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- Address39438 Kirtland Rd, Willoughby, OH 44094, USA
Founded in 1920, Kirtland Country Club quickly engaged Harry Colt’s associate, C.H. Alison, to design a new golf course on an attractive, 260-acre property to the north east of Cleveland. Within a year, the architect duly delivered when his new 18-hole layout was unveiled to an expectant membership.
The outward half plays out over a rolling landscape while the inward half is routed along the valley of the Chagrin River. Many of the holes are characterised by severely raised greens and pronounced bunkers, both features forcing golfers to carefully consider their tee shot placement in order to find the best angle of approach.
The modern day course retains most of its original design features, thanks mainly to a sympathetic restoration programme that was carried out by Ron Forse at the end of 2007, when he renewed all of the sand traps, recaptured width on many of the fairways and reclaimed putting surfaces on a number of green surrounds.
The front nine at Kirtland comprise a wonderful circuit of testing golf holes but these are simply overshadowed by a fantastic back nine, where the architect incorporated the flowing waters of the river at every opportunity for maximum strategic effect.
And just when golfers think the exhilarating aspects of the inward half are about to subside, they’re invited to ride the funicular from the 17th green more than 150 feet up to the 18th tee at the home hole – what a wonderful way to end a round of golf.
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Alison studied history, law and divinity at Oxford and represented the university in Varsity matches. In one of these contests he famously pitched onto Woking’s 18th green from the clubhouse verandah roof.
