Visiting Cincinnati May 2-5 - Course Recommendations (or anyone looking to play)

[Jon Cavalier]

All:

I'll be in Cincinnati Friday, May 2 through Monday, May 5 and I'm hoping to play at least two rounds while there. I know next to nothing about the golf in the Cincy area other than Camargo (which doesn't take unaccompanied guests in May, sigh).

I would love a recommendation for a good course or two, and if there are any GCAers in the Cincy area that would like to play, I'd love to hear from you.

Many thanks,
Jon

[Chris DeToro]

I lived in the southern Ohio area for a few years so have some knowledge about courses in the area--

Shaker Run in Lebanon is decent.  It hosted the US Am Publinx in 2005.  It's been a few years since I played it, but I remember a few solid holes

Weatherwax is a big public facility in Middletown OH that has been talked about quite a bit on this site as I believe it's now under new management

On the private side, outside of Camargo...

Coldstream is a solid track

Couple good ones in Dayton as well such as NCR and Moraine

[Nigel Islam]

I am going to go with Clovernook on this one. Particularly if you have the right host

[Jason Thurman]

I am going to go with Clovernook on this one. Particularly if you have the right host

Given the Donald Sterling controversy, this might not be the best week to play with the Colin Cowherd of GCA. Then again, the forecast looks much better than it did for your visit last year.

The course was absolutely perfect last weekend. Hopefully the next few days stay dry and it gets perfect again this weekend.

[Nigel Islam]

I do think Clovernook has a claim to the "second best" or "the Avis course" in Cincy. It is a really cool course with great greens even when there is standing water on them

[JLahrman]

I grew up in Cincinnati but don't live there anymore.

They're nothing fancy, but if you have to slum it at the publics, you could do a lot worse than Sharon Woods and Blue Ash. Both are within the 275 loop, not too expensive, and worth a play.

Weatherwax has 36 pretty decent holes, but it is probably an hour from downtown Cincinnati (not sure where you are staying).

Go play Shawnee Lookout if you want to play an unbelievably hilly course. I don't think we're in the Midwest anymore Toto.

Even Miami Whitewater isn't that bad.

There might be something decent across the river in Northern Kentucky, but I don't know those courses too well at all.

[Jon Cavalier]

Thanks so much for the responses, guys.

Anyone here played Longaberger? I know it's two hours away near Columbia, but it's top 100 public and generally gets good reviews. I'm not opposed to driving for good golf.

[BCowan]

Elks Run, in Batavia.  A Greg Norman course, and it is good.  they still or used to host US Am qualif.

[Nigel Islam]

Thanks so much for the responses, guys.

Anyone here played Longaberger? I know it's two hours away near Columbia, but it's top 100 public and generally gets good reviews. I'm not opposed to driving for good golf.

If you are going to drive that far I would consider Idle Hour in Lexington. I am sure Thurman would second me on that.

[JLahrman]

Thanks so much for the responses, guys.

Anyone here played Longaberger? I know it's two hours away near Columbia, but it's top 100 public and generally gets good reviews. I'm not opposed to driving for good golf.

It's probably closer to 3 hours from downtown Cincinnati, and I think you mean Columbus?

[Jason Thurman]

A lot of people on this site don't care for Longaberger. I like it, but I'd be pretty disappointed if I drove that far just to play it. Joel's right about it being a haul, and honestly, it's nothing special. A very good course and worth stopping in if you happen to be within 30 minutes or even an hour, but not worth the 2 1/2 from Cincinnati. You can drive a shorter distance in any direction from Cincinnati and find a much better course. Nigel is definitely right about Idle Hour. Access would be tough but it's better than Longaberger by a few quantum levels. Indianapolis in particular is LOADED with great public options - it's probably the best public golf city in the US. The Fort is almost an hour closer than Longaberger and considerably better in my opinion, along with several other public and private courses in that area.

There's plenty of good golf nearer Cincinnati that makes such extreme measures a bit over the top though. Belterra, Shaker Run, and Stonelick Hills are all solid. I haven't played Elks Run, but I'll be there Saturday afternoon so I can give some feedback afterwards and I hear pretty good things. Assuming this isn't your last trip to the Midwest, I wouldn't take any drastic measures to leave the city for golf. Cincinnati isn't Indianapolis when it comes to golf, but it isn't Nashville either.

[Mark Saltzman]

Thanks so much for the responses, guys.

Anyone here played Longaberger? I know it's two hours away near Columbia, but it's top 100 public and generally gets good reviews. I'm not opposed to driving for good golf.

http://onegolferstravels.blogspot.ca/2012/06/longaberger-golf-club-course-review.html

[Nigel Islam]

A lot of people on this site don't care for Longaberger. I like it, but I'd be pretty disappointed if I drove that far just to play it. Joel's right about it being a haul, and honestly, it's nothing special. A very good course and worth stopping in if you happen to be within 30 minutes or even an hour, but not worth the 2 1/2 from Cincinnati. You can drive a shorter distance in any direction from Cincinnati and find a much better course. Nigel is definitely right about Idle Hour. Access would be tough but it's better than Longaberger by a few quantum levels. Indianapolis in particular is LOADED with great public options - it's probably the best public golf city in the US. The Fort is almost an hour closer than Longaberger and considerably better in my opinion, along with several other public and private courses in that area.

There's plenty of good golf nearer Cincinnati that makes such extreme measures a bit over the top though. Belterra, Shaker Run, and Stonelick Hills are all solid. I haven't played Elks Run, but I'll be there Saturday afternoon so I can give some feedback afterwards and I hear pretty good things. Assuming this isn't your last trip to the Midwest, I wouldn't take any drastic measures to leave the city for golf. Cincinnati isn't Indianapolis when it comes to golf, but it isn't Nashville either.

Poor Nashville. It's so true though. At least Nashville isn't Evansville

[Jason Thurman]

Evansville has a Doak. That fact alone means the "Butt Boys" rank it as one of the top 15 golf cities in the US.

[Nigel Islam]

Evansville has a Doak. That fact alone means the "Butt Boys" rank it as one of the top 15 golf cities in the US.

Evansville has a Doak that is owned by a company that makes custom golf clubs and runs golf courses on the side. Ownership has often been a weak point for Quail. I shall choose to leave the rest of that comment alone.

[Adam Warren]

There are a couple courses just across the river in Kentucky.  I have not played them, but worth a look.  Triple Crown and Traditions are two nice private courses.  Triple Crown I believe is where Steve Flesch is a member and has a house near the course.

Lassing Pointe and Fox Run are supposed to be two of the better public courses in the area.  Fox Run is part of a 3 course complex I believe as well if you are looking to play several rounds.

Post here what you are thinking or decide and some of us may see if we can join you.

[Jeff Shelman]

If you play public golf in NKY, please choose Lassing Pointe over Fox Run.

Fox Run does have some good holes, but the 18th hole is one of the worst holes I have ever played in my life. Art Hills at his worst.

[Tom Allen]

Longaberger is too far north.  As Jason has said, there are too many solid public choices nearby, and I agree with all of them--Shaker Run, Belterra, and Stonelick Hills. Definitely do Shaker Run.  The rest are nice, but for public golf, Shaker Run is outstanding architecturally, IMO. I think it is one of the best courses around, and conditions have improved enough lately to visit again.  (Do seek out the "original 18" though; the new 9 added to the rotation is not up to par with the first 18 holes.  So Lakeside and Woodside, not Meadows).   Elks Run is also a decent choice.   

There are many excellent private courses in the area if you can get on, with Coldstream being my top choice after Camargo.  Golfnow might even have some discounted tee times for several of the public courses.  (I'm also a fan of Legendary Run, Blue Ash municipal, and Beavercreek near Dayton, but I have not played them in 10+ years.)

[Jason Thurman]

If you play public golf in NKY, please choose Lassing Pointe over Fox Run.

Fox Run does have some good holes, but the 18th hole is one of the worst holes I have ever played in my life. Art Hills at his worst.

This is completely true. 17 at Fox Run isn't much better.

But Lassing Pointe also has had some major conditioning issues over the last few years. I played it a year ago and while the bones of a solid course are there, it's deteriorated to a point of being pretty mundane. I almost think Fox Run is more architecturally significant, in the sense that you can play 12 pretty good holes and six that are so awful as to be noteworthy. I learned more about architecture from playing Fox Run's 18th than I've learned from just about any other hole in Kentucky.

[Nigel Islam]

Is 18 at Fox Run a hard dogleg left? I am trying to figure out which hole it is so I can learn from it.

[BHoover]

Does anyone remember the name of the course just south of Oxford that opened in the late 90s? I played it once when I was a senior at Miami and remember thinking it was pretty decent, but I don't remember all that much about it, such as the name. It might have been Indian Ridge or Indian Run?

Anyone in SW Ohio familiar with this course?

[Matt Waidmann]

Does anyone remember the name of the course just south of Oxford that opened in the late 90s? I played it once when I was a senior at Miami and remember thinking it was pretty decent, but I don't remember all that much about it, such as the name. It might have been Indian Ridge or Indian Run?

Anyone in SW Ohio familiar with this course?

Brian,

Indian Ridge is the course.  It used to be pretty decent for awhile, but the conditions slipped drastically the last time I played it.  Nice routing though, I always enjoyed it in my high school years.

[BHoover]

Does anyone remember the name of the course just south of Oxford that opened in the late 90s? I played it once when I was a senior at Miami and remember thinking it was pretty decent, but I don't remember all that much about it, such as the name. It might have been Indian Ridge or Indian Run?

Anyone in SW Ohio familiar with this course?

Brian,

Indian Ridge is the course.  It used to be pretty decent for awhile, but the conditions slipped drastically the last time I played it.  Nice routing though, I always enjoyed it in my high school years.

I don't remember man of the holes there as it's been at least 15 years since my one and only round, but I recall a few good holes.

I wonder how Hueston Woods is faring these days? Is it still choked with trees? I used to love playing there in college, but now I'd probably think only about all the trees. I ought to drive down to Oxford and check it out some day.

[Tom Allen]

Indian Ridge it is!  I had my only hole-in-one there.  Have not been back for quite some time, so could not tell you about the conditions. I do recall that the clubhouse burned down about five or six years ago now, and had to be replaced.

And Brian, as far as I know, Hueston Woods is still choked with trees. No tree removal program going on there.  If I make it out there, I'll bring back a report. If you do come down, give me a call and we will get a round in there together.  That is one course where you are almost guaranteed to see wildlife walking by every day.

[Mike Schott]

I second Blue Ash as I have good memories of it being a fine layout but I read here that it's become overgrown with trees and maybe the conditions are not great. I also like The Grizzly (Nicklaus, Muirhead, Morrish) at King's Island. It's certainly not Camargo but I recall it being a fine Nicklaus layout in very good shape.