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Some of my favorite golf courses are in Ohio, specifically in Cleveland. While Cleveland probably isn’t what comes to mind when you think of a golf destination, northeast Ohio is home to more than 250 golf courses. In fact, the greater Cleveland area has one of the highest numbers of golf holes per capita in the country.
This is all the more incredible considering that it snows for 6 months out of the year. Even better, Midwest golf tends to be about half the cost of golf in California, Florida or the East coast.
If you do manage to make it to Cleveland during the spring or summer, pack your clubs! Most of the courses on our list are private, so you’ll need to be a guest of a member to play, but a few public courses made the list as well.
Cleveland’s Best Golf Courses
1. Mayfield Country Club (Private)
The top course on our list is Mayfield Country Club in Lyndhurst, OH. The course opened in 1911 and was built by its first professional, W.H. “Bert” Way, who also designed the south Firestone course.
This is an “old school” golf course- the kind that is built within the natural landscape and where strategy trumps distance. The approach to the hole, not the length of your drive is more important on classic courses.
As for natural landscape, Mayfield has rolling terrain, lots of trees and 2 natural streams. The course is always in top condition and the greens are fast. They are also small, surrounded by bunkers and rarely flat.
Par is 71 and there are 5 par three holes. The course is far from easy though, due to the varying terrain and bunker placement.
2. Elyria Country Club (Private)
Elyria Country Club comes in second on our list of Cleveland’s best golf courses. although it was difficult to choose between Mayfield and Elyria Country Club for the top spot.
Elyria was founded by two executives of the Worthington Ball Company (as in golf balls) to help promote their business. They acquired the patent for the first 3-piece wound rubber ball, which transformed the game in the early 20th century.
The course was only 9 holes until the club acquired 161 additional acres and contracted renowned golf course architect William Flynn to build an additional 18 holes. The first foursome teed off in 1926, using gold plated golf balls from the Worthington Ball Company.
The company would go on to become the largest manufacturer of golf balls in the world. But back to the course, it is another classic golf course design, with tree lined fairways and water hazards on half the holes. After nearly a hundred years, golfers still find the course challenging.
3. Kirtland Country Club (Private)
Next on the list of Cleveland’s best golf courses is Kirtland Country Club, located north east of Cleveland. The course follows the Chagrin River Valley and is one of the most beautiful courses on the list.
It was ranked as the 10th best course in Ohio by Golf Digest in 2011 and has also been noted as one of the Top 100 Classical golf courses in the US. Recent restorations and upgrades have ensured the course will remain challenging and enjoyable for all skill levels.
4. Shaker Heights Country Club (Private)
Shaker Heights Country Club is one of the first Donald Ross courses to make the list. Shaker is recognized as one of the best golf courses in the state of Ohio. The course features a classic Donald Ross layout where golfers will have to use every club in their bag.
The course is tight with difficult to read greens. Number 8 is the toughest hole on the course, a 448-yard par 4 and the longest hole is # 14, a 539-yard par 5.
The club used to host the Women’s World Golf Championship in the early 1980’s. Joanne Carner, who won the championship twice, called the course, “the toughest, and maybe the best, on the LPGA Tour. If you get the chance to play, Shaker Heights is a truly memorable course.
5. Fowler’s Mills Golf Course (Public)
The first public course on our list of Cleveland’s best golf courses is Fowler’s Mills Golf Course. This Pete Dye course is in a beautiful setting in Chesterland, Oh.
It began as a company course for executives but was sold and became a public course in 1986. This masterpiece by Dye will test your game through 27 holes.
The Chagrin River splits the fairways on #9 and #12 and the greens are fast and true. Golfweek ranked it as the best public course in Ohio in 2016 and 2017 and it’s considered the 8th best Pete Dye course in the country.
6. Lakewood Country Club (Private)
The 18-hole Lakewood Country Club in Westlake, OH is a private golf course that opened in 1921. The course is an A.W. Tillinghast masterpiece and is the only course in Ohio designed by the famous architect.
Not far from Westlake, Lakewood Country Club offers terrific views and challenging play for golfers at every skill level. Well-groomed fairways and greens keep Lakewood Country Club difficult yet friendly, and the staff can offer tips and tricks for playing your best round.
Lakewood Country Club is a terrific choice for your regular rounds of golf or a new destination for you and friends when visiting Westlake.
7. The Country Club (Private)
The Country Club in Pepper Pike was originally founded by wealthy Clevelanders in the late 19th century as a country retreat. The golf course came later and was designed by William Flynn.
Flynn made ingenious use of the natural rolling terrain and the creek that meanders through the property. Among the more memorable holes are number 9, which encompasses the creek, number 15 with its terraced fairway and the roller coaster-like 17th fairway.
8. Manakiki Golf Course (Public)
Manakiki Golf Course in Willoughby is a formerly private club that was opened for public play in the 1960’s. The course is a classic Donald Ross design and features a variety of challenging holes with dog-legs, water hazards, back to back par fives, canyon holes and long, tight fairways.
The eighth hole was once considered the most difficult par 4 hole on the Carling Tour when Manakiki was a tour stop in the 50’s. Hole# 15 has been selected as one of Cleveland’s best par 3 holes and the #10 and 18 canyon holes are among the finest start and finish 9 holes in the country.
9. Sand Ridge Golf Course (Private)
Sand Ridge Golf Course in Chardon is the first course in Ohio designed by Tom Fazio. The western foothills of the Appalachian Mountains provide rolling terrain, elevation changes, wetlands and fairways lined by mature hardwoods.
The property contains headwaters from the Chagrin and Cuyahoga Rivers and has been designated as an Audubon Society wildlife sanctuary. The back tees are challenging for low handicappers and the forward tees can make the course more playable for higher handicappers.
Tom Fazio designed the course to be walked and as such, Sand Ridge has one the area’s best caddie programs. A caddie can transform your game by helping you navigate the course, keeping your clubs clean, watching the path of your drive and repairing divots and ball marks; all of which allow you to focus on your next shot.
If you’ve never played with a caddie before, Sand Ridge is the perfect place to start so make friends with a member and convince them to invite you to play.
10. Sleepy Hollow Golf Course (Public)
Sleepy Hollow Golf Course is number 10 on our list of Cleveland’s best golf courses. Sleepy Hollow is part of the Cleveland Metroparks. It was named one of the top five courses in Ohio by Golfweek and frequently hosts qualifying events for USGA championships.
The course was designed by Stanley Thompson, a member of the Royal Canadian Golf Hall of Fame, in a classic “out and in” layout. The first few holes on each nine play downhill and with the wind so they seem shorter, while the latter holes play uphill and against the wind and feel surprisingly long.
Sleepy Hollow is both beautiful and challenging, making it a must play when you are in northeastern Ohio.
Well, as you can see from this list, the greater Cleveland area boasts some of the best golf courses in the country. So, plan a trip to play some of these masterpieces, but remember to check the weather first. In nice weather, Cleveland is an incredible place to play golf!