Golfweek needed to rethink their top ten Ohio public golf list, but the back nine, the Donald Ross nine at that, was just too cramped as 12-14 and 16-17 put one in legitimate danger of being hit by a ball. The up and over holes make the landing zones blind from the tee and several times when my playing partners or I had to venture into the adjoining rough, we had to be very mindful of the group teeing off. It was the only complaint I had on an otherwise beautiful course. 

Lancaster opened as a nine hole course in 1909 and was redesigned by Donald Ross in 1926. It expanded to eighteen holes when Ohio architect Jack Kidwell added a second nine in 1959. Typically on these hybrid Ross courses, the second architect struggles to match the quality of Donald’s work, but Kidwell not only equaled it, he arguably surpassed it. The Kidwell nine (front) beautifully trollops over the rolling hills, moving gracefully up, down, and across the slopes. There’s a wide variety of shots to be played, and plenty of decisions as the pace gives you a chance to post a good outgoing score. The heart of this nine (5-7) is fantastic and the two up and over holes showcase the nuances of a green that accepts a running shot and one that demands an aerial approach. 

(The 223/190 par three third plays downhill to a green open in front but bunkered on the sides. It’s a large putting surface that will accept a lengthy shot. Three is a good score) 

(The fifth is my favorite par three on the course. It’s 195/165 yards with a swale cutting across the fairway guarding the front left pin location. The shallow putting surface demands a precise shot with most of the green sloping away to the back right.) 

(The 465/424 yard par four sixth is a strong up and over hole with the last two hundred yards playing downhill to the green. Reaching the crest is a tough ask however the putting surface can still be accessed with a powerful second shot that trundles down the fairway. The two tier green has some good pin locations.)

(The 378/351 short par four seventh plays uphill before dropping down to this wonderful green complex. Atop the hill is a flat area and a good lie for the approach while the longer player may choose to push his drive further in hopes of leaving a short pitch in. The green slopes to the front left corner.)  

As a Donald Ross enthusiast, I found the back nine to be good but not inspiring. It’s a solid nine holes but besides the eleventh, which is one of the coolest short par fours you’ll play, the holes looked and played like any other course he’s designed. As I mentioned earlier, the holes get cramped in this area (12-14).  It also ends in an unusual fashion with back to back par fives followed by a forgettable long par three. It is somewhat nifty that the two par threes are over one hundred yards different in length. The par four fourteenth (first pic of blog) has a rolling hill just short of the pedestal green where I believe the proper play is to bounce it off the back side and let it feed onto the putting surface. If you pull it like I did, it will hit into the fourteenth tee box. (Yikes!) 

(The 375/357 yard par four eleventh is the best hole on the course. The drive plays straight uphill across a diagonal ridge. Getting to the top leaves this view into the green…
…looking back you can see just how fickle the landing zone can be. I found myself with an uphill/sidehill lie for my approach while my playing partner drove it over the hill and had downhill/sidehill lie. The green slopes hard to the front left so expect the biggest breaking putt of the day.) 

(The 391/380 yard par four twelth plays up and over the large ridge that cuts across the property. A good drive will leave a mid iron into the green. ) 

(The 479/476 yard par five sixteenth shows remnants of the old architecture that has faded away. It looks like a grown in bunker but I believe it’s part of some greenside chocolate drop mounding. This hole is slightly downhill and is reachable in two shots.) 

Lancaster is just beginning to wade into the public consciousness after transitioning from a private club three years ago in 2022. Its location in the Hocking Hills might keep it secret a little longer than expected but eventually this course will enter the conversation as one of the better courses in Ohio. They need to do some work on 1 & 10 and get the brush off the hillsides (think Manakiki 10&18). Both are strong holes but ten can be excellent. I give a Lancaster a strong 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play). 

(I played with two young men from Columbus who were smitten with the game but struggled to put several shots together. We played the gray tees at 6,204 yards. I shot a respectable score with the highlight being a spinning 50 yard pitch on sixteen that stopped eighteen inches away for my only birdie. The driver continues to be my downfall as I block and pull my tee shots in spots where bogey is a good score.) 

(The opening hole plays out of the valley and climbs the hill to a green with some good internal features. Clear the hillside left, open up the creek down the right and this will be a wonderful start to the day.)