Almost 100 years ago, local railroad and coal magnate John Sutphin Jones was looking for something that would be a good complement to his Granville Inn in Central Ohio. He decided that a golf course would make the most sense, so he hired world-renowned Scottish golf course architect Donald Ross to design and build his golf course. The new Granville Golf Course opened for play in 1925 and remains very popular to this day.
The Granville Golf Course – better known these days as Denison Golf Club – has long been recognized as one of the best public courses in the Midwest. Ross stuck to his philosophy of using as much of the land’s natural topography as possible and with Granville’s naturally rolling wooded and hilly terrain, the task was easy.
Tight, sloped fairways lead to firm and fast Bentgrass greens, and the 63 strategically placed sand bunkers will keep you honest.
In 2014, Denison University became the proud owner of the Granville Golf Course when it accepted the course as a gift from the six stockholders of the Granville Golf Course Company. This gave the university ownership of both The Granville Inn and the golf course, just like it was almost a century ago. The decision was made immediately to make it a public golf course.
Like most Ross courses what Denison lacks in length, it makes up for in challenging approach shots and small greens. Ross’s belief that a golf course should take full advantage of natural hazards before creating one is on full display here, with woods and water coming into play on several holes.
Denison Golf Club offers golfers five sets of tees with yardages ranging from 5,157 to 6,559 yards. Par here is 71. The Blue Tees (6,210 yards) provide a good challenge and still let me leave with a little dignity. Choose the yardage that best suits your game, and you’re sure to enjoy this Donald Ross Classic.
Before Denison took over, the golf course had fallen on some hardscrabble times. To keep the course afloat, some of the land was sold to a real estate developer and three of the best holes on Ross’s original layout were replaced with three holes that ran through part of the community.
The only “complete hole” that was part of this land grab was the 16th, considered to be the club’s signature hole. I read somewhere on the Internet that within the next few years, Denison is considering hiring a well-known golf course architect to redesign holes 14-16 and tweak some others.
The last three holes are some of the most memorable golf holes I’ve played in Ohio. The 16th is a 324-yard par 4 that requires accuracy off the tee. Large pine trees frame the narrow landing area of the fairway. Your approach shot is blind and plays uphill into a small, round green that slopes from back to front and is protected by a lone bunker front right. You’ll need pinpoint accuracy to hold the green.
The par 3, 17th hole plays 147 yards into a green tucked away in the hillside. Missing the putting surface to the right is not good because a severe slope will send your ball down the hill and leave you with a tough up and down for par. The green slopes from back to front and can make a shot from the front-right bunker very challenging.
If anyone has ever told you about their favorite hole at the Denison Golf Club, it’s probably No. 18. It is easily the club’s signature hole. As you stand on the tee box, forget about golf and take in all this refreshing view has to offer. You tee off from an elevated tee box downhill to a fairway framed with bunkers on either side of the landing area. From up here, it seems the ball will stay in the air forever.
A well-struck drive that finds the fairway will leave you with a short-iron approach shot into a small well-undulated green with a single bunker back right. Par is a great way to end.
Warmups are not overrated, and Denison has a full-length driving range where you can hit every club in your bag before heading to the first tee. There’s also a practice putting green where you can get an idea of what you can expect on the course.
After your round, stop by the Bistro at Denison Golf Club. It’s a great place to relax with friends and enjoy one of The Bistro’s craft beer selections as you tally your winnings. The Bistro also offers a variety of appetizers, hot sandwiches, and breakfast sandwiches for those early morning rounds.
If you enjoy playing the Denison Golf Club as much as I did, you may want to consider a membership. Denison offers an Unlimited Season Pass that includes cart fees. That’s golf 7 days a week from dusk to dawn.
For more information on the Denison Golf Club or to book your next round, give them a call at (740) 587-GOLF (4653) or visit them online at www.denisongolfclub.com.
