Vermillion Country Club (Vermillion, OH)

Unless you live in the immediate area, you wouldn’t know this course exists. Obscure is pretty much a good adjective for it. I call it golf on a budget with the greens being the only thing watered. The fairways are a hodgepodge of different grasses and lengths. Vermilion has been around since 1914 and while the architect is unknown, it has enough qualities to anticipate it being designed by a well educated person in golf.

On a course like this, there’s usually one or two holes that are very different then what one normally sees. Number one qualifies right off the bat. The fairway is literally the edge of a hill, making an upper and lower level. A choice must be made from the tee, and anything down the middle will take a huge jump to the left and go into the trees. It’s a really cool start to the day.

(The first drive of the day is a fun one. A peeler fade down the middle could take the slope and roll out to the end of the hill. Overall, the upper level is probably the best choice…

…the approach is to an open green with a trap short right. I like the view of the par three eighth in the background.)

(Speaking of the eighth, the green sits at the edge of the hill. Two grassed in bunkers cover the entrance twenty yards short. It doesn’t quite play as intended when balls bounced on. Look how quickly one runs out of room right of the putting surface.)

(As the par five fourth can attest, there are bunkers in play. Both the sand and greens are in good condition.)

Like a local dive bar, Vermillion is a place where most folks know each other. It provides what it’s supposed to, a pleasant golf experience at an affordable cost. Outsiders wouldn’t understand unless they value the basic necessities of hitting a white ball around some obstacles out in nature. If pristine conditions are a prerequisite, then you should avoid. I give it a 3 (average)(worth driving 15-30 minutes to play).

(I like the twelve hole concept employed here. My only gripe is twelve is the original ninth hole and should be used as such. This would mean 10-12 are all add-ons. The ninth in particular is a dog of a hole. It has very little room to land a drive (somewhat blind) and has a short pitch to a green that ripples away. Note the nine putts I had to shoot even par. This is the least amount I’ve ever had for nine holes. I chipped in twice.)

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Thunderbird Hills North (Huron, OH)

Thunderbird Hills is a 36 facility that serves the Huron/Vermillion/Sandusky area out by Cedar Point and the Lake Erie islands. There’s no denying the South is in better condition, but I’ve always thought the North was the more interesting of the two. The landforms near the clubhouse and the undulations further out close to the Huron River make for engaging and demanding golf shots.

(How do you create a short bunkerless challenging par three? You extended it across a ridgeline with falloffs on every side. The 136/126 yard second is just a wedge or short iron yet it demands fearless precision.)

(The 356/280 yard par four fourth tempts players into advancing the ball to the valley short of the green. This brings the trees left and right into play. The prudent strategy is laying back to the 150 marker and taking your chances from there.)

(The driveable 290/240 yard par four sixth drifts slightly downhill to a circular green that slopes front left to back right. It’s a great birdie opportunity but be careful not to be too aggressive. Putts near the right edge will roll off.)

The North was designed in 1960 by Bruce Palmer. His intuition to place the greens on the highest spots was a great decision. The turtleback nature of them gives the course multiple defenses primarily the ability to repel shots that are offline. Those same slopes then demand delicate chips and pitches back to the hole. There’s no bunkers! This means sustainability, playability, and more fun.

(The 534/455 yard par five ninth plays out of a chute, rolling and heaving while doglegging right to a green benched into the hill. Crossing the creek at the bottom of the hill is crucial to securing a stress free par.)

(The 424/402 yard par four tenth is the most difficult hole on the course. Wetlands cross the fairway limiting how far one can drive it down the hill. A mid to long iron is then uphill to a green spread across a ridge. The pin position can be near impossible if it’s tucked in the right or left corners. Par is a good score.)

(The 382/360 yard par four thirteenth has another green atop a ridge with a valley short. It’s a delicate short to mid iron shot as you try to get below the left to right sloping putting surface.)

The biggest complaints I hear are the first six holes are too easy and it has too many short par fours (3,4 if tee moved up,6,17). While there is some validity to both, I feel the 7-16 stretch is full of solid golf and offsets these criticisms. (For good measure, the eighteenth is a dandy of a finishing hole.) I think the lack of internal contouring within the greens is what keeps it from being really good. Otherwise it’s a super fun course. It’s kept in good shape, and has a wide variety of hardwoods and evergreens. I give it a 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play).

(The 352/300 yard par four sixteenth is a layup off the tee followed by a mid iron approach. The green is a singular point with falloffs short, left, and right. It’s an underrated hole where par is a good score.)

(The 371/275 yard par four eighteenth has a semi blind drive downhill to a fairway with a large rolling ridge cutting in from the left. Be prepared to hit your uphill approach from a hanging lie. The green is below the clubhouse patio and has a steep back to front slope to it. It’s a great way to end the day.)

(I blogged the North ten years ago during the shoulder season when the grass was dormant. This time I wanted to update it with quality pictures in the heart of summer.)

(The 3b hole is a Y shaped deviation from the normal short par four third as the fairway doglegs right off the main fairway. I believe the hole plays 400 to this green with wetlands short. This view is actually from a different set of tees that plays this as a par three. I’d love to see them incorporate this onto the scorecard as a one shotter and eliminate the banal par three fifth. They could then lengthen the sixth or keep it as is. Either way, this needs to become part of the main routing.)

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Mayfair Country Club (Uniontown, OH)

For over thirty years, the CNCGA has been traveling to Uniontown for Saturday golf, but for whatever reason, it was never to play Mayfair. On a whim, I stopped by as the sun was rising prior to our annual round, and found a course that I believe would be a welcomed addition to our schedule. Its 6,240 yards sets up very well for our membership with appropriate spacing for seniors and women. Couple this with an affordable price point and you have a good combination.

(The 164/153 yard par three third has a central bunker guarding the front. A ridge in the middle makes the left to right sloping green a tough shot to get close. Wetlands left and right frame the hole in beautiful fashion.)

(The opening 396/384 yard par four is one of the longest two shotters on the course. Aim at the large tree in the left rough and take advantage of the open entrance.)

(The 310/299 yard par four fifth turns a tad left and completely opens up for an aggressive approach. There are birdie opportunities throughout the round.)

Mayfair started with 36 holes but the addition of housing whittled it down to 18. Both courses were designed by Ed Ault in 1968. (If this name sounds familiar, it’s because he is the architect of Windmill Lakes.) Today’s course is a mixture of both the East and West. What holes belonged to which, I do not know, but what remains plays to a par 71 with the unusual routing of 2 par fives, 3 par threes, and 13 par fours. The par fours come in all sorts of lengths including the driveable second (281 yards) and the formidable eighteenth (440 yards). The rolling terrain in the northern half of the property has some very good holes (2,3,4,12,13,14,15) while the start of the back nine (10,11) plays against a lake. The last three holes eke out along side the houses and are the most visible from the road (the Raber/Mayfair L section). Water is in play on all three with the par five sixteenth fronted by it, the par four seventeenth green abutting it, and the eighteenth tee box framed by it.

(The 367/355 yard par four tenth plays to a peninsula green. There’s a lot more room to land the ball but wayward shots will find the drink. Note across the water on the left is the lima bean shaped eleventh green which is all carry over water. At 130/109 yards, it tempts players to be as aggressive as they would like.)

The past couple years we’ve been doing some reconnaissance missions to find suitable additions to our schedule but the one that makes the most sense may have been in our periphery all along. I give it a strong 4 (above average)(worth driving 30-40 minutes to play).

(The first time I heard anyone talk about Mayfair was last year when my UPS buddies were excited about getting a breakfast buffet with their eighteen hole ticket. If you play your cards right, you can get breakfast, golf, and then get a hot dog, all for a bargain price.)

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Slippery Rock Golf Club (Slippery Rock, PA)

Slippery Rock caught my attention when I learned it was the old Armco Steel course. These “employee” courses tend to be very good ie Fowler’s Mill and Shaker Run being excellent examples of company courses turned public. Alas Slippery Rock doesn’t possess such high end architecture. It started off as a man chasing a dream before being resurrected after WWII and then being bought by Armco. That should not be taken as a slight but rather a pointed observation. This is your typical western Pennsylvania track that plays up and down the hillsides.

(The short par four tenth is best approached from the left. Long hitters can possibly drive or get close with their tee shot.)

(Playing over a marshy area, the par three eleventh is a very challenging hole. The green sits atop a slight ridge and anything short, right, or long will kick into trouble.)

Slippery Rock has some very fascinating history with a Cleveland connection. The course was founded by Ralph Nicholas who hired Cleveland architect F.T. Stafford to design nine holes which today is the front nine. Stafford is one of those forgotten architects whose name isn’t mentioned in The Architects of Golf by Geoffrey Cornish and Ronald Whitten. (Many northeast Ohio golfers remember the now defunct Hawthorne Valley Country Club in Solon. For years it was regarded as a Donald Ross course, but a discussion on Golf Club Atlas posted by Sven Nilsen showed an old Cleveland Plain Dealer article that cited Frank Pelton and F.T. Stafford as the architects. Stafford is said to have built 36 courses at the time.) The back nine, which is across the street, is credited to Wynn Tredway, the man who bought the course after WWII.

(The par four fifteenth drops downhill between the treeline before doglegging a bit to the right…

…the green is exposed in the front for a running shot but possesses a slick right to left slope that will feed balls into the left bunker.)

(The uphill sixteenth arcs to the left with thick trees guarding that side. It plays much longer than its listed yardage.)

(The downhill seventeenth has this interesting green that is well bunkered. A flood a few weeks earlier completely destroyed the left greenside trap.)

I only played nine holes after finishing eighteen at the Field Club in New Castle. While I wish I had seen the front, they put me out on the back. The golf on this side as I mentioned earlier is typically for Western PA. Tredway did a fine job routing ten and eighteen next to each other and having 12,15,16,17 all parallel alternating uphill and downhill. The golf is solid and I would contend the last four holes are all difficult pars. That said, the front nine looked a tad more interesting with bunkers guarding eight of the nine greens. I think there’s also more variety with a few holes going across the slope. I’m glad I took the time to drive the thirty minutes to see the course as opposed to making a full day out of it and driving two hours there and back. The locals have a nice place to enjoy but it shouldn’t be on your radar from any significant distance. I give it a 4 (above average)(worth driving 30-40 minutes to play).

(From the tips the course is roughly 6,100 yards par 70. Both nines are pretty evenly matched. I got off to a good start, chipping in at the par five twelfth, but the course showed its teeth tossing a series of strong holes at me, and I bogeyed four of the last six.)

(The finishing hole is an uphill par four to a two tiered green. Back pins are especially difficult to get close. A horseshoe bunker saves your ball from going long onto the road.)

(The par four thirteenth has this rock formation guarding the green. The rocks are not outlining a hazard but are the hazard. The putting surface is basically a mowed down area with minor movement.)

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Flying B Golf Course (Salem, OH)

With a name like The Flying B, I knew there had to be an aviation connection somewhere, and sure enough, an airstrip used to be where twelve and thirteen fairway are today. This mom n pop golf course out in the rural environs of Salem is one reason why I think Youngstown is one of most underrated areas in Ohio. Places like this are slowly getting phased out with upkeep and maintenance costs driving owners to sell to real estate developers, but the B is fully embraced by the local community. This is where families and friends meet to enjoy the simple pleasures of golf with the design geared towards the introductory level of player with short grass surrounding putting surfaces and few bunkers.

(The short uphill par four second finishes at an oval putting surface that is hidden from the fairway. There are plenty of trees to advocate being straight.)

(The par three third is one of the few times you’ll see a sand trap. This cute hole plays directly behind the clubhouse as the first two holes play down and back. Imagine teeing off first in your league and mingling with everyone a few holes later. Fun stuff!)

I only played the front nine after playing eighteen holes during our annual Youngstown trip. I choose to come here because it boasts an impressive 4.6 rating on Golfpass. The course is in good shape and has some nice topographical features including a gently sloping piece of property and a few water hazards on the back. The trees that line the fairways are spaced out allowing players to advance the ball after wayward shots. This does make it a bit of a shooting gallery. It is advisable to be alert. I do love the serenity and peacefulness of its remoteness. Everything about the Flying B is very pleasant. I give it a 4 (above average)(worth driving 30-45 minutes to play).

(The seventh is the best hole in my opinion as it plays along the boundary line on the left to a green fronted by a shallow valley. The tee shot is quite unusual (opening photo) where you drive between two large hedges. I thought it was pretty cool.)

(I got off to good start but couldn’t finish it. The par five eighth is a neat driving hole with a swale cutting diagonally through the fairway. If you can squeeze it down the left, then it’s reachable in two.)

(The par five fourth goes slightly downhill before turning left and finishing at this low profile green. Soft mounding short left and right catch those going for it in two. The lovely backdrop is punctuated by the white picket fence by the next tee.)

(A tree in the fairway makes the ninth hole a quirky par four. A water hazard left of the green forces the player to get the ball on the right side.)

(Flying B was designed by Paul Ritchie)

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Squaw Creek Country Club - Avalon Resort (Vienna, OH)

Squaw Creek is a very nice golf course that could be so much better if they cleared the trees and/or trimmed the branches impeding the start lines from the tee. The improved air and light quality would help with firmer conditions and several of the greens would be much healthier. If such measures were taken, this place would climb up the best course in state list.

Squaw Creek was designed by Stanley Thompson in 1922. How much Thompson is left? I think more than most realize. The 2,3,4,5,6,7,10,12,17 greens all have really good contour to them and a lot of pitch. Greens like the fourth and sixth have steep rear sections that cascade to the front and sides. The false fronts on seven and seventeen repel balls several yards back into the fairway.

(The 386/350 yard par four second has a beautiful drive over a shallow valley. The right side of the fairway is the optimal play before hitting a short iron to a back to front green…

…the view looking back to the tee box reveals the wonderful topography Squaw Creek occupies. The creek is not much of a threat on this hole but is on 1,11,12.)

(The 204/175 yard par three third is a sporty shot over a valley to a green on a slight ridge. The bunkering is tame compared to what you’d see at other Thompson courses. An extra club would be a prudent choice.)

(Thompson loved long par threes and the 205/190 yard sixth is no exception. This is a brutal putting surface too. It pitches forward and has a severe roll that scurries balls to the front left. Par is a good score.)

Squaw Creek tips out at 7,277 yards and half a mile of it comes on two holes, the 628 yard eleventh and the 666 yard seventeenth. This course can hold its own against any level of player. Maybe that’s why the LPGA called it home from 1990-1992 and came back again from 2001-2004.

(The 628/562 yard par five eleventh doglegs left off the tee and again for the second shot. The green is lower than the fairway and is semi blind for the third shot. As the picture shows, the hazard fronts the putting surface and guards the right side. Several years ago, my friend Dan reached this in two shots, a feat we still talk about today.)

(The 666/545 yard par five seventeenth plays along the boundary line on the right. The left is lined with trees. The player must hit three accurate shots all with good length. Meanwhile, the green is atop a slight ridge with a false front that will spin shots down into the fairway. Par is a very good score.)

Squaw Creek is one of four properties owned by Avalon Resort, and it is their most complete facility. Besides golf, it has tennis and pickleball courts, a pool, and bar and patio. It’s very popular and draws a conglomerate of people enjoying their day. Expect it to be a little noisy by the clubhouse. I give it a 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play).

(Ed Ault lengthened and did bunker work in 1990. Resort guests pay $82 to play.)

(Squaw Creek finishes with a 200/145 yard par three over water. It’s beautifully landscaped and is laid out in front of the patio and people at the pool. From the appropriate tees, it’s just a mid iron shot that should find the putting surface.)

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