Graduates of The Ohio State University can now further rejoice. Not only do you have a perennial powerhouse in college football, but now you have a remarkable 36 hole golf facility that's been touched by greatness. Two of the game's finest, designer Dr. Alister MacKenize and The OSU's own Jack Nicklaus have joined forces to create an instant classic.
The scorecard may say the courses have been restored by Jack Nicklaus, but I got the sense they've been rejuvenated instead. Big, bold, and if you can't get out in one shot, bombastic bunkering now defines the 7455 yard, par 71 OSU Scarlett Course. The sprawling bunkers however take a back seat to the condition and speed of the putting surfaces. The old adage about putting in your bathtub must have taken shape after a round on The Scarlet Course as the greens register anywhere from 11 to 13 on the Stimpmeter.
I invite you to check out their website at www.ohiostategolfclub.com where you'll be given a detailed tour of the renovations that were completed in 2006. The finest redesigned holes on the property include the par-3 8th - 202 yards over water - and the rollercoaster par-5, 562-yard 12th. The 14th gives you a realistic shot at eagle or birdie if you're willing to go for broke by hitting your second shot uphill to a putting surface guarded by bunkers and a ravine that drops off 40 feet below the green.
The peaceful, parkland setting makes me wonder if I would have ever gone to class had I attended Ohio State. And the level of Buckeye Pride that exudes from the moment you arrive in the parking lot is off the charts. OSU Golf Club's General Manager Marc Lucas sums up living in Buckeye Nation. "We all feel a tremendous amount of pride working at OSU Golf Club because we are representing The Ohio State University, Alister MacKenzie and Jack Nicklaus. Finally, did I mention we get football tickets!" Working at a golf shrine seems like a pretty sweet trade-out from my perspective.
National Championships and championship golf, it's a perfect combination year-round in Columbus, Ohio.
