The Golf Club

One of only three courses in Ohio to be consistently ranked in the Golf Digest Top 100 every year.

The Golf Club is one of Pete Dye’s lesser-known courses but it ranks as one of his greatest and most challenging. Straying from the parkland layouts that were prevalent in the area at the time the course was built, Dye incorporated a variety of grasses that give the course a more heathland feel. At nearly 7,300 yards, the layout is on the lengthier side. The golf course features tree-lined corridors that expand into ample fairways and the first noted use of Dye’s signature railroad ties and pot bunkers. Dye was inspired by a trip to Scotland, which is apparent throughout the course. Some of the challenges golfers face are the acres of fescue and the prominent presence of the meandering Blacklick Creek on four holes. The layout is a formidable test for even the most skilled players.

Pete Dye (1967)/Pete Dye (R. 2013)

The Golf Club, built in 1966, may be the most authentic of Pete Dye’s transition period of design, when he first chose to buck convention and start building lay-of-the-land layouts like those he’d seen during a 1963 tour of Scotland. In doing so, Dye re-introduced deception, misdirection and railroad ties into American golf architecture. Its construction attracted the attention of local boy Jack Nicklaus, who visited several times and made some astute suggestions. That led to a five-year Dye-Nicklaus design partnership. The Golf Club remained untouched for 45 years, until 2013, when Dye rebuilt every hole, modestly adjusting some of his original architecture.

100 Greatest History: Ranked since 1969. Highest ranking: No. 23, 1999-00. Previous ranking: No. 36

“Beautiful aesthetics. The Pete Dye signature railroad ties are present on a number of holes yet blend into the overall landscaping and hole designs.”

“Love how Pete Dye consulted with then-27-year-old Jack Nicklaus to get his input on the shot values. Mission accomplished. It has such a low-key, Columbus feel that most residents of the city (14 miles away) don’t even know it’s there.”

“Recent changes in 2013 improved playability while not affecting shot values. Still a second-shot course. Course has aged quite well, and remains a nice, stern test, with subtle greens and very strategic approach shots, often masked by Dye’s lines of charm.”

“Make sure to try the homemade cookies at the turn — homemade and out of this world!”