[Richard Hetzel]

I ventured up and over to Zanesville, Ohio yesterday to play Eaglesticks Golf Club. The course was designed by Dr. Michael Hurdzan in 1990, so at almost 25 years old it can be considered mature at this point. Another recent thread on GCA was speaking about courses designed on less than 150 acres, and Eaglesticks certainly fits the bill in that regard. The course sports a pretty tight routing, but it does not really feel all that constrained throughout the course of play. It does in spots, but tree placement and the movement of earth along the fairways creates opportunities to keep the play in play when hitting an errant shot. The course tips out at approximately 6500 yards so it's protection lies in the varied terrain, and it's 90 something sand bunkers as well. Visually, Hurdzan did a nice job of making the course look longer than it actually plays. I would classify the green sites as on the smaller side for a majority of the holes. A few of the holes had the appearance of being very similar design wise to adjacent holes and that could be due to the pretty tight routing required in order to squeeze in all 18 holes. Fairways appeared to be sort of dried out, green were fast and rolling at a 10 on the stimpmeter according to their sign. Not a "destination" course by any means, but worthy of playing if driving by between Columbus, Ohio and West Virginia on I-70.

Aerial View:


Hole Number 1 Par 4 - 458 from the tips.

[Richard Hetzel]

Hole number 2 - Par 3 - 171 yards from the tips

2 of the par 3's at Eaglesticks were pretty constrained in terms of available land.

[Richard Hetzel]

Hole Number 3 - Par 5 - downhill - 493 from the tips. The only par 5 hole on the front 9. If you could land your drive on the backside of any of the mounds, you could get some nice roll out on this hole. Don't be right here at all off the tee.

[Phil McDade]

Rich:

Thanks again for what I'm sure will be another great photo tour.

I'm struck -- and maybe I'm reaching too early -- by the use of mounding with bunkers, an approach I generally don't like. Your thoughts? The terrain around that area of Ohio is pretty conducive to interesting topography for golf courses (perhaps even too severe in some cases); does the course need the kind of artificial building of those bunkers that is presented so far?

[Richard Hetzel]

Rich:

Thanks again for what I'm sure will be another great photo tour.

I'm struck -- and maybe I'm reaching too early -- by the use of mounding with bunkers, an approach I generally don't like. Your thoughts? The terrain around that area of Ohio is pretty conducive to interesting topography for golf courses (perhaps even too severe in some cases); does the course need the kind of artificial building of those bunkers that is presented so far?

I only found myself only in 1 bunker for the whole round. Some of the bunkers, if hit, would keep your ball, rather than it being lost or even over into an adjacent fairway for someone who wasn't hitting very straight. I wonder myself if Hurdzan added a lot of bunkers here to protect against par more since the course tips out at only 6508 yards. I played it at 6124 and did not feel they interfered with my shots at all.  I liked the mounding because I could aim left on many holes knowing the ball would more than likely bounce right and end up back into, or near the fairway and would never really get all that close to the tree line. The trees in between the fairways were even planted "on top" of pushed up earth as well.

[Richard Hetzel]

Hole number 4 - Par 4 363 yards from the tips. Looks long, plays short.

[Richard Hetzel]

Hole number 5 - Par 4 Par 3 - 151 from the tips. Great par 3 hole, one of the better par 3 holes that I have played recently.

[Richard Hetzel]

Hole Number 6 - Par 4 - Par 342 from the tips.

[Richard Hetzel]

Hole number 7 - Par 4 - 338 yards from the tips

I liked this hole, maybe because it was a short, downhill, par 4 that plays to a fade, but it was fun, even if you mishit your drive to the right (which I did), it gave you some options. No length to this hole but pin placement protects par as the green is small and narrow. Probably driveable by longer hitters, but good luck holding the green. Rentention pond to right of green would be in play for greedy, long, and errant drives.

[Richard Hetzel]

Hole number 8 - 437 yard par 4 from the tips:
Maybe the most difficult driving hole on the course.

[Richard Hetzel]

Hole number 9 - Par 4 uphill - 453 yards

[Richard Hetzel]

Hole number 10 was a par 3, 193 yards from the tips; all carry over a small pond.

[Richard Hetzel]

Hole number 11, which according the club's website, is their "signature hole". Par 5, 591 yards from the tips. Left is OK, right is NOT. No carts allowed in the 2nd portion of the fairway from 190 yards in, slows down play considerably. Made me wish I had walked, hills and all especailly since I was too lazy to carry my camera so I could snap a shot of the green!

[Richard Hetzel]

Hole number 12 was an uphill par 3, 180 from the tips,  that shared tee boxes with the par 3 17th hole. Not much room for error on this hole.

[Richard Hetzel]

Hole Number 13 - Par 4 - 479 yards from the tips.

[Richard Hetzel]

Hole Number 14 - Par 4 - 382 from the tips - slight dog leg right….no green pic sorry...

[Richard Hetzel]

Hole number 15 - Par 4 439 yards

[BHoover]

Thanks for the photos. I've played Eaglesticks a few times but not for at least 10 years. How is the course doing? Last time I played, it was a bit rough maintenance-wise. The first time I played it in the mid-90s, however, the course was superb. Eaglesticks was known for having good greens and good bunkering, and the terrain is very good for a golf course.

Eaglesticks is one of the better public options in Ohio, along with Fowlers Mill and Longaberger (FM being my personal choice as best public).

[Richard Hetzel]

Holr Number 16 - Par 4 - 346 from tips, blind driving hole, slightly downhill.

[Richard Hetzel]

Hole number 17 - short and tight par 3, 151 yards from the tips

[Richard Hetzel]

Hole number 18, uphill par 5, 541 from the tips.

[Richard Hetzel]

Thanks for the photos. I've played Eaglesticks a few times but not for at least 10 years. How is the course doing? Last time I played, it was a bit rough maintenance-wise. The first time I played it in the mid-90s, however, the course was superb. Eaglesticks was known for having good greens and good bunkering, and the terrain is very good for a golf course.

Eaglesticks is one of the better public options in Ohio, along with Fowlers Mill and Longaberger (FM being my personal choice as best public).

I jave played Fowler's Mill (Made sure I played it last summer with all the talk about it being turned into plain 'ol green space) and Longaberger, and I enjoyed both. Longaberger is somehow affiliated with Eaglesticks now. The greens were in great shape, were nice and speedy (girlfriend hated them; "too fast") and the fairways were "good enough", even with a mild summer this season (no drought) you could tell they were holding back on watering, which is fine with me!

[BHoover]

Not to change the subject but has there been any development about the future of Fowlers Mill? It would be a crying shame to lose that course!

[Richard Hetzel]

Not to change the subject but has there been any development about the future of Fowlers Mill? It would be a crying shame to lose that course!

I think it was finally shot down. The last news articel that I could find was 2012.  Awesome course for sure!

[Criss Titschinger]

Last time I played Eaglesticks, I actually drove it all the way down the fairway on #3. Had a helping wind and dry conditions. Probably the longest drive of my life. Unfortunately, I was left with a horrific lie. After chunking out and hitting the green, I two putted for par. First shot went about 400 yards. Then I took 4 under 100 for a par.

I also should note the last time I played Eaglesticks and did a photo tour was in 2004, the last few pictures taken on actual film. It was shortly after that when I converted to digital shots. I'd have to scan my old shots for a comparison of the course 10 years ago.

I know Eaglesticks and Longaberger have long done a "9 Stars of Golf" package, relating to their 4.5* ratings in Golf Digest Places to Play. I thought it was just a marketing partnership.

Brian, as far as I know, Fowler's Mill is safe. I played it about 3 years ago when there was talk of it closing. As far as I know, that deal was shut down and the course continues to thrive. I haven't played all the best public courses in Ohio, but I've played a lot. To date, FM is my favorite.

Has anyone checked out Zanesville Country Club? Don't know much about it other than it being a Ross.

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