Cleveland Area Golf

[Niall Hay]

What are the best courses on Cleveland in order? Old school Kirtland (C&A with recent remodel), Canterbury (Strong), The Country Club (Flynn), Shaker Heights (Ross), Lakewood (Tilly) or new school Sand Ridge (Fazio) or Fowler's Mill (Dye)? Seems pretty diverse with high quality.

[PCCraig]

Niall,

I have family who are members at Lakewood and played quite a few rounds there growing up. It's not Tilly's best by a long shot, but there are some quality golf holes there and they recently (~2006) completed a restoration that has brought back some lost features. There are better courses in the city (Canterbury, The Country Club, and Sand Ridge), but it's worth a phone call and an afternoon visit to Lakewood. (I'm assuming your visiting and not doing research).

[Niall Hay]

I've heard:

1. Kirtland
2. TCC
3. Canterbury
4. Sand Ridge

then who knows what....

[John Kavanaugh]

Sleepy Hollow GC by Stanley Thompson is public.  If it is your only chance to see his work it is a must play.  Probably the most important course in Cleveland.  Less than $50.

[jonathan_becker]

Niall,

As a local, I would list them as

Country (the best routing I've seen in Ohio)
Canterbury (great use of small acreage)
Kirtland (it's hard putting this third as the back 9 is spectacular)
Sand Ridge

....then the rest

Even though it's not in Cleveland, don't forget about Ross's Brookside down I-77 in Canton.  It's got phenomenal greens with a cool routing that takes advantage of the elevation changes.  It's my personal favorite.

[jonathan_becker]

Sleepy Hollow GC by Stanley Thompson is public.  If it is your only chance to see his work it is a must play.  Probably the most important course in Cleveland.  Less than $50.

I need to see this place.  It's a shame I haven't been there yet.

[K. Krahenbuhl]

Where does Pepper Pike fit in?

[John Kavanaugh]

Sleepy Hollow GC by Stanley Thompson is public.  If it is your only chance to see his work it is a must play.  Probably the most important course in Cleveland.  Less than $50.

I need to see this place.  It's a shame I haven't been there yet.

On a day when I was impersonating a blue collar golfer I played Manakiki (Ross) and Sleepy Hollow on a drive through Cleveland.  I've never had a better bi-doable golf day.  Wild Horse and Awarii Dunes may give it a run this summer.  Funny thing, as a tribute to public golf everywhere, Joe Jemsek joined us. (Grandson of the Joe)

[jonathan_becker]

Where does Pepper Pike fit in?

PP is an all-male club across the street from Country that was also done by Flynn.  I've never played it but I'm told that it's a great course that may need a little chainsaw action. 

If TEP was still around, he could probably give you the full rundown.

John K,

I've played Manikiki once but that was over 10 years ago.  I'll go play both this summer.

[Kevin Lynch]

Sleepy Hollow GC by Stanley Thompson is public.  If it is your only chance to see his work it is a must play.  Probably the most important course in Cleveland.  Less than $50.

I need to see this place.  It's a shame I haven't been there yet.

On a day when I was impersonating a blue collar golfer I played Manakiki (Ross) and Sleepy Hollow on a drive through Cleveland.  I've never had a better bi-doable golf day.  Wild Horse and Awarii Dunes may give it a run this summer.  Funny thing, as a tribute to public golf everywhere, Joe Jemsek joined us. (Grandson of the Joe)

John,

Not having access to the Privates while working in Cleveland, Sleepy Hollow was an incredible surprise. Not bad for your City Courses to include a Ross and three Stanley Thompson designs (Big Met / Little Met were also believed to be Thompson's work as well).

I wouldn't want to threadjack this topic, but I'd love to see a separate thread to discuss Sleepy Hollow.  I've played it about a dozen times, spread out over a number of years, so I'd love someone from Cleveland to help guide the discussion, and I'd try to add whatever my recollection permits.

[Terry Lavin]

I've always thought that Cleveland is an underrated golf town.  This thread is confirmation of that belief.

[Evan Fleisher]

Where does Pepper Pike fit in?

PP is an all-male club across the street from Country that was also done by Flynn.  I've never played it but I'm told that it's a great course that may need a little chainsaw action. 

If TEP was still around, he could probably give you the full rundown.

John K,

I've played Manikiki once but that was over 10 years ago.  I'll go play both this summer.

Jonathan,

Let me know when...maybe we can hook up and play those two together.  Both are local favorites of mine, especially Sleepy Hollow.

[jonathan_becker]

Evan,

I almost posted the same thing for you as I knew you would see this thread.  Will do!

[C. Sturges]

Niall,
Cleveland has a ton of great golf, more on the private side, but some wonderful public as mentioned.  I just finished 18 at Big Met, a Stanley Thompson with some good holes and only $23!  Sleepy Hollow GC is better, with very few weak holes and many great holes.  Bring your A putting game and stay be low the hole!  I have not played everything yet, but have played the large majority of courses in the last three years since moving back to Northern Ohio.

My favorites:
1. Country (The Country Club)
2. Kirtland
3. Brookside (Not in Cleveland, but on a half hour away)
4. Hawthorn Valley (a Ross gem that has blind shots and need many trees taken down)
5. Aurora Golf Club (Bert Way who did Firestone South Orig. and Mayfield)

The last two would not make most peoples top five, but I love old corky courses.  They need tons of trees to fall, the pictures from when the courses first opened are amazing.

Jonathan,  we should get out and play, along with Evan.

Hope Dean D. sees this and can add because he has played everywhere.

Chris

[Niall Hay]

Thanks Chris, Is the Country Club different from Pepper Pike?

[Carr Harris]

Thanks Chris, Is the Country Club different from Pepper Pike?

Yes they are both Wm. Flynn courses across the street from each other.

I would also add that I played another Herbert Strong Course, Lake Forest CC in Hudson last summer and found it enjoyable despite the severe encroachment of trees on the property.

I agree with most people in this thread however that if you can swing it try to make your way to play Country.

[Terry Lavin]

What about Mayfield?

[C. Sturges]

Niall,
They are different, even though both properties touch.  For me Country is much better than Pepper Pike.  The land is similar, but I like the routing and the feel of the holes more at Country.  I am sure I am the only one, but I prefer Elyria CC over Pepper Pike, which is another Flynn course on the west side.

With this, there are a bunch of other very good courses in Cleveland from Ross and others.  I prefer the ODG's over the newer courses, but with saying that I also really like Fowlers Mill and hope it stays open and that they do not take out the great three hole strech they are talking about.
Chris

[Niall Hay]

Wow, a lot of Flynn in Cleveland.

[C. Sturges]

Carr,
There is a reason it is called Lake Forest!  Have you seen the old pictures where they have the putting surface up on the mounds around the greens.  I would love to see that in play!

Terry,
I like Mayfield alot.  Many people, not GCA people, do not like the many blind shots and the routing has a couple strange things going on, hole 15,16,17, I think.
Chris

[Terry Lavin]

Chris,

My cousin is from Cleveland and he told me that Mayfield is quirky but fun.  Sounds like my kind of old line club.

[jonathan_becker]

Niall,

Here's a few Country photos for you....

9



14



15



17

[Carr Harris]

Carr,
There is a reason it is called Lake Forest!  Have you seen the old pictures where they have the putting surface up on the mounds around the greens.  I would love to see that in play!

Terry,
I like Mayfield alot.  Many people, not GCA people, do not like the many blind shots and the routing has a couple strange things going on, hole 15,16,17, I think.
Chris

I haven't seen that. That sounds crazy.

The only thing that bugged me @ LFCC besides the tree limbs hanging out over every fairway was how disconnected architecturally the 10th hole seemed with the rest of the course. I'm assuming it wasnt part of the original layout. The driving range seemed like once upon a time that is was a slight dogleg right par four, I wonder if that was Strong's original tenth.


Speaking of Mayfield, I could swear that I once found on an old thread on this site in which someone attributed a quote to Harry Vardon where he called Mayfield his favorite course in the US.

Whether or not that quote is apocryphal is beyond me but interesting nonetheless

[C. Sturges]

Carr,
I am pretty sure that numbers 10 and 11 are new holes.  I think 10 was on the range and there is an old greensite behind number 13 green.  I would not be surprised by your commet on Mayfield, it used to host many tournaments.
Chris

[jonathan_becker]

Niall,

Here's a few shots from Brookside.  Man, do I love this course!  When I go back this summer, I need to get better shots of the greens.  Some of the slopes are amazing.

5



7 green



looking back on 8



12 green



16 - that's a huge rise from the lower left to the upper right part of the green