Best Golf Courses in Ohio

Ohio has a diverse geography and mix of cultures as it stretches from the rolling foothills of the Appalachians and the Ohio River along its border with West Virginia and Kentucky to a highly industrialized northern border on Lake Erie and rolling farmland in the middle. The entire state is very accessible due to the Interstate and 4-lane, state highway systems which connect most major population centers in the state and are convenient to travel in search of the best golf courses in Ohio you can play.

The best golf courses in Ohio in this directory are located near the major population centers of the three Cs, Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland, and their contiguous cities, but many under-the-radar gems lie in smaller communities.

List of Best Golf Courses in Ohio

This guide features the best public golf courses in Ohio which range from Little Mountain anchoring the golf-rich northeast to Shaker Run in the Cincinnati area with the middle carried by the Virtues, Eaglesticks, Cooks Creek, and the Denison Golf Club, a Donald Ross classic.

1. The Golf Club at Stonelick Hills

This one-of-a-kind course is routed through heavily forested hills and over and around numerous ponds and lakes. All golfers from every set of tees will appreciate the uniqueness of each hole and feel individually challenged by the variety of shots necessary to complete such a strategic layout. Enjoy your round as a relaxing stroll through nature, inhabited by the variety of wildlife typical of such unspoiled surroundings.

Don’t let the climax created by the beauty and drama so evident in the finishing holes impede your ability to fully appreciate the genuine balance in the design and the conditioning of the entire golf course. I truly hope we exceed your expectations and your visit is a relaxing escape from the hectic pace of today!

Stonelick Hills Golf Course Details

Stonelick Hills Green Fees

2. Manakiki Golf Course

Located 17 miles east of downtown Cleveland, Manakiki Golf Course is an elegant public course. The classic Donald Ross design offers a variety of challenges including doglegs, water hazards, up-and-down shots, back-to-back par 5s, short, long, tight, and open holes, and two canyon holes.

Manakiki Golf Course Details

Manakiki Golf Course Green Fees

3. Firestone Country Club

Firestone Country Club is a private golf club in the United States, located in Akron, Ohio. It was a regular stop on the PGA Tour and has hosted the PGA Championship three times. It is the current home of the Bridgestone Senior Players Championship through 2026.

The club comprises three courses—those of the North, South, and West. In 1974 the club hosted three televised golf events: the American Golf Classic, the CBS Golf Classic, and the World Series of Golf. No other club has hosted three televised golf events in the same calendar year.

One of four World Golf Championships constituent events, the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, directed by the International Federation of PGA Tours and sanctioned by the PGA and European Tours, was contested at the club with the final event the club held in 2018. The North and West courses also serve as the home course for the University of Akron Zips golf team.

Firestone Golf Club Details

4. Eaglesticks Golf Club

Built on 150 acres of hilly farmland near Zanesville, Ohio, our course has rolling fairways, undulating greens, and constant elevation changes. Numerous gorgeous waterfalls and pristine woodlands of oak, maple, ash, locust, walnut, and cherry trees add to its intrinsic beauty.

Dr. Michael Hurdzan, one of Ohio’s most renowned architects, created a design that includes plush, bentgrass fairways, and greens, protected by a total of 90 sand bunkers. Multiple teeing areas and larger putting greens ensure that the course is playable for all.

Challenging and compact at 6,500 yards from the back tees, EagleSticks is a course that clearly favors accuracy over power. With more than 100 feet of elevation change, most tee boxes are located on the highest ground, so you’ll be treated to panoramic views on most holes before hitting down to the fairways.

Eaglesticks Golf Course Details

5. Virtues Golf Club

Virtues Golf Clubs par-72, 7,243-yard parkland-style course was designed by renowned golf course architect Arthur Hills to blend seamlessly with its pristine natural surrounding, just 40 miles from downtown Columbus, Ohio.  The course wanders gracefully from ridge top to valley, featuring wide rolling fairways and immaculate greens framed by stately stands of mature trees, with panoramic views around every rugged bend.  Play today at the no. 65 in Top 100 Public Courses in America by Golf Digest!

Virtues Golf Course Details

Virtues Golf Green Fees

6. Fowler's Mill Golf Course

Last on our list of best golf courses in Ohio will be Fowler's Mill Golf Course. This is a golf facility that lies on acres of scenic country in Chesterland, Ohio. The course gives the golfer a feeling that is not found anywhere else in the country. Fowler's Mill Golf Course is a Pete Dye masterpiece located in beautiful Geauga County just 30 minutes east of downtown Cleveland. The finest public golf course experience in Northeast Ohio awaits you from the moment you arrive at Fowler's Mill.

Recently ranked by GolfWeek (2021) as the Best Public Course in the State of Ohio. Golf Advisor ranked our Course Layout as the 20th Best in the U.S. (2016) and the 8th Best Pete Dye Course (2015) in the country.

Fowler's Mill Golf Course Details

Summary of Best Golf Courses in Ohio

There you have it! These are some of the best golf courses in Ohio that you should definitely visit someday. If you enjoy reading this article, then check out our other article on the best golf courses in Michigan.

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