Scott118

Ideal topography with lots of elevation changes. Practically every green is elevated...and they are small. Kudos to the staff who were out early and in the rain to turn and rake the bunkers on a Tuesday morning. Special thanks to the crew that dragged the dew off the fairways! Cart paths need repaved and clubhouse needs some major updating. Perhaps the greatest compliment is that despites a wicked stretch of 90+ degrees days in July, the grass was thick and green. #12 is only 325yds - but you must place your tee ball on center/right of fairway to have ideal angle to green.

Let's start with the positives - this course has a great, challenging layout with lots of elevation changes. Ponds and creeks meander through the property and many greens are elevated. Staff was very friendly and starter politely asked my threesome if a single, then a twosome could start ahead of us. I've been wanting to play here based on ratings on golfclevelandohio.com.
And now the negatives - the greens have some type of black fungus growing in them that needs attention. The course is in farmland country without easy highway access. If the wind is blowing, you'll know cows are nearby.
Overall, the potential is there - especially with backing from THE Ohio State University. With some work on the greens and some bunkers, I'll happily change my 3 star review up to a 4 star rating.

Drove 1.5hrs to play EC based on years of seeing other websites rave about this course in tiny Norwalk, OH. Considering we've had 20+ 90-degree days this July, I will forgive the many burned out spots in the fairways. The greens, however, were immaculate! Hard, fast, and true - absolutely worth the drive to play these greens. A creek meanders through the course with occasional ponds guarding greens. Great scorecard with pictures of each hole and key yardages to bunkers/hazards/dogleg corners. Holes are very close together with minimal elevation changes so could easily be walked. Nice practice area. Starter gave good 'local knowledge' advice on a few holes that we greatly appreciated. We played on a Saturday morning and it was a welcome sight to see the cart girl multiple times during our round.

About a 45 min drive south of Wilmington is this 3, 9-hole layout of Carolina National. Efficient bag drop area where workers frequently greet regulars & members by name. Large driving range & putting green. Starter combs the area to professionally tell you when to head to the tee. On the course, greens had recently been top dressed with sand but were still rolling well. Some bunkers were wet packed sand due to some recent heavy rain (unsure why others had fresh sand). Holes wind through a housing complex & some have picturesque views of the marsh. Blue tees have lots of 300-350yd Par 4’s so you might consider playing a blended tee. Overall good conditioning and a reasonable price make CN worth the drive.

There is nothing bad to say about this course. Great layout, GPS on the carts allows you to see any trouble, great practice area (complete with chipping & bunkers) and superb conditions. Yes, the price is a bit high but realistically it is in line once you compare CF to nearby courses. End of June and greens were not punched was a surprise bonus. If I had to choose 1 course to play the rest of my life then Cape Fear could be it.

Another new housing community with a course weaving its way through the development. Course has grown in, cart barn & a 19th hole bar building are erected, but still has a trailer for a clubhouse. The course has generous fairways, sufficient water ponds, and some forced carries over marsh. The layout is just OK and almost forgettable until the 18th hole Par5. Your 2nd shot is a layup short of a marsh then it’s uphill to the green. By far the most memorable hole. Greens had been aerated (which is normal in June) so will reserve comment until I experience their regular pace. Despite this less than gushing review, I will likely play here again simply due to its proximity to Wilmington.

Reid Park (North) is the muni course that every city would love to own. It is a true championship challenge with lots of hills and very sloped (and slick) greens. Normal 'gimmie' putts are no sure thing! Some holes have shrunken fairways thanks to some massive trees. During the current COVID measures of no rakes, it was a pleasant surprise to see the bunkers freshly turned and well maintained. In relatively flat Ohio, this course has plenty of hills. Call me when the cart paths get re-paved and I will happily award the 5th star to my review. An overall fantastic value with many challenging holes, Reid Park (North) is NO easy walk in the park.

Central Ohio has an abundance of great courses and some that are also great values. Mill Creek checks both of these boxes. No bent grass here but smallish greens put an accuracy on your wedge game (hint: play to center of the green yardage!). #8 is strongest challenge on the front, thanks to a severely sloped L to R green. Back nine has two sharp doglegs (#12 & #14). #17 is an uphill Par 3 with another severely slanted green. Green to tee distance is minimal making for a walker's delight. Sparse bunkers on the course but after a week of heavy rain it was a pleasant surprise to see them freshly raked, sans weeds, and ample sand in them. Staff is always pleasant and appreciative you chose to visit. Tucked in tiny, rural Ostrander...I should really play here more often.

This course has been widely advertised as a premier tract and this 1st time low-hdcp traveler absolutely agrees. Top shelf conditions and playability with a few forced carries & modest elevation changes. Generous practice area and rangers visible to assure pace of play. Of note is the fact that I made my ttime weeks in advance for my leisure travel, yet was called & informed that my start would be delayed 20 mins so crews could prep the course for play without being visible to players. Even had a cart girl on a weekday morning which is rare these days!

Extremely scenic w/many forced carries & elevation changes, this very challenging course will test all aspects of your game. Beginners should look elsewhere. As a 1st time player, this low-hdcp traveler was very disappointed to learn upon arrival that they had just aerated & top sanded all the greens AND they did not offer any reduced rate as an apologetic gesture. I would have expected a proactive phone call informing me of such since I provided my phone # when I made the ttime 4+ weeks early. Nevertheless this layout - when in proper condition - is worth the trip to northern Detroit and worthy of 5 stars. BTW, in 30+ yrs of playing, I have never seen a paver stone cart path on a public course!

Wow! Hidden in the small town of Fenton, MI is an Arnold Palmer designed gem. This course is extremely scenic and VERY challenging so beginners should avoid this track. It has numerous forced carries over marsh and ravines, and significant elevation changes. The par 3's are wickedly long. I would have enjoyed having GPS on the carts so I could see the hole or at a minimum a 'Pro's Tips' sheet for us first time players. Pace of play was brisk on a very crowded day. I did not eat so I cannot comment on the food service. As a traveler, I would have liked a better selection of logo shirts in the pro shop.

Pete Dye gem. Great layout and perfect course conditions. It sets a high standard for NE OH courses. Easily one of the top courses in the area.

LM has a Big Problem. It continually appears on 'NE OH best of' lists based on past reputation & course layout. However, the course conditions are WAY BELOW the premium fees they charge. LOTS of bunkers...none of them are raked, several w/standing water, and a handful that are always under repair. LOTS of dead grass in fairways. The course could easily return to gem-status if they had an army to maintain it. Worth playing once but other nearby courses are a greater value with dramatically better conditions.

BEST muni course you'll ever play. Superb greens! Modest elevation changes, some very narrow fairways, and creeks/lakes make for a challenge. The greens steal the show. First time playing but will drive the 2hrs again to play soon.

Was visiting Canton & played on the recommendation of a local. Very avg course in desperate need of water. No tee box signs of the holes. No water to drink on the course. No cart girl. Played the tips...some very long par 4's on back side make it interesting but fairways were so hard that you could not take a divot. There are other nearby courses I prefer before returning.

The Quarry continues to set the standard for a perfect golf experience. GREAT course conditions, exceptional layout, and extremely scenic this course is a MUST play in NE Ohio. 18-signature holes add up to a memorable round regardless of your score.

After a steady decline under the name/ownership of Raintree South, the course has thankfully returned to the Cook family & its original name. Conditions are dramatically improved to the historical Cook standard. Greens have returned to proper condition, parking lot has been repaved. Time to revisit this elite central OH gem!

Hadn't played here in many years, but booked a last minute Memorial Day round. Clubhouse is in desperate need of updating, golf carts are old, but course was in great shape. Greens & bunkers were in fantastic condition. Not a top-tier area course but worthy for a budget-minded player. Only saw 1 shirtless player.

One of the most challenging & difficult courses in Columbus that is highlighted by Holes 15, 16, & 17. This course is a strong test for experienced golfers. I regard this course as one of the elite courses in central Ohio. However, I was extremely disappointed in its current condition. Not a single bunker had been raked for play on Labor Day and nearly every bunker had standing water & mud! Very disappointing for a course of this reputation. Many dead/dying trees need cut down.

Nice rural course and GREAT for beginners. The front 9 is very open and flat; the back 9 is MUCH more visually appealing and challenging. I'm a 6 hdcp and bought a late Hot Deal on GolfNow.com for $12. Played as a single on a Sun PM in < 2.5hrs. The course was dry and hard so it played much shorter than the yardage indicated. Greens were fast and baked. The course has very few bunkers or water but the back 9 hills & trees make you think about your shot. The par 3's are very strong. Bottom line...this is not in my Top 20 list of Central OH courses to play but it was a great last minute value. IF you are in the area, other nearby options that I normally prefer = Denison GC (formerly Granville GC), Links at Echo Springs, Clover Valley, or New Albany Links.