Oxbow G&CC, Ohio

[Greg Tallman]

Any of the Ohio crowd ever played this place? Thoughts?

While there are some marginal at best holes there is also some really good stuff there. I'll see if anyone else has played it before commenting further.

[David Royer]

Greg, Never heard of it. Location?

[Tom Allen]

I've not heard of it either (I'm in SW Ohio).  Always interested to hear opinions on courses though, so have at it.

[Greg Tallman]

Just outside Belpre, Ohio

Designed by Jack Kidwell(?)

Nice piece of land, a couple of meandering streams/creeks, very little flat land

[Steve Wilson]

Yes Greg I played it perhaps four times, the most recent being at least fifteen years ago.  I recall, and I presume you would classify this as marginal, a few holes that that had mesh fences six inches or so high to keep balls from trickling into ravines or hollows and thus be lost or unplayable.  Also, the conditioning could be hit and miss.  It's been too long to address specific holes, but yes there was some good stuff in the midst of all the looniness.

[Greg Tallman]

Yes Greg I played it perhaps four times, the most recent being at least fifteen years ago.  I recall, and I presume you would classify this as marginal, a few holes that that had mesh fences six inches or so high to keep balls from trickling into ravines or hollows and thus be lost or unplayable.  Also, the conditioning could be hit and miss.  It's been too long to address specific holes, but yes there was some good stuff in the midst of all the looniness.

Has been at least as long for me. The mesh you speak of used to be limited to the 12th hole as the approach, if short, would come back into the creek or as we say in that area "crick".

It appears the place has been overrun by trees now but back in the day was a rather open course with some pretty unique holes like the par 5 10th. At 590 it was unreachable in the spring but got really fun in the summer when the course got baked out or, as we afficianados say, fast and firm. Tee shot is played downhill a fairway guarded on both sides by bunkers. The second shot is along/over the base of a massive hill that rises up like a volcano in the middle of an otherwise flattish area. The slope funnels into another ravine/creek so if you do not get beyond the slope you are toast. About 90 yards shrt of the green the fariway drops straight off (no idea how they mow that area) to the point that if you are 130 or so you cannot see the green that is 40 or so feet below. When firm you can run it down the slope near the green which is a little push up set about 3 to 4 feet above the surrounding grade which, with the normally quick greens made pitching the ball tough. Great design? No, but loads of fun to play.

For those who enjoy a little quirk you'll enjoy most of the course.  Long sloping greens with an interesting mix of push ups and at grade greens with mostly interesting surrounds. As Steve says the conditions can be spotty but geerally speaking late spring/early summer delivers good course conditions. For the 20 to 30 dollars it costs to play I'd say it is a good value.  

Overall certainly a missed opportunity as the property could yield a very, very good course IMO.  

[Brian Finn]

Mr. Kidwell did a few pretty fun courses in central OH, so I might check it out if I am over there.  Thanks for bringing it to our attention.

Other good Kidwell courses include:

Hickory Hills - just SW of Columbus - on a cool property with some movement and elevation change, which is well used in the design.

Indian Springs - about 30 minutes West of Columbus - surprisingly great land, compared to dead flat farms surrounding it.  Actually one of the better layouts I have sen around here.  Solid routing, nice rolling property, variety in length, direction, shot shape, etc.  usually in mediocre condition, but absolutely incredible value.

[Steve Wilson]

Greg,
You have managed to pique my interest in revisiting a golden oldie.  I'm going to try and get back there sometime this summer and see how it's stood the test of time and my increasing sophistication and awareness of architecture.  Maybe even some pictures.  Thanks for the nudge.
 

[Greg Tallman]

Oxbow is 6560 yards from the back tees playing to a par of 71

Favorite Holes:

#3 - 400 par 4:

Positioning from the tee is key as the green slopes hard right to left and has a realtively narrow back shelf that is very tough to access from the right side, to the point if you fall a few yards short of the back tier coming from that side your ball lands on a rather severe sllope and can shoot across the green and down into the creek/ravine.

Tee shot is mostly flat with the fairway a bit of a hogs back at probably 260ish. Easy to get the ball too far left when conditions are firm at which time you could actually get the ball down into the swale crossing the hole some 40-70 yards from the green. Given the remianing approach this is not advisable.

A massive tree guards the left front of the green. The tree, probably 25 yards short of the green is probably 50 feet tall and thus presents a bit of an issue particularly for a front left pin (still a tough approach from the right as trouble just off the left edge).

The green, as noted falls hard roght to left and back to front in the front portion of the green allowing a shomaker to play well wide of the hole and utilize spin to get to that front left pin while making it very hard to access any of the right side hole locations unless you are well left off the tee. My preferred low trap short irons had a tendency to spin away from those holes cut short right.  

The green is kidney shaped with the back portion much mor narrow than the front with a deep pot style bunker on the left and an interesting bunker set well above the greeen on right about 2/3 of the way into the surface. As previously mentioned this hillside tends to send balls racing across the green into trouble so finding the bunker with a wayward shot to that side is a blessing in disguise.

Take par and move on.

#4 - 130 yard par 3:

May rival Augusta 12 for difficulty in getting the right distance. The green, oval in shape, is a mere sliver, probably 20-25 feet front to back and 50 feet wide. Shots hit long will not come of the slope and leave a dicey pitch, putt or stab that may or may not stay on the green. Come up short and it is all the way down the hill some 20-25 feet below the green surface that slopes front to back and to the left on the left side and to the right on the right side. Exacting hole to say the least.

#13 - 145 yard par 3:



A bit of a drop shot hole with the green some 30 feet below tee level. The green is guarded only by the creek left - anything left is gone.  Those bailing out short right (plenty of room to do so) are met with a tough pitch as the first portion of the front right of the green runs away from you pretty quickly before flatenning out near its center and thus providiing those who are bold with the tee shot a good chance at making a putt on a largely defensive putting course. The bunker set right and toward the back portion of the green leaves an intimidating shot with the creek lurking just of the left edge.

Good birdie hole where I have made any number of 5s.

#17 - 410 yard par 4: Funky, bunkerless, golf hole. Relatively narrow tee shot that counter intuitively rewards those playing to the outside of the dogleg and near the small stream that runs the length of the hole's right side. From the far right side of the fairway the green is still only partially visible as it is set about 15 fee above the fairway and blinded by a land form along its front left (lucky to see the flag from the left side of the fariway). The rumpled green (not quite Doakish) falls from back left to front right with pretty severe drop on the right and front. Balls landing just off the right and front right can bound well away from the green as was the case back in the day as I was trying to win my first collegaite golf tournament... I was left with a pitch of some 30 yards back up to the green... BOGEY.  

[Jason Topp]

I love these simple greens that tilt one way or another.  The tilt impacts your target at least from the approach shot forward and often starting on the tee shot.

[Greg Tallman]

Jason, Agreed. You do not have to have a million things happening in a crazy green to affect strategy from the tee.