We’ll get out on a Friday for sure. Hopefully this shit weather turns soon
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That is great to hear! Grew up playing Ottawa Park and hated to hear about it not being kept up. Live outside CBus now but will try to play it this summer when back in Tolefo
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Tied for lifetime PR. Started on 10, obvious where I got the speed wobbles. Very proud to white knuckle it back from there. Brookledge fucking rules.
Thank you to any Ohio (or anywhere) nesters who have served. Happy Memorial Weekend, all.
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2 open spots for a 5:00pm evening round at Sleepy on Sunday June 1. @n_Szub and I will be facing off in our loser’s bracket match. DM me if you want a slot. Else, I’ll give them back to the course on Friday.
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Still spots open for SCC on a Tuesday.
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Anyone going to be at tomorrow Guardians game?
Was a great first trip around Sleepy. Will definitely be back and hopefully by then they will have a half ass decent merch selection given they have an ELITE logo. Thanks for the sherpa-ing you guys. We had a ton of fun!
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I have 2 spots available at Blue Ash this Saturday at noon.
Anyone interested in joining me and @cstevens3407?
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Reporting back on my experience this past weekend. Short version: As a Columbus native, I’m extremely jealous of the public golf on offer in Cleveland. It was an incredible weekend of golf.
Long version: I’d like to preface my takes with some caveats.
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Our trip was setup by the Penn-Ohio golf trail, so I didn’t actually see the price we paid for each course on our itinerary to judge their value.
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I’ve settled into my stance that almost all Donald Ross courses are not very fun to me in the 21st century. I think that in their day, they were probably about as good as golf could get. However, today they are mostly overgrown with trees that choke the sight lines and force too much target golf. On top of that, they often have greens that are so fast due to advances in turf that they become laughably small targets. I believe Mr. Ross designed his greens with the extreme slope to make slow greens more fun and now with today’s speed they are borderline unplayable at some courses. The only Ross course I’ve enjoyed is Pinehurst No. 2, a course that has been meticulously updated to meet modern agronomy standards.
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I’m also a Pete Dye and Stanley Thompson enjoyer. In recent years I’ve been lucky enough to play Harbour Town, Kiawah, and Banff Springs and really enjoyed them.
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Our group consisted of 3 golfers of varying handicaps (3-8-23) so we got to see the courses play out from different skill levels/tees.
Anyway, on to the courses.
Day 1, Manakiki: My least favorite of the 3 we played. See all the reasons I mentioned above about old Ross courses. I enjoyed some of the back 9 holes (12-13 were fun) but found this day really frustrating. We found the greens here to be very inconsistent with break and speed which contributed to our feelings. Very scenic, very interesting, but just not that fun.
Day 2, Fowler’s Mill: Based on what I’ve read here and other places online, I was prepared to be disappointed by this course. What a surprise I was in for; Fowler’s was my favorite of our trip. It’s certainly true that it’s not what it used to be. It’s clear from the moment you arrive that the facilities are all dated and haven’t been renovated in years. The parking lot is full of weeds and the clubhouse is generally barren and dusty. But the course (Lake 9/River 9) was incredible and some of my favorite work from Dye. There were a few mediocre holes, but the good ones hit the high notes and then some. I loved the 4th hole curling around the lake and the 12th hole at the back of the property with the split fairways. With some investment, this could easily be a top public course in Ohio. The bunkers were mostly poor and the place was not well maintained outside the greens, but boy the bones were so good. Lots of typical Pete Dye visual intimidation which forced me to think around the course and made for satisfying payoff when I was able to execute. I’ll be back for sure.
We also played the Maple 9 after our round. It was fun but nothing special. Made for some nice bonus golf but it didn’t hold up to the standard 18 holes.
Day 3, Sleepy Hollow: An incredibly scenic, relaxing walk through the forest which happens to include some amazing golf as a bonus. I can’t say that any of the holes were boring and loved the creativity required to hit the approach shots. The greens were certainly sloped and quick, but didn’t feel impossible to navigate. The fact that this is a city course has my mind blown. Holes 1-2-3 are some absolute bangers to start the round even though they are quite difficult. The golf was not easy, but it was so damn fun.
My 10 round split was easier to formulate than I expected. 5 rounds at Fowler’s Mill just barely edging out 4 at Sleepy. I’d do 1 at Manakiki just to see if a second look would change my mind.
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Great write up. Surprised to hear the greens at Manakiki were inconsistent. They are usually fast but not obscene. But they’ve never seemed inconsistent. Any adventures for you guys on Sleepy #9 or #18 greens? Those are the obnoxious ones. Your takes on Ross are very fair, especially with the public ones that have let everything get pinched in.
Glad to hear your Fowlers takes, especially that the greens are looking good. Last I played there 3 years ago they were ok at best. I left really annoyed, having paid ~30 bucks more than Sleepy or Manakiki. It’s frustrating to a local bc they seem to be doing less work with more greens fees money than their local competitors. But if you were on a package deal I get how that part is not really a consideration.
I thought maybe we just weren’t used to them but we played with a local in our 4some and he struggled as well. Maybe we just caught them on a weird day, but they were somehow both quick and bumpy so the ball wobbled when rolling.
#9 was a front pin and we all hit good approach shots below the hole followed by 2 putts for easy pars. We felt like champions but were humbled on #18 when we all missed our first putt by over 20 feet. In small doses to end 9 holes these types of greens were fun.
I just went and looked at the cost for a tee time and understand why the course has the reputation that it does. The fairways and greens were in great shape but the bunkers were pretty atrocious with a few exceptions. For the cost, I’d probably end up playing Sleepy more if I lived nearby. If I hit the lottery I’ll buy Fowler’s and give it a proper freshening up!
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I think you and I both would be on the same page there. Fowler’s had some really solid holes, but also a few question marks for me and more than a few of those could be solved by a good tree trim. Numbers 6 and 8 especially.
But there were some really fun holes out there that I enjoyed too. The 17th green will stay with me forever.
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Got 7:20 at sleepy Friday with @aarmstrong and a former student of ours if anyone wants to join. Will cancel the extra spot tomorrow afternoon to avoid no show fee
You need to make it out to Springfield some time.
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A tornado three years ago brought tree numbers down.
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Very little target golf other than no missing in the wrong spots.
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Greens play quick but not unfair (maybe you shouldn’t have gotten above the hole).
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Slope is definitely there but deceiving at times.
Honestly, with regular play, when the greens are running slower, they play harder for the members. So hard to hit some putts had enough. I will say that after spring and fall aeration, you get a good feel for the slower greens. The sand top dressing prevents them cutting the greens really tight so it plays shaggy and slow, but still rolls true.
TL;DR: How dare you lump Springfield in with this slander.
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I’ll never turn down the opportunity to have my mind changed
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Between those 3 courses I’ve got about 100+ rounds spread between them in the last 5 years. Peak conditions I’m going Kiki-5 Fowlers-3 sleepy-2. I learn something new about strategy and how to play the course every time around Kiki and Fowlers. Sleepy is just an execution test. The greens are very frustrating but it’s golf in a national park for $40 so how mad can you get.
Maybe Kiki-4 Fowler’s -4 sleepy-2.
I too am buying Fowler’s and turning it into what it should be if I win the lottery. Sad reality is I’ll probably never play Fowler’s again. When I can walk metro parks for $40 per round instead of $86+ for Fowler’s to be in worse condition. They used to be all around same price so I would play all 3 equally back in the day.
Golf in NEO public and private remains undefeated tho
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If i could live anywhere in the state for the mix of golf it would be NEO. Also, i’ve never played public golf in Cleveland but i know it’s better than anywhere else.
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We took a poll and because of your unwarranted Tom Hamilton slander, don’t even think about it!
Open final for SCC has morning tee times.
The 2025 Springfield field features 82 players—45 professionals and 37 amateurs—vying for entry into one of golf’s toughest arenas. PGA Tour winners Brandt Snedeker (9 wins), Robert Streb (2), and Kurt Kitayama (1) headline the roster.
Noteworthy participants with a history of success on the Korn Ferry Tour include Zac Blair, Bo Hoag, David Lipsky, Jared Wolfe, and Dylan Wu. Among them, Blair stands out with over $7.6 million in career earnings and 10 top-10 PGA Tour finishes.
Fifteen players from last year’s qualifier return in 2025, including Vandalia Native, Austin Greaser, Blair, and Nick Hardy.
Age spans the spectrum this year—from 52-year-old Jason Schultz to 15-year-old Jayden Jun—showcasing the wide appeal and open nature of this championship.
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