News

Shaker Run GC – One of Ohio’s Best Public Courses

Published

16 years ago

May 8, 2008

Shaker Run Golf Course, site of the 2005 US Amateur Public Links, is located North of Cincinnati, Ohio in the small town of Lebanon.

This Public Links Championship was heavily watched; Michelle Wie made it to the final four here before Clay Ogden beat her in a hotly contested match play match. Unfortunately for Michelle Wie, Clay went on to win the championship. Even before Michelle Wie arrived at Shaker Run, this golf course was kown as one of Ohio’s best public golf courses.

In its infancy (1979), Shaker Run was a private club and owned by the ARMCO Steel Company. Eventually ARMCO became AK steel, sold some assets off, the private golf club being one of them (1994). Great for us. Shaker Run actually boasts 27 holes now as there is a third nine designed by Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry in 1997.

If it is your first time here, skip the Meadows nine and play the original 18 holes, which was designed by Arthur Hills. Don’t get me wrong, the Meadows nine is playable but is devoid of any real character. Homes abound on the Meadows nine. Hills’ creation is the Lakeside and Woodlands nines and is tranquil and serene. Pure golf, and no houses. As you stand on the first tee, well really the tenth, (but for some reason they were switched around the day that we played here) you instantly think wide open links course. Not really, and well, not at all. This hole is a teaser. The eleventh hole tightens up considerably and you wonder how many trees your ball will seek out during the round. The fairways, save a few, are relatively wide, but errant shots too far offline will be punished here. Not severely, but punishment just the same. I thing that I liked the most about Shaker Run is that there are some great opportunites for birdies and quite a few risk reward shots. Numbers 9, 12, 14, 15, 18 leave you with a ton of options off the tee and for your second shot. Course conditions were pretty good for late April in Ohio, the greens were receptive to a variety of shots. About the only thing that was really disappointing was they don’t allow walking for some odd reason. Even if you paid the cart fee (which is included int he price) walking was not allowed. This course is walkable, there is a stretch of a few holes that runs along a ridge and ravine, but the course is very walkable and would be enjoyable for the walking golfer. Sorry Shaker, you lose some purist points here and that’s too bad. The 9th and 18th holes both play over water and beg you to bite off as much fairway as possible, but don’t be too greedy on these holes, the lake is full of golf balls here. Lets take a look at a few holes at Shaker Run.

Lakeside nine, #2, a short par three over the corner of the lake.

Woodlands #1, looks wide open, but this nine tightens up rather quickly.

One of the best holes on the course, Woodlands #3, with a good drive, you’ll be

just a short sand wedge away on this risk reward par 4. Great hole.

Woodlands #5 is a tough par 3, 190 from the blue tees, 203 from the black.

Not much room for error here. Walk off with a par and its like a birdie here.

You might be able to cut the corner with a lofted fairway wood or the brave

can hit driver with a fade. If so, it’s just a lob wedge into this green. If not

your score will suffer a lot.

Woodlands #8 opens back up, par 3 150 yards from the blue. Wind will

affect your ball on this short par three hole.

Shaker Run is a must play if in the Cincinnati area. It could, quite possibly

be the best golf course in the Southwestern Ohio area, public or private.

Shaker Run by the numbers:

Lakeside/Woodlands

Tees Yardage Rating/Slope

Black 6953 74.0/138

Blue 6415 71.2/132

White 5794 68.7/127

Red 5075 68.8/121

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2024 3M Open

Published

10 hours ago

Jul 23, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

GolfWRX is on site this week at TPC Twin Cities for the 2024 3M Open for the penultimate event of the PGA Tour’s regular season.

The photos are flying in from Blaine, Minnesota. We’ve already assembled general galleries and a fresh Tony Finau WITB.

Check back throughout the week for more photos!

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.

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Courses

The BEST hidden gem links courses in the UK & Ireland

Published

12 hours ago

Jul 23, 2024

Josh Post, Golfbreaks

Another Open Championship has come and gone and links golf was once again in the spotlight at Royal Troon! For those who have never played a links course (like myself), it sparks a desire to fly across the pond to experience it for ourselves. While a golf trip to the UK or Ireland is a bucket-list item, most people look to play the big-name courses (Old Course, Carnoustie, Lahinch, Royal Portrush,etc.), but don’t realize they can get a similar experience by traveling to some of the lesser known destinations where you will find some of the purest links courses in the world. With this in mind, here are our picks for the best hidden gem links courses you should play when you book a UK or Ireland trip:

IRELAND

Ballyliffin

We start our list off with a 36-hole club in the Northwest of Ireland, a remote area of the Emerald Isle that is known for its rugged terrain and spectacular scenery. Bordering the Wild Atlantic Way, Ballyliffin is relatively newer (est. 1947) but offers golfers one of the purest links golf experiences anywhere in the country. While not easy to get to, the two courses onsite (Old and Glashedy) are well worth the travel with large dunes shaping the fairways that overlook the North Atlantic Ocean and a myriad of pot bunkers everywhere you look. Even Rory McIlroy believes that “Ballyliffin’s two courses are a must play on any golf trip to Ireland.” and we tend to agree.

How to incorporate Ballyliffin in a golf trip:

Stay:Ballyliffin Lodge, Hotel & Spa

Play: Old Links & Glashedy Links at Ballyliffin, and Old Tom Morris Links or Sandy Hills Course at Rosapenna

Enniscrone

The next course on the list is in the Sligo area of the Northwest where we find Enniscrone, roughly 3 hours (by car) south of Ballyliffin. Like many links courses, Enniscrone was originally a 9-hole course when it was opened in 1918 before an additional 9 holes were added 12 years later. In 1970, Eddie Hackett was tasked with redesigning the course to help the two 9-hole courses flow effortlessly into one 18 hole layout. A big feature that can be seen throughout your round here are the towering dunes that shape the course and protect some holes from the ocean winds. Built right out of the landscape of the dunes bordering the sea, the course has a lot of undulation in the fairways and greens with some elevated tee boxes providing unreal views of the natural land.

How to incorporate Enniscrone in a golf trip:

Stay: The Glasshouse Hotel, Sligo

Play: Enniscrone, County Sligo, and Donegal

Additional Courses: Strandhill, Carne, and Narin & Portnoo

St. Patrick’s Links

Another fantastic gem on the Northwest coast of Ireland is the NEW (2020) St. Patricks Links at Rosapenna Hotel & Golf Links. The land was purchased back in 2012 which was already a 36-hole facility and Tom Doak was brought in to reimagine the property to the layout it currently is today. Large sand dunes shape the front 9 holes before heading back through some more subtle dunes back towards the clubhouse. The course offers elevation changes with some tee boxes sitting atop the dunes offering spectacular views of Sheephaven Bay and beyond. With two other courses and a fantastic hotel on property, this destination is all you could ever ask for.

How to incorporate St. Patricks in a golf trip:

Stay: Rosapenna Hotel & Golf Links

Play: St. Patrick’s Links, Sandy Hills Course , and Old Tom Morris Links (all at Rosapenna)

Island Club

For our last hidden gem in Ireland, we head 30 minutes north of the country’s capital, Dublin, to The Island Club. Built along rugged terrain and the highest sand dunes on the east coast of Ireland, the Island Club is situated on a small peninsula surrounded by water on three sides providing a difficult challenge, especially with the winds. Founded in 1890, the Island Club continues to be ranked in the Top 10 courses in Ireland and has held some Amateur Championships and Open Championship Regional Qualifiers.

How to incorporate The Island Club in a golf trip:

Stay: The Grand Hotel, Malahide

Play: Island Club, Portmarnock Old, County Louth

Additional Courses: Royal Dublin

SCOTLAND

Dunbar

Located along “Scotland’s Golf Coast” of East Lothian is where we find the classic links of Dunbar. Opened in 1856 with only 15 holes, this is one of the many courses in Scotland that Old Tom Morris had a hand in crafting. Laid out along rocky and rocky terrain, the course is only 6500 yards long and while not long by modern standards, the course requires shot making and proper club selection to play well. The course has held many national and international tournaments including a few rounds of The Open Final Qualifying.

How to incorporate Dunbar in a golf trip:

Stay: No. 12 Hotel & Bistro

Play: Dunbar, Gullane (No.1), North Berwick

Additional Courses: Craigielaw, Kilspindie, Gullane (No.2, No. 3)

Cruden Bay

The next course on our list brings us to the Scottish Highlands, one of the lesser traveled destinations in Scotland, but still home to some amazing links courses including Cruden Bay! Located 25 miles north of Aberdeen on the east coast of the Highlands, Cruden Bay was opened in 1899, although history would indicate golf has been played at the property since 1791. Another Old Tom Morris design, the course is consistently ranked in the Top 25 of courses in Scotland and it is easy to see why. At only 6600 yards, it is relatively short, but the natural lay of the land provides elevation changes, punchbowl greens, and some large, 3-story high dunes that offer spectacular views for a classic links experience.

How to incorporate Cruden Bay in a golf trip:

Stay: Leonardo Hotel Aberdeen

Play: Cruden Bay, Trump International Links, Royal Aberdeen

Additional Courses: Murcar

Brora

We head back to the Highlands just north of Dornoch to where we find Brora Golf Club. Similar to a lot of links courses, Brora opened as only 9 holes in 1891, but that only lasted for 9 years before an additional 9 was added in 1900 before a James Braid redesign in 1924. At just over 6200 yards, this is one of those courses that will make you appreciate links golf in Scotland with cattle and sheep roaming freely around the property. The course is a typical links routing with the front 9 going out and the back 9 coming back to the clubhouse. The defense of the course is the wind (naturally), but the greens are relatively small with pot bunkers standing guard to catch errant approach shots.

How to incorporate Brora in a golf trip:

Stay: Royal Golf Hotel, Dornoch

Play: Brora, Royal Dornoch – Struie & Championship

Additional Courses: Golspie, Tain

Nairn

Staying in the Scottish Highlands, the last Scotland links gem on the list is just outside of Inverness at The Nairn Golf Club. The narrow fairways are fast and firm leading to decent sized, tricky greens that roll true, but are guarded by devious pot bunkers. The first seven holes play right along the water and with not a ton of elevation changes, spectacular views across the Moray Firth can be seen throughout the course. With fantastic course conditions throughout the season, this fantastic links is an absolute must-play when visiting the Highlands.

How to incorporate Nairn in a golf trip:

Stay: Kingsmills Hotel, Inverness

Play: Nairn, Castle Stuart (Cabot Highlands), Fortrose & Rosemarkie

Additional Courses: Nairn Dunbar, Moray

Golfbreaks by PGA TOUR highly recommends you start planning your trip across the pond AT LEAST 12-18 months in advance in order to secure tee times and hotel rooms over the dates you desire. With more and more people taking up the game of golf, these bucket list trips have already become extremely popular and will continue to gain interest so make sure to start planning early!

Editor’s note: This article is presented in partnership with Golfbreaks. When you make a purchase through links in this article, GolfWRX may earn an affiliate commission.

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News

Forum Giveaway: TaylorMade P7CB “Proto” irons

Published

1 day ago

Jul 22, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

GolfWRX and TaylorMade Golf have teamed up for one of the most exciting giveaways in recent memory. We are giving away one (1) set (3-PW) of the P7CB “Proto” irons, built to order for one lucky forum member! These yet-to-be-released irons have recently made it into the bag for both Tommy Fleetwood and Collin Morikawa.