Stating that Colmbus is the mecca of golf in Ohio would certainly not be an understatement.
Columbus plays host to one of the largest PGA Tour events in the country with the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village. It features the Ohio State University Golf Course, which has sponsored numerous NCAA and Big Ten championship events. Columbus is also the birthplace of one of the greatest golfers of all-time, Jack Nicklaus.
It isn’t surprising that a city, which has become so involved with its commitment toward athletics and community involvement, features some of the top public golf courses in the state.
Columbus owns seven public golf courses throughout the central Ohio area. Turnberry, Wilson Road, Mentel Memorial, Walnut Hill, Champions, Raymond Memorial and the Airport Golf Course compose Columbus Municipal Golf.
Throughout the well-maintained courses, players are offered the opportunity to compete at all different levels of play at low rates.
“We offer a variety of challenges for virtually everyone,” golf administrator Scott Stanley said. “The game of golf, parallels the game of life and that’s something we try to pass along to individuals competing in our junior leagues.”
Turnberry Golf Course, located in Pickerington, is worth the 20-minute drive for golfers looking to compete on a challenging course layout.
Turnberry begins with a long par five and features several dogleg holes including the course’s signature par four 15th hole. The hole forces players to hit a difficult approach shot on to an elevated green guarded by several greenside bunkers.
“We try to give the players a good course,” pro shop attendent Mike Barcus said. “Bob Moore and his grounds crew do a great job keeping the course in top condition. We try give our competitors a high end course at a low end price.”
Along with Turnberry, Champions Golf Course offers players a certain level of difficulty that can challenge players of all levels.
Champions’ mature layout challenges players to hit the ball consistently straight or suffer the consequence of hitting out of tall tree lines that outline the narrow fairways.
Although Champions and Turnberry pose the biggest challenge to golfers, Mentel Memorial, Raymond Memorial and Airport Golf Course are considered to be the flagship courses owned by Columbus Municipal Golf.
Raymond Memorial, the oldest of the three flagship courses, opened in 1954. Although Raymond Memorial does not offer the same type of difficulty as Turnberry or Champions, this 6,812-yard course can still present some difficult shots.
Mentel Memorial Golf Course, maintained by golf course superintendent Steve Flower, features 44 bunkers throughout the 18-hole course, along with three lakes which come into play on several holes.
The Airport Golf Course, located on North Hamilton Road in Columbus was opened in 1966. Designed by Jack Kidwell, this course features tall mature trees, which can pose a problem to those who fail to hit the ball straight. The course is appropriately named as it is located just a chip shot away from Port Columbus Airport.
However, these seven golf courses owned by the city of Columbus are not the only courses Columbus has to offer. Just outside the city limits lies one of the most intriguing public courses in the area called the Phoenix Golf Links.
The Phoenix Golf Links is a links style golf course that gives players the feeling of teeing off at the British Open. With its hilly terrain, tall bushy grass, deep bunkers and scenic par three holes, Phoenix Golf Links is moderately priced at $15 dollars for nine holes during the week.
“I call it a golf friendly course,” director of golf Barry Fisher said. “We are a very accessible golf course from downtown, and we offer an interesting form of golf.”
