The Golf Club

The Golf Club is not a search that you’d type into Google and expect to get a meaningful result. The name is vague and we suspect that's just the way they like it. The Golf Club is a course, and naturally a golf club too, which opened at New Albany, close to Columbus in Ohio, in 1967. It’s one of Pete Dye’s earliest and most understated creations, and the course feels mature way beyond its years.

To our knowledge, The Golf Club has never hosted a significant tournament, so very little is widely known about the course. But if you are lucky enough to receive an invite to play The Golf Club, take it immediately but make sure you choose the right tee blocks. Even though this is one of Dye’s earliest designs, it’s still a really tough challenge, so don't spoil the fun by slogging it round off the tips.

The Golf Club is the brainchild of Fred Jones who has effectively created a charming and understated private course. We suspect that The Golf Club does not want any publicity but we passionately believe that if a course is worthy of a Top 100 ranking, it’s a legacy worth sharing. If you've played The Golf Club, we'd love to know what you think.

Tom Doak is certainly an admirer, commenting as follows in The Confidential Guide to Golf Courses. “The original course was the epitome of founder Fred Jones’ directive to “make it look like it’s been there for 200 years,” and a wonderful study in how to create interest on a flattish site by emplying some small, abrupt changes in elevation: the 10th and 13th couldn’t be more flat, but an abrupt two-foot rise makes each a memorable hole.”