Wedgewood Golf & Country Club

Robert Trent Jones II has only completed two Ohio courses among his vast resume, and both were laid out in the suburbs of Columbus at around the same time. Wedgewood Country Club reasonably faced pressure, as it lies near Dublin—a heavily golf-laden community that hails as the homeland of Jack Nicklaus, as well as hosting The Memorial Tournament every year at Muirfield Village.

If there was pressure to create a noticeable gem, Jones did not wilt underneath the spotlight. The course plays a hair under 7,000 yards but is designed for competition: The 2018 Ohio Amateur Championship host features additional tees on multiple holes, designed for stiffer competitions.

The majority of the par fives are designed as risk-reward affairs, either featuring a crossing mid-fairway to challenge distance from the tee, or a pond near the green...demanding accuracy as well as length from those who want an eagle putt. The final hole, a true three-shotter, doubles down on its defenses: The pond that is present greenside right at No. 9 also covers the second half of this par five along the left, and an additional pond makes the final 130 yards a tunnel to the green.