Youngstown Country Club

[golfer2b2000]

Just got the chance to play this course a couple weeks ago.

 What a great course!!

[paperclip]

Played it 4 years ago, conditioning was fantastic!

[Buckeyebowman]

Yup! Got to play it last year in the second round of the Greatest Golfer in the Valley tournament! The course ate me for lunch, but I still enjoyed myself. The greens were like putting on glass compared to what I usually play! First time I'd laid eyes on the place, and there are a few surprises out there. 

As an aside, I just got an e-mail about the course rota for this years Greatest tourney. We seniors get to play Avalon Lakes the second day! Hooo boy! I may need Preparation H after that round!

[iacas]

What did you like, architecturally, about the place?

[golfer2b2000]

I didn't consider it a very difficult course, although there was some par 4's that at my age I find anything over 400 yards to be a bit hard to reach in two. There were numerous holes that positioning off the tee was critical. I remember the 10th hole that I kept my drive to the left, and to hit the green on the second shot you had to draw the ball into a blind hole. Very challenging. The ninth hole was a very colerful par three over a pond almost going directly to the clubhouse. I think it was only like 125 yards, but a very pretty hole./

[Buckeyebowman]

I don't know if you are asking me that question, or the OP. I found the design to be classic Ross! No forced carries over bunkers to reach the green. The front of every green was open to a run up shot. But , get your tee shot or approach off line, and you could be in big trouble! Plus, there were quite a few blind shots, both drives and approaches, that one might expect on a Scottish links. In fact, the approach to the first green is totally blind. The green and flagstick are hidden behind a huge mound. The terrain is far hillier than I imagined down in there. 

The greens were pure lightning! I remember one hole in particular where I hit a fine drive, but had a blind approach to the green. I drove to the crest of the rise to have a look at it, and decided to hit one club more than I normally would. I put the ball 30 feet behind, and above, the hole. I putted that ball right off the front of the green! I simply wasn't used to the speed of those greens, even though I practiced on the putting green for a half hour! The practice green doesn't feature the slope some of the greens on the course display.

And, as @golfer2b2000 said, #9 is very pretty, but daunting. You hit over a deep ravine with a lake at the bottom. If you hit it anywhere but dead at the green with the proper yardage, you are well and truly screwed! 

[golfer2b2000]

I guess I didnt say much about the greens. Yes, there are places that you do not want to be. I guess I am one of those that dont seem to worry about that much until I am on them. I played it when they probably had some pretty suttle pin placements and access to them probably were not at all that difficult.