Ivy Hills

The Ivy Hills Country Club hails from bringing a linksland aesthetic to a former gravel quarry near the Little Miami River. Although the fescue that has been introduced into the rough areas certainly captures the imagination, it’s tough to argue the design of the adventurous Steve Smyers is anything but traditional. The topsy-turvy topography left by the property’s former purpose means that, in many cases, the distance to the green is almost less important than grasping the distance up/down to the green.

The result is an unconventional test of golf that will remind players more of Dye or Fazio than the Scottish designers of olde. Smyers manages to balance the need for strategic design again the exciting portions of the property, however. One popular example is the par five No. 8, which offers the daring a chance to shoot for a leftward fairway extension, which offers a significantly shorter approach to the green...but it also offers the risk of a watery grave.

The round at Ivy Hills will be a literal up-and-down experience for all golfers...and an evenly fun one for most.