OINK Golf – Playing the best of Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky Public Golf Courses

Note: Pictures coming soon. Having some problems uploading them into the blog.

A drive past Summit Hills Country Club on Turkeyfoot Rd. will take you in the direction of The Golf Courses at Kenton County. The first course, Pioneer, very much a beginners type course (save one mighty exception at hole 16) and was built in 1968. The next course, Willows, is adjacent to the Pioneer course. I’m not sure what year it opened, but it is an Arthur Hills design. Willows is a more difficult course than Pioneer, mostly due to the tough back 9.

When you play Fox Run, you sign in at the clubhouse next to the parking lot. But to actually get to the Fox Run course, you have to take what feels like a 5-10 minute cart ride; passing Willows’ 18th hole. Fox Run has its own driving range and its own mini-clubhouse.

The course opened in 1992 and is the newest of the courses at the Kenton County complex. Like Willows, Fox Run also was designed by Arthur Hills. Fox Run may very well be the toughest public golf course in the Cincinnati area. There are not many flat areas on the course, so slope and elevation must be taken into account on each shot. The course has its fair share of tough golf holes, but a couple that are just unfair in my eyes. More on that later.

The Course
The 421 yard first is probably the most level hole you will play all day. The fairway is fairly wide and inviting, with bunkers on the right for those challenging the hole with driver. It’s important to get a good score on this hole, because the of the other remaining holes don’t get much easier.

Once you hit the par 4 2nd (403 yards), you get an idea of what the rest of your round will be like. Hilly and not many level lies. A grassy area in the middle makes the fairway more narrow than it appears.

Things narrow up a bit at the par 5 3rd. It won’t be the last hole with a narrow shoot, but the fact that the hole is 530 yards doesn’t help.

The next few holes have a common theme. The fairway runs out, requiring a forced carry to the green. Both par 3s on the front 9 require a forced carry of some kind, though the punishment for missing the green on 7 is less than that of 4.

The front 9 closes with a 341 yard par 4 that, in my humble opinion, is not fair. A very narrow fairway that can’t be more than 15 yards wide, with a creek running along the right side. If you aim it safe towards the hill on the left, you’re left with a severe lie with the ball below you’re feet; plus, the walk to your ball as this hole is cart path only.

Off the tee, 12 appears intimidating. However, each time I’ve played this course, a playing partner has birdied it. It’s very uphill, and anything short will leave a blind approach (and quite a walk from the cart path). Play long, as the green is larger than it appears.

Your one break on the back 9 really comes at the 14th. Although it is a 570 par 5, it’s large fairway is very forgiving. It may be a three-shot par 5, but it’s a good opportunity for birdie. Or at least, a level lie.

My opinions on 17 (par 4, 402 yards) have varied throughout the years. Originally, I felt as strongly about this hole as I do 9 and 18. As I’ve played the course multiple times, I don’t feel as strongly about the hole. That being said, it’s not a good hole. The player must be careful on the tee-shot not to over do it. The approach must be very precise, as there’s not a lot of room for error to the narrow green. Right is completely dead and left doesn’t leave a lot to bail out.

The 18th hole is simply a joke. No nice way of saying it and a really bad ending to a course that’s really not that bad. There’s enough room to place a 3 wood or hybrid in the fairway area. But then you have to cross a lake and hit an approach into a sliver of fairway and to a sliver of green. If the fairway were a bit wider, it would be somewhat similar to the 18th at Stonelick Hills, which I don’t really have a problem with.

Conclusion
Maybe I’m a bit harsh on Fox Run. On the whole, it’s a good course. It’s not one I can really recommend to anyone outside the city of Cincinnati though. If you’re looking for a challenge, you can find it at Kenton County Golf Courses. While I think the Willows back 9 may be the toughest in the Cincinnati area, the Fox Run course as a whole is tougher than Willows as a whole.

Things are generally in good shape, but it’s probably best to play Kenton County earlier in the season (April/May). I’ve seen a handful of times where rough weather leads to rough conditioning in July/August; more so than I would say is acceptable. I actually had a couple of August events cancelled at Kenton County because the greens got so bad. But then again, I had an event in May and it was fantastic. So choose your visit wisely.

OINK Rating: 4

Eagle Ridge Golf Course at Yatesville Lake State Park in Louisa, KY has long been on my short-list of must play courses. Its remote location around the Kentucky and West Virginia border has made it difficult to schedule. The list of courses I would have to pass by (Old Silo, Hidden Cove, etc.) in order to get to this place is hard to think about as well. But finally, in early July of 2011, I worked it out and made it down there.

Eagle Ridge is anywhere from 3.5 to 4 hours from Cincinnati, depending on how many times you have to stop. It’s 20 miles off I-64 by Ashland, KY. Despite not being visible on Google Maps until 2010 and having an access road that’s almost a mile long and not on my GPS, I would say the course was easier to drive to than I thought.

The course is primarily known for its epic 13th hole, which plays 200 FEET downhill from tee to green. No doubt, this hole rivals those like TPC Sawgrass’ famous island green par 3 17th for sheer uniqueness and fun playing. My question was: outside of 13, is Eagle Ridge a great course? Or, is it just a good course with one amazing hole? One of my colleagues even feels Eagle Ridge is the BEST public golf course in the state of Kentucky? Could he be for real, or is he just smoking something?

Like Dale Hallow, I felt like the first couple holes eased the player into the round. The 402 yard par 4 first has a very wide fairway, which will accept a fairway wood without a problem. A riskier play is a faded driver which must be careful not to go beyond the fairway or to the valley on the right. Getting it close to the pin is tough on front pin placements due to the knob in front of the green.

The 414 yard 2nd plays significantly downhill off the tee. A mid- or long-iron is probably the best bet off the tee. Those who want to gamble can aim for the sliver of fairway to the right. A wedge or short iron to the green must carry the ravine, but not go too long.

I’m still torn about my feelings on hole 4. It’s definitely one of those holes you really need to play twice to figure out how the land works. Off the tee, the fairway ends with an area of no mans land before dropping significantly downhill.

What I thought was a decent tee-shot ended up in this no mans land. Probably best to take a fairway wood or hybrid instead of driver off the tee. The player can reach in two, but must contend with a creek that runs along the entire right side of the layup and green area.

I did not have any doubts about calling the 577 yard par 5 7th a great hole. In my opinion, best hole on the course outside of hole 13 (getting to that, I swear). It’s a fairly narrow tee-shot for a hole of its length. There’s a little bit of room to the right, but not too much.

Not many will have the opportunity to hit the green in two. Those that try must content with the mountains of bunkers that protect the front of the green. I left a picture with some one ahead of me hitting a shot out of one of these bunkers mainly to show the scale of their size. The better shot is to lay up to the right where the tree really shouldn’t come into play.

Intermission: Well, this used to be an Eagle carving from one of the trees

An interesting thing to note about Eagle Ridge is that the outward 9 does not end-up at the clubhouse. This is a fairly rare exception with American golf courses, and something I’ve only experienced at Cougar Point at Kiawah Island and The Player’s Course at Foxfire Golf Club outside of Columbus, OH.

I thought the par 3s on the back 9 at Eagle Ridge were outstanding and a great contrast to one another. The first one is the short 135 yard par 3 12th. The front right is semi-blind from a mound in front. The slope to the left of the hole is so severe that if you don’t hit the green, your ball will likely roll out of play. There are bailouts short and long and a little right. Easily a hole where you can make 2 or 5 just as easy.

Let’s be honest though. The reason you play Eagle Ridge is for the EPIC 315 yard par 4 13th. I’ve confirmed via Google Earth that this hole has a two-hundred foot elevation change from tee to green. 200 FEET!!!! No matter what tee-box you’re playing from, you must play this hole from the tips. Do not consider any other option! Hell, hit driver once to just see how long you can keep the ball in the air!

Obviously, this hole has all the eye candy you could ever want from a golf hole, but aside from its looks, it’s got some brains too. Want to shank a short iron just to get it into play? You can do that, as there’s a fairway immediately below the cliff.

Most players will hit a fairway wood to hit the wide part of the main fairway. Other players will take a riskier route and hit driver either to reach the green, or come close. The good news is that if you happen to miss right, you’ll likely get a good kick off the hill and into the fairway.

Not too much trouble around the small green that sloes right to left. Shots that go left have to contend with the pot bunker in front and the creek to the left. All in all, a phenomenal and breath-taking hole. On flat ground, I still contend this hole is a great golf hole. Add the ginormous elevation change and you make it that much more.

The 400 yard 16th is one of the more difficult holes on the course. A forced carry over a ravine from the tips, the user must keep the ball on the left side of the fairway that slopes to the right to maintain a good angle at the green.

The par 3 17th is a 220 yard monster that’ll give you all the par 3 you can handle. You can safely play to the short and right, or you can attempt the full carry across the ravine to the green. Ranks up there with Stonelick Hill’s #17 as one of the toughest par 3 penultimate holes I have ever played.

Remember all those down hill shots you got throughout the round? Well, the closer is the longest 393 yard hole you’ll ever play. All up hill, with many different ridges which make most angles at the green blind.

Conclusion
Unfortunately, I have not been able to play any of the Kentucky State Park courses outside of Dale Hallow and Eagle Ridge/Yatesville Lake. While #13 is worth the trip and price of admission, I found Dale Hallow to be a better golf course as a whole. That’s not to say there isn’t a lot of great golf to be had at Eagle Ridge.

I would recommend a three-day golf trip in the Eastern Kentucky area to play Eagle Ridge. Hidden Cove (at Grayson Lake State Park) and Stonecrest Golf Club are both reasonably close by and are both great courses in their own right. If you’re coming from Cincinnati, you could always split the distance and stay overnight in Mt. Sterling; playing Old Silo before the trek home.

For bombers, Eagle Ridge probably plays a bit short. Even at a par 71, Eagle Ridge only plays to about 6,660 yards; and most of these tee-shots are downhill or flat. Being a rookie, I started out at the #3 tees, but I ended up moving back to the #2 tees (which play around 6,100) for the back 9. There were multiple holes on the front where I was hitting 6 and 7 irons into play. Moving back allowed me to hit more drivers and fairway woods off the tee.

The staff was very cordial. Had good conversations with the welcome staff and pro and they got me right out. Even with a few groups ahead of me, I still played 18 holes in 4 hours 15 minutes. Which, for a 10:30 tee-time on a Saturday, I’ll take.

If you play this course from the right tees, you’ll have a great round of golf that challenges you to think and play the course properly. Easy to recommend this course and certainly one of the top 10 public courses in the state.

OINK Ratings:
Hole 13 – 10
Rest of course – 7