This story first appeared in the Fall 2025 edition of Northern Ohio Golfer Magazine, the official print publication of the Northern Ohio Golf Association. NOGA members who provide an address in their GHIN account receive a copy mailed to their home twice per year. Not yet a NOGA member? Join for 2026 now!
MEDINA COUNTRY CLUB REBUILDS ITS SHORT COURSE WITH A REVERSIBLE LAYOUT
With the blessing of owner Bill Cosgrove, whose day job is CEO of Union Home Mortgage, and featuring a design by golf course architect David Zinkand, a former Coore & Crenshaw associate, Medina Country Club has completed and opened The Reversible, a unique new golf course that sits next to the club’s main 18 holes just south of Medina.
As its name implies, The Reversible features two nine-hole loops that can be played in opposite directions: one clockwise (Purple), and the other counterclockwise (Green). The Reversible occupies the footprint of the club’s former nine-hole Red Course.
Each par-31 routing begins with a downhill par-3 to one of two large double greens. From there, a compelling collection of par 3s and 4s runs across gently rolling terrain before returning back to par 3s with double greens for the finish.
With strategic bunkering and multiple routes to various hole locations, The Reversible challenges skilled players by demanding careful decisions off the tee and on approach to the green. At the same time, its ample width provides plenty of room for less experienced golfers to steer clear of trouble.
Other course features include generous green surrounds and rugged bunkering with wiry fescue brows. Pure Eclipse bentgrass greens and fairways will grow into exceptionally-conditioned turf, combined with plenty of course set-up flexibility through the design/build process to create a fun, thought-provoking course.
Zinkand’s design work also emphasized looking and feeling bucolic. This principle of “genius loci,” or sense of place, is a key pillar of his design philosophy.
“The land has just enough movement to make it ideal for reversible golf,” said Zinkand, who has more than 25 years of experience designing, managing, and shaping projects in the field before beginning his own design business. “It allowed us to be bold and offer plenty of challenges for players who are eager to embrace risk in pursuit of a big reward, while also possessing a subtlety that invites beginners to identify more conservative avenues to the hole.”
Work on The Reversible began in summer 2024, with most of the earthwork completed by autumn. After a year of grow-in, the course just opened to play. It is part of a multi-phase master plan at Medina Country Club, located about 35 miles south of downtown Cleveland.
The opening of The Reversible follows a complete overhaul of the club’s practice facilities, including the addition of a state-of-the-art indoor and outdoor teaching academy. Construction of a new clubhouse is underway; once completed, attention will turn to a project that will transform Medina’s existing 18-hole course.
“Working with Dave is a pleasure, and he’s such a genius at what he does,” said Cosgrove, the owner of Medina Country Club since 2022. “His vision for The Reversible grabbed me right from the start and our members can’t be any more excited about the golf course. Dave’s an incredible partner and we feel very fortunate to have him leading the multi-year transformation of the Medina golf experience.”
