Course Review #1: Springfield CC @Springfield, OH

Springfield Country Club est. 1922

I want to begin this first course review by acknowledging that this course holds a special place in my heart. For the past four years, I’ve had the privilege of playing here as a member of the Wittenberg Men’s Golf Team, and we are incredibly fortunate to call it home. If you picture a classic Donald Ross design, this course embodies everything you could hope for and more. Springfield Country Club has hosted 6 Ohio Amateur Championships, the 2006 Senior Amateur, and has been a U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying site since 2008.

Stepping onto the first tee, you are greeted by what appears to be a straightforward layout–holes running parallel to each other and only a few trees to separate them. The course plays no more than 6,700 yards from the back tee box, but its main defense is the green complexes. Designed just as Donald Ross intended, these greens can be both mesmerizing and punishing. To paint a picture: I’ve witnessed 15-foot putts turn into 40-yard pitches back to the green on multiple occasions.

The elevation into some of the holes combined with the severely sloped greens is a superintendent’s dream–and a player’s test. The course setup dictates the challenge; pins can be placed in accessible or borderline impossible positions, and depending on green speeds, a routine birdie putt can quickly become a save for bogey. The par-3s require precise tee shots, making sure that you error on the correct side of the green to have any chance of making par. The par-4s allow you to make the decision of how greedy you want to be on each approach shot. And the Par-5s are a great opportunity to make up any ground you have lost.

This is just an example of one of the many extreme putts you can have at Springfield CC.

The staff and members at Springfield Country Club are very generous in allowing our team to play and practice at their course. From observations, the pro staff will never hesitate to assist anybody on the property. Rather than waiting to be asked, they are always the first to reach out and ask, “what can I do for you?“–a hallmark of every great club I have either visited or worked at. Their hospitality extends beyond members and guests, as they have also welcomed events for No Laying Up and was host to a Barstool Classic, which is great to see.

2025 Valspar Championship Recap

Viktor Hovland is back in the winner’s circle! With his first win since the 2023 Tour Championship and after missing his last three cuts, it is good to see the Norwegian competing again. With a 1-stroke victory over Justin Thomas, it was an exciting finish and tough to choose who to root for. This is Hovland’s 7th tour victory and right before the major season. The last time Viktor was winning on tour, the wins came in waves. It will be interesting to see how he does in the coming weeks. Another week on tour, and we are seeing familiar faces on the leaderboard every week, including Jacob Bridgeman, Bud Cauley, Justin Thomas, Lucas Glover, and Billy Horschel. I am excited to see who will continue to play well, and if any of them will contend in the Masters in just a couple of weeks…