LOCAL GOLF - Dewsweeper Golf Course Review - Springvale

Course: Springvale Golf Course

Location: North Olmsted (Western Cuyahoga County)

Directions: Right off I-480, access from I-71 as well. 30 minutes from Medina, 40 from Akron

Dewsweepers Tee Time Was: 630

Springvale Website

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Springvale is a special place for me and all us Dewsweepers for many reasons.  We all started playing golf on this course.  This was one of the first "big courses" I ever played growing up in nearby Berea. So it was good to finally, after all these years of reviewing courses here to play it and place it here.

Springvale has a long story to tell.  I first played there about 35 years ago. It sits in the trees and ponds near a residential area, but houses do not come into play at all. It is attached to a legendary Dance Hall that has been there for decades.  There is a new clubhouse the past few years, and it is terrific!  It is fun to go out there, and play while you watch the planes make final approach to Hopkins Airport as it is not far away, but it's not distracting and is actually quite nice with a blue sky background.

Springvale a par 70, is not an overly long golf course.  It has a nice mix of sand, trees, water and hazards that make to fun to play, but not hugely difficult. The great thing about this place is that it is really on the comeback trail.  This course fell into terrible conditions a few years ago, as decades of neglect, poor drainage, and bad irrigation finally caught up to it.  But the course has been purchased by the city, and the renovation is on.  Over the past few years, they have done extensive projects on all areas of this course. And now the water gets off the course, and the proper water gets on it.  There has been extensive and smart tree removal and planting where needed, sand traps removed, and added, and even a few holes redesigned. And this place has healed in  - and is green and LUSH.

This course has maybe the prettiest and among the best rolling greens we have played this year.  Not hugely fast, but smooth and true.  There are wonderfully defined fairways, manicured with care.  The rough is perfect, with a superintendent that totally understands his play.  The rough is thick, but not stupid long as he knows that amateurs are going to play here, and ridiculous rough simply slows play down for everyone.  The sand traps were amazingly manicured, raked, and edged to perfection.  The greens are wonderfully sloped, with a great mix of large and small greens to challenge you.  There are also fantastic ornamental trees and shrubs that make the tee boxes very sightly.  In short, Springvale is beautiful.

This week Beef was off as he was out of town, so it was just Joe Red, Tex and myself.  Red got off to a slow start, then found his stride and settled in for a nice stretch, racking up par after par, and a GREAT birdie on #10.   But, a tough finishing 3 holes prevented him from going real low, and fired an 86.  But it could have been much better, and next time it will be.

This is a good course for Tex.   He drove it real well, but he too got off to a slow start before turning it around.  Tex also had three 3-putts, very unusual for him. But overall, he kept the ball in front of him and played with a nice consistency posting a 93. But he too was in position score better, and next time he will.

I played the first 16 holes well, until totally hacking the last two, posting a double on #17 and silly triple on #18, for an 82.  After a solid 39 on the front (even with a stupid double on #9),  I played a disappointing back 43. I did make a 35 footer for birdie on #12 which was fun. But, we were all in position to score better.

Course highlights?  #2, a 400 yard par 4, doggy right to a small green, tree lined all the way right.  #11, as tough a par 5 as you will play. 500 yards doggy left, a 3 shot hole where the approach is over a ton of mush, to a raised and protected by sand traps sloping tiered green.  #13 400 ish doggy right par 4, to a small and tucked green.  #17, tough driving and long par 4, and # 18, a sharp doggy left par 4, blind shot to a green over a huge gorge.  Plus, #1 325 yard par 4 straight ahead.  But, your first shot of the day, is over water. Very rare. And it's also in front of the clubhouse viewers. Challenging start.

It is so good to see this course Phoenix up out of the ashes and be a wonderful place to play again. It certainly is an enjoyable course, with just the right amount of everything for anyone.  If it seems a bit short for you, back up to the blue tee's and this really becomes a much tougher track.  This has been a years long journey back from the dead, to a terrific, beautiful public golf course.  There are still a few large projects going on out there, but they do not affect play, and it's fun to see the good that is being done as you will look forward to seeing the job done for good.

Springvale, finally has made the Dewsweeper Tour, and well deserved.  The Supe and dedicated crew, deserve a ton of credit and respect.  Beautiful golf course.

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