There’s an old adage that says a prophet is never recognized in his own town. That’s an apropos assessment of Chippewa. Us locals probably take it for granted but Golfpass has ranked it the #1 public course in Ohio the past three years. It’s in fantastic condition and has greens that rival Firestone for speed and consistency. New carts with gps, a brand new stone patio with fire pits, and the introduction of the Barndominium, a 12 man structure off nine fairway complete with a putting green, are just a few of the amenities that have elevated the experience here.
(The 333/315 yard par four seventh wiggles a tad left while climbing a slight incline. Many are tempted into hitting driver, but the trees punish any mishit not in the fairway. Laying back and hitting a full shot is the prudent, and probably the best way to attack the hole.)
Chippewa is broken down into two stretches, 1-11 and 12-18. The first eleven holes is where you make your score. There’s a couple tough holes in this sequence like the uphill par three second and the long par four fifth, but overall, there are plenty of birdie opportunities. The last seven holes is where all that hard work is put to the test. There are some really good holes to play including the 14th-15th-16th known as the “Bermuda Triangle”.
(The 188/132 yard par three twelth has a great green complex that’s long and narrow with deep grass bunkers on the sides. Sand short guards the front pin positions. It’s such a precise shot and missing wide to the sides is instant bogey.)
(The 441/372 yard par four fourteenth is a slight dogleg right with the right half of the fairway sloping hard into the rough. The garden spot off the tee is a flat spot down the left side. Long hitters must take care not to find the water. The approach is uphill to an heavily sloped green with a flat area in the rear. Almost every pin is in this section. Putts coming across the green are difficult to gage. Par is a good score. Note this is the easiest hole in the triangle.)
(The 438/371 yard par four fifteenth is a classic down and up hole. The view from the tee is both beautiful and intimidating. Favor the right side off the tee to obtain an angle. The green is very difficult with a false front extending through the middle and a flat area in the rear. It’s uphill one to two clubs. Three and four putting is not uncommon. I’d take a five and not think twice.)
(The 447/371 yard par four sixteenth doglegs left while dropping downhill with a lake at the bottom. The approach is uphill to yet another green with a sloping middle and a back tier. A backstop behind can be used but prepare for an incredibly fast putt down to the hole. Even par through these holes will gain multiple strokes on the field.)
Chippewa has become one of the more popular courses in the region, and this is in spite of the power lines that transverse the property. It was designed by James Harrison and Fred Garbin. They put together a well thought out routing and paced it beautifully so the ending created a crescendo. I never hear anyone say a negative word about the place. It draws players as far away as Pittsburgh and Columbus, and that is my definition of a 6 (very good)(worth driving two hours to play).
(The 441/419 yard par four thirteenth has progressively gotten more difficult with the addition of multiple tee boxes…
…the greens at Chippewa alternate between large and small and the one here errs on the diminutive side.)
(This is easily my best round of the year so far (2026) and was a huge confidence boost. I was playing the #2 seed in the CNCGA matchplay tournament and my excellent play along with the five strokes I was getting (2hdc vs 7hdc) helped me win convincingly.)
(This is the first in a series of three updated blogs from my 2013-2014 years. I bumped it up one from my original post and if I need any validation, then I’ll add this. Top100golfcourses.com just added Chippewa into the Ohio section of their website. Many aficionados consider this one of the elite sources of golf architecture.)
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