[BHoover]

Hole #9 – 160 yards, par 3

The ninth is a downhill par 3 that plays significantly shorter or somewhat longer than the yardage depending on the wind.  You tee off literally next to the eighth green, so you need to stay alert in case an errant ball lands on the tee while you’re about to tee off.  The tee sits maybe 50 feet above the green, so it’s tough at times to properly gauge the proper club from the tee.  Personally, I think this would be a better hole if the tee shot did not play so much downhill, but that would be impossible because of the land and the routing.  

The green itself is surrounded by bunkers on three sides and is backed by a steep slope.  The green slopes from back to front, so it’s important to judge the distance appropriately and leave the ball short of the pin.  Missing the on the pin side leaves a very difficult chip or bunker shot and is a tough up and down.  Missing long is almost a certain bogey because of the severity of the slope and the speed of the green.
















  

[JNagle]

At the time the course was built there was not an option to cut the mound fronting #5 differently than the fairway.  With a pull behind gang mower this would not be done.  Especially when the feature is not larger than the mounds.  IMHO - with three of four par fives under 530 yards from the very back tees, the rough on the mounds in effect lengthens the hole as it can create a tension in the golfers mind and force them to lay-up.  This is certainly not the ideal.  With the tee shot being slightly elevated and the same for #2 (much more elevated) the course needs to gain length where ever it can.  Maintaining the mound as rough may seem out of place, but in this particular instance it may be necessary.

I would love to see the fairway expanded over the mounds on 5 and also left of the #3, but in some cases there are limiting factors and realities that eliminate the ability to do so.  Maybe over the years as we pick away at little things we can push for some of the smaller, cooler elements.  I for one want to see the trees cut back and the mounds and widened fairways brought back, but know it will likely not happen.

[BHoover]

Interesting points, Jim.  I hadn't even thought about the fact that mowing technology (or lack thereof) played a role in how the mound on #5 was maintained in the past.  The other thing about that mound is that, at least for first time players, the mound appears to be the bank of a creek fronting the green.  At least for the first-timer, that mound plays tricks on your mind.

In one of your earlier comments, you mentioned the mounding and how many of those mounds had been lost or hidden over time by the trees.  Playing over the weekend, I have to admit that I looked around and noticed how most of the mounds had become obsolete or obscured over time.  It's a shame that more of them aren't still in play.  As you mentioned, hopefully some of those features can be brought back into play in the future.

[BHoover]

Hole #10 – 401 yards, par 4

The tenth kicks of the back nine with what is my personal favorite hole on the course.  Like the first, the tee shot is from an elevated tee to an undulated and sloping fairway.  The ideal drive is played down the left side of the fairway to catch the second hill in the distance, which can be used as a speed slot to leave a wedge into the green.  The fairway slopes significantly from left to right, so a well-struck drive tends to end up on the right side of the fairway or, if the conditions are firm, the right rough.  Unless the pin is cut on the right side of the green, playing from the left rough is not where you want to be.  If you fail to reach the second hill, the approach shot into the green is either totally or partially blind.

The green is what makes the tenth my favorite hole on the course.  The green is a bit of a tabletop and features two distinct shelves left and right.  The left shelf is smaller and sits significantly higher than the right shelf.  The green falls away from the front, left and back.  The right side of the green features a bit of a backstop so that the right shelf is almost a bowl.  Playing to the right shelf is never a bad miss, although it may leave a difficult putt if the pin is cut on the left shelf.  If the pin is cut on the left shelf, missing the green left is particularly difficult, and it’s unlikely that your chip will remain on the green or up on the left shelf.  It’s also entirely possible to putt off the green if you find yourself above the pin when it’s cut front left.  If the pin is cut right, you can use the center ridge to funnel the ball down to the hole, and if you miss on the right side, that ridge can be used as a backstop.  In any event, missing the green long is definitely not the play as it will be difficult to keep your ball on the green as it tends to slope from back to front.  Missing the green short is generally not a bad miss as you’ll be chipping back up the slope of the green.  The great thing about this green is that it features so many different ways to play approach shots and chips and offers a wide variety of putts depending on the pin location from day-to-day.

From the tee



Looking back up at the clubhouse from the fairway


Landing area






Views from around the green

[BHoover]

Hole #11 – 380 yards, par 4

The eleventh hole is a fairly routine straightaway, short par 4.  Off the tee, the choice is either driver or 3-wood or even a long iron.  The fairway is rather generous, but the more aggressive the play off the tee, the narrower the landing area becomes.  The bunkers are not in play off the tee for all but the longest hitters.  But the trees that line the fairway, although generally not in play if you lay back off the tee, definitely do come into play the farther you choose to play off the tee.  If you do pull driver and either push or pull your tee shot, then you will face a low punch to get to the green.

The green itself is well-bunkered and is open in front to allow the golfer to play a low running shot into the green, which may be needed if you miss the fairway.  This is one of the larger greens on the course, so two-putting may be difficult if you leave yourself with a long putt.  Although it lacks the movement and severe sloping of some other greens, the eleventh green features subtle movement throughout and does have a ridge that bisects the green from left to right, thereby creating a back shelf.  The green also has distinctive back right and left corners, so placement off the tee is important if the pin is cut into one of those back corners.  The worst miss on the green is long if the pin is placed on the back shelf.  Like many other greens at Springfield, the eleventh green has a fall-off over the green that leaves the golfer with a tricky chip if he goes long.

From the tee


Landing area




Views of the green

[BHoover]

Hole #12 – 479 yards, par 5

On the scorecard, the twelfth seems to be a pushover.  At 479 yards, it’s very short for a par 5 (in tournaments, such as the US Open sectional qualifier, it plays as a par 4) and it even looks rather easy off the tee.  The ideal play is to try to bust a drive down the left side of the fairway to give yourself the best angle into the green.  But as long as you avoid the trees left and right, you should be able to have a go for the green if you hit a decent drive.  The left fairway bunker really doesn’t come into play off the tee, and the right fairway bunker is in play only for the longest hitters.  The fairway bunkers on this hole are prime examples of the need for rebuilding and relocating the fairway bunkers to bring them into play to add to the strategy of the hole.  The twelfth plays uphill, although not dramatically, so it does play a bit longer than the yardage.  Nevertheless, the key here is where your second or third shot ends up as it’s the green that makes this hole.

This is maybe the most difficult green on the entire course.  The green is also probably the largest green on the course, which makes placement of your second or third shot important when you factor in the size and slope of the green.  Because it’s open in front, the green accepts run up shots.  In fact, that’s key because if the pin is in the front, you may be better off short of the green and putting up than taking the chance of being above the pin and putting back down the hill.  

The green features a mound in the center (it’s not quite a buried elephant like some other Ross greens, such as at Canton Brookside) that makes putting across the length of the green extremely difficult.  The back to front slope of the green also makes downhill putting extremely difficult.  As I mentioned above, if you’re above a front pin here, it’s unlikely that your putt down the hill will remain on the green.  Generally, the most difficult pin positions are front left and back left, although the right side isn’t much easier.  The green generally breaks down the front left, so that makes putting to the front left pin so tricky.  Needless to say, missing the green short is much, much better than going long, because the chip from over the green has virtually no chance of holding the green.  You also don’t want to short side yourself by missing the green on the pin side.

If you leave an uphill putt, this hole can be an easy birdie (or even eagle).  But put yourself in the wrong spot around or on this green, and bogey might be a good score.

From the tee


Landing area




Views around the green  

[BHoover]

Hole #13 – 179 yards, par 3

The thirteenth is the best par 3 on the course, and the green is another very interesting, and very difficult, one.  The ideal miss here is to miss short because you’ll most likely leave yourself an uphill chip to a green that generally slopes severely from back to front.  The front right corner is the easiest pin location because the slope of the green will tend to funnel shots down to the pin.  Any pin on the left is extremely difficult due to the severity of the slope and it is imperative to leave yourself an uphill putt, otherwise it is entirely possible to putt off the green.  The back right corner of the green, which is my favorite pin position, is the exception to the back to front slope in that the slope in that corner is toward the back of the green.  Missing this green long or short-siding yourself is extraordinarily bad because it means that you’ll likely struggle to make bogey. 

Par is a good score here, although the front right location has given up many aces over the years.

From the tee




Views from around the green

[BHoover]

Hole #14 – 349 yards, par 4

The fourteenth is one of those easier holes at Springfield that follows a very difficult hole.  One of the things I like most about this hole is that the tee is literally steps from the previous green (the Ross course that I compare all others against is Canton Brookside, and Springfield is similar in terms of being well-routed and easy to walk).  From the tee, the play is either to hit driver and leave a short pitch to the green or to lay back and leave a full shot into the green.  Even a 200 yard shot off the tee should leave you with an 8-iron or so into this green.  As with other holes, the key is to find the fairway off the tee; there’s some room to miss left and still have a decent approach to the green but missing right makes hitting this green very difficult because of overhanging trees and the bunkering that surrounds the green.

Unlike most other greens at Springfield, the fourteenth green does not accept a run-up shot (along with the sixth and ninth greens).  The green is surrounded by deep greenside bunkers on all sides.  Depending on the pin location, a short-side miss in one of those bunkers makes getting up-and-down very difficult.  The back bunker in particular is definitely the place you don’t want to miss if the pin is cut anywhere but the front of the green.  The green features four distinct corners and has subtle movement compared to some of the more boldly contoured greens on the rest of the course.

From the tee


Landing area




Views of the green

[BHoover]

Hole #15 – 393 yards, par 4

The fifteenth hole plays either straightaway (from the member tees) or at an angle (from the back tees).  From the back tees, the ideal play is to play to the left side of the fairway (for those of us who draw the ball) or to hit a slight fade to the center of the fairway.  The left rough is playable as you can still play a shot into the green from there, but a miss to the right is iffy as to whether you can reach the green.

The approach shot plays uphill to a green that slopes severely from back to the front left.  The green itself features a steeply pitch bowl that allows shots to funnel back to the front and left side of the green.  The front right approach is partially obscured by a mound that can be used to bounce your approach into the green and toward the pin.  An approach shot that comes up short will be repelled back down the hill.  The proper miss is left because you’ll be playing back up the slope of the green.  Missing this green either right or long will leave a very difficult shot just to hold the green.

From the tee




Landing area




Views of the green

[BHoover]

Hole #16 – 196 yards, par 3

The sixteenth is the longest par 3 at Springfield, but I think it gets overshadowed by the other par 3s on the course.  The tee is somewhat elevated, but not dramatically, so the hole seems to play at its yardage.  The green is set in another hollow and, unlike the other par 3s, slopes away from the front to the back left corner.  The ideal play from the tee is to aim for the middle of the green.  You don’t want to miss the green long or on the pin side.  Missing the green on the hillside to the right is an especially tough up-and-down given the slope of the green.  If you come up short of the green, it’s not a bad miss.

From the tee




Views around the green

[BHoover]

Hole #17 – 591 yards, par 5

The seventeenth is the longest par 5 on the course, although it usually does not play to its full yardage and the downhill nature of the hole makes it play even shorter than that.  The tee shot is played from an elevated tee and is completely blind.  The ideal tee shot is to aim for a cluster of tall pines in the distance and try to catch a speed slot in the fairway.  Missing the fairway to the right still provides plenty of room to play a second shot.  If the course is playing firm and the wind is helping, it’s possible to reach this green in two.

The green is one of the larger ones on the course and is open in front to allow for a run-up shot.  There’s a ridge that runs down the center of the green, which divides the green between left and right.  The easiest pin position is in the front, and the back left and right pins are the most difficult to get at with your second or third shot.  The green is well-bunkered on the right, left and at the back, which is a definite place to avoid.

Assuming you avoid trouble off the tee, walking off this green with anything more than a par is a big disappointment.

From the tee


Landing area






Views around the green

[BHoover]

Hole #18 – 406 yards, par 4

The finishing hole at Springfield does not seem to be too difficult from the tee, but if you need to make a par to win a match, it can be a tough task.  The hole plays at a left-to-right angle from the tee yet the fairway is cants to the left.  The ideal play off the tee is a cut shot to hold the fairway.  Finding the fairway is a must if you want to hit and hold the green.

The approach shot plays dramatically uphill to a green that resembles the fourth green in terms of slope and severity.  The green features a severely sloped false front.  An approach that comes up short will definitely funnel back down the hill and leave you a chip or putt of about 20-25 yards back up the slope.  The rest of the green is shaped like a bowl, so any shot that clears the false front tends to funnel toward the center of the green.  The pin is usually cut just over the false front, which means that it’s definitely possible to put off the green and down the hill.  This green, along with the fourth and eighth, were rebuilt as part of the long-range improvement plan to increase the amount of usable area.  But that doesn’t mean it has lost its severity and character. 

In some ways, the eighteenth is my least favorite hole at Springfield, but it’s also a good, tough finishing hole.  If you walk away with a par here, you’ve done well.

From the tee




Landing area






Views from around the green

[Philip Caccamise]

I had the pleasure of playing this gem today. What a great golf course. Most people only know of it at all because of the US Open sectional qualifiers but the reality is architecturally it ranks among the best courses I've ever played.

Count me in if you ever do a GCA outing there, Brian!

[BHoover]

Glad you enjoyed it. I haven't been out there in a couple weeks, but I'm hopeful to get out this weekend, weather permitting.

Maybe we can try to organize something in September or October, which are the best months for golf here in Ohio!

[Criss Titschinger]

Maybe we can try to organize something in September or October, which are the best months for golf here in Ohio!

Indeed. May and September are the best months for golf in the Ohio Valley region. Recent Octobers have been good as well. The Mashie's the first weekend in October, but I'd otherwise be down for that.

[Tom Allen]

Masterfully done Brian.  Great summary and photos.

Count me as interested in a GCA get-together there.  (Of course, I would never be able to make it, as soccer season gets into full swing by October, and Saturday mornings for me will typically involve my Masters chair and rooting for 7 and 8 year old children.)

Again, great job here.

[Joe Sponcia]

Brian,


Thanks for posting this.  I love the movement in the property.  Lots of great looking holes and it looks like an easy walk for the most part.  Do you have pictures of the practice area from the master plan?  It looks really interesting.  Also, can you or Mr. Nagle speak to possible lost width?  I don't think it is bowling alley tight, but it looks like on several holes, the fairways could be a bit more generous?

[BHoover]

Thanks for the comments, Joe. I'm always happy to talk about Springfield.

The club has removed over 500 trees over the past several years. There are a few holes where I'd prefer to see more tree removal to widen the playing corridors. But for the most part, the fairways are somewhat wider than they appear in the photos. The trees around the greens have been removed, with a few exceptions. Hopefully more will come down over time to expose the property.

As for the master plan, I'll see if I can find a copy. Perhaps Jim Nagle can attach a copy if he sees this thread? From what I recall, the plan calls for widening the fairways both by removing trees and increasing the fairway mowing lines. The par 5 12th hole, for example has lost some fairway to the right rough, and the plan calls for reclaiming some of that lost fairway area.

I'll see if I can dig up a copy of the plan. Thanks again, Joe.

[BHoover]

Joe, please see post #4 in which Jim Nagle previously posted a copy of the master plan. That post shows the design of the proposed practice facility as well.

[Joe Sponcia]

Did they build the practice area yet?  Pictures on the ground? 

[BHoover]

The club has a practice range and practice greens, but the proposed short game practice area has not been built. As with most clubs, there just aren't sufficient financial resources to adopt all aspects of the master plan.

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