Denison Golf Club

Reviews for Denison Golf Club

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The golf courses reviews are the personal opinions of members of Golfshake who completed a review after playing the course. These opinions do not necessarily represent the views of Golfshake.com

David Theoret rated 4.5 out of 5

Reviewed Sep 17 2024

A Great Donald Ross Course in Central Ohio

Almost 100 years ago, local railroad and coal magnate John Sutphin Jones was looking for something that would be a good compliment to his Granville Inn. He decided that a golf course would make the most sense, so he hired world-renowned Scottish golf course architect Donald Ross to design and build his golf course. The new Granville Golf Course opened for play in 1925 and is still very popular to this day.

The Granville Golf Course – better known these days as Denison Golf Club - has long been recognized as one of the best public courses in the Midwest. Ross stuck to his philosophy of using as much of the land’s natural topography as possible and with Granville’s naturally rolling wooded and hilly terrain, the task was easy. Tight, sloped fairways lead to firm and fast Bentgrass greens, and the 63 strategically placed sand bunkers will keep you honest.

In 2014, Denison University became the proud owner of The Granville Golf Course when it accepted the course as a gift from the six stockholders of The Granville Golf Course Company. This gave the university ownership of both The Granville Inn and the golf course, just like it was almost a century ago! The decision was made immediately to make it a public golf course.

Like most Donald Ross courses, what Denison lacks in length, it makes up for in challenging approach shots and small greens. Ross’s belief that a golf course should take full advantage of natural hazards before creating one is on full display here, with woods and water coming into play on several holes.

Denison Golf Club offers golfers five sets of tees with yardages ranging from 5,157 to 6,559 yards. Par here is 71. The Blue Tees (6,210 yards) with a moderate slope of 132 provided a good challenge and still let me leave with a little dignity. Choose the yardage that best suits your game and you’re sure to enjoy this Donald Ross Classic.

Before Denison took over, the golf course had fallen on some bad financial times. To keep the course afloat, some of the land was sold to a real estate developer and three of the best holes on Ross’s original layout were replaced with three holes that ran through part of the community. The only “complete hole” that was part of this land grab was the 16th, considered to be the club’s signature hole. I read somewhere on the Internet that within the next few years, Denison is considering hiring a well-known golf course architect to redesign holes 14 – 16 and tweak some others.

The last three holes are some of the most memorable golf holes I’ve played in Ohio. Number 16 is a short 324-yard par 4 that requires accuracy off the tee. Large pine trees frame the narrow landing area of the fairway. Your approach shot is blind and plays uphill into a small, round green that slopes from back to front and is protected by a lone bunker front right. You’ll need pinpoint accuracy to hold the green!

The par 3, 17th hole plays 147 yards into a green tucked away in the hillside. Missing the green to the right is not good because the severe slope will send your ball down the hill and leave you with a tough up and down for par. The green slopes from back to front and can make a shot from the front-right bunker very challenging.

If anyone has ever told you about their favorite hole at the Denison Golf Club, it’s probably Number 18. It is easily the club’s signature hole. As you stand on the tee box, forget about golf and take in all this refreshing view has to offer. You tee off from a very elevated tee box downhill to a fairway framed with bunkers on either side of the landing area. From up here, it seems the ball will stay in the air forever. A well-struck drive that finds the fairway will leave you with a short-iron approach shot into a small well-undulated green with a single bunker back right. Par is a great way to end!

Warmups are not overrated, and Denison has a full-length driving range where you can hit every club in your bag before heading to the first tee. There’s also a practice putting green where you can get an idea of what you can expect on the course.

After your round, stop by the Bistro at Denison Golf Club. It’s a great place to relax with friends and enjoy one of The Bistro’s craft beer selections as you tally your winnings. The Bistro also offers a variety of appetizers, hot sandwiches, and breakfast sandwiches for those early morning rounds.

If you enjoy playing the Denison Golf Club as much as I did, you may want to consider a membership. Denison offers an Unlimited Season Pass that includes cart fees for $3,200. That’s golf 7 days a week from dusk to dawn. Denison also offers a 5-day (Mon – Fri) pass, a Twilight Season Pass for those who prefer to play in the late afternoon, and a Junior Season Pass. Other family members can be added to any pass for an additional fee.

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David Theoret rated 4.5 out of 5

Reviewed Sep 16 2024

A Donald Ross Masterpiece in Central Ohio.

Almost 100 years ago, local railroad and coal magnate John Sutphin Jones was looking for something that would be a good compliment to his Granville Inn. He decided that a golf course would make the most sense, so he hired world-renowned Scottish golf course architect Donald Ross to design and build his golf course. The new Granville Golf Course opened for play in 1925 and is still very popular to this day.

The Granville Golf Course – better known these days as Denison Golf Club - has long been recognized as one of the best public courses in the Midwest. Ross stuck to his philosophy of using as much of the land’s natural topography as possible and with Granville’s naturally rolling wooded and hilly terrain, the task was easy. Tight, sloped fairways lead to firm and fast Bentgrass greens, and the 63 strategically placed sand bunkers will keep you honest.

In 2014, Denison University became the proud owner of The Granville Golf Course when it accepted the course as a gift from the six stockholders of The Granville Golf Course Company. This gave the university ownership of both The Granville Inn and the golf course, just like it was almost a century ago! The decision was made immediately to make it a public golf course.

Like most Donald Ross courses, what Denison lacks in length, it makes up for in challenging approach shots and small greens. Ross’s belief that a golf course should take full advantage of natural hazards before creating one is on full display here, with woods and water coming into play on several holes.

Denison Golf Club offers golfers five sets of tees with yardages ranging from 5,157 to 6,559 yards. Par here is 71. The Blue Tees (6,210 yards) with a moderate slope of 132 provided a good challenge and still let me leave with a little dignity. Choose the yardage that best suits your game and you’re sure to enjoy this Donald Ross Classic.

Before Denison took over, the golf course had fallen on some bad financial times. To keep the course afloat, some of the land was sold to a real estate developer and three of the best holes on Ross’s original layout were replaced with three holes that ran through part of the community. The only “complete hole” that was part of this land grab was the 16th, considered to be the club’s signature hole. I read somewhere on the Internet that within the next few years, Denison is considering hiring a well-known golf course architect to redesign holes 14 – 16 and tweak some others.

The last three holes are some of the most memorable golf holes I’ve played in Ohio. Number 16 is a short 324-yard par 4 that requires accuracy off the tee. Large pine trees frame the narrow landing area of the fairway. Your approach shot is blind and plays uphill into a small, round green that slopes from back to front and is protected by a lone bunker front right. You’ll need pinpoint accuracy to hold the green!

The par 3, 17th hole plays 147 yards into a green tucked away in the hillside. Missing the green to the right is not good because the severe slope will send your ball down the hill and leave you with a tough up and down for par. The green slopes from back to front and can make a shot from the front-right bunker very challenging.

If anyone has ever told you about their favorite hole at the Denison Golf Club, it’s probably Number 18. It is easily the club’s signature hole. As you stand on the tee box, forget about golf and take in all this refreshing view has to offer. You tee off from a very elevated tee box downhill to a fairway framed with bunkers on either side of the landing area. From up here, it seems the ball will stay in the air forever. A well-struck drive that finds the fairway will leave you with a short-iron approach shot into a small well-undulated green with a single bunker back right. Par is a great way to end!

Warmups are not overrated, and Denison has a full-length driving range where you can hit every club in your bag before heading to the first tee. There’s also a practice putting green where you can get an idea of what you can expect on the course.

After your round, stop by the Bistro at Denison Golf Club. It’s a great place to relax with friends and enjoy one of The Bistro’s craft beer selections as you tally your winnings. The Bistro also offers a variety of appetizers, hot sandwiches, and breakfast sandwiches for those early morning rounds.

If you enjoy playing the Denison Golf Club as much as I did, you may want to consider a membership. Denison offers an Unlimited Season Pass that includes cart fees for $3,200. That’s golf 7 days a week from dusk to dawn. Denison also offers a 5-day (Mon – Fri) pass, a Twilight Season Pass for those who prefer to play in the late afternoon, and a Junior Season Pass. Other family members can be added to any pass for an additional fee.

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The Golfin' Guy/Crossville rated 4 out of 5

Reviewed Nov 8 2020

A True Donald Ross Masterpiece

Donald Ross is arguably the most prolific golf course designer. Ross emigrated to the United States in 1899 and is credited with designing over 400 golf courses in this country. By all accounts, one of his favorite designs was The Denison Golf Club in Granville, OH. Forty of his courses are in North Carolina with several in the Pinehurst area including the famous Pinehurst #2.

In 1924, local railroad and coal magnate John Sutphin Jones built the Granville Inn and was looking to make the Inn more attractive to guests. Because he wanted the best, he hired Donald Ross to design and build the golf course. Ross stuck to his philosophy that the best golf courses were developed using the natural topography of the land to create a challenging variety of shot angles and rolls. Granville’s naturally rolling and wooded terrain provided a natural canvas on which Ross could create his masterpiece. In 2015 Granville Township purchased the development rights to the land and the Village of Granville acquired the land where the clubhouse and other buildings sit as a means to control any development in that area. In 2016 - 2017, the course underwent a major renovation.

If you’re familiar with Donald Ross courses you know that it’s not the length that will get you, it’s the approach shots and green complexes. Four sets of tees create manageable distances for every level of golfer. This Donald Ross masterpiece plays 6,559 yards from the Black Tees with a course rating of 71.2 and a slope of 130. Move up to the Blue (6,210/66.7/124) or White 5,530/65.8/122) Tees and the course becomes a little friendlier. Ladies typically play from the Red Tees (5,157/69.6/125) while seniors will have a good time from the Gold (5,335/65.8/122) Tees. Yardage and statistics are provided for the Ladies from the White, Gold, and Red tees.

Denison Golf Club is all of that and then some. Sixty- three strategically placed bunkers, elevated and well-undulated greens, and significant elevation changes deliver a challenging and enjoyable round of golf. As a result, the Denison Golf Club has long been noted as one of the best public courses in the Midwest. Four sets of tees allow players of all skill levels the ability to find a suitable yardage.

Before or after your round, the Bistro at Denison Golf Club is a great place to relax and relive your round with a frosty cold beer The Bistro offers a variety of craft beer selections as well as several hot sandwiches, appetizers, and breakfast sandwiches!

Now you have the opportunity to join one of the finest golf courses in the area. Denison Golf Club offers a variety of membership options to suit every golfer’s needs, and all memberships include cart fees. Regular golf memberships (54 years of age and younger)are available for both singles and families as are senior (55+) memberships. Twilight (after 2 PM) and youth memberships are also available.

Memorable Holes: Number 1, Par 4, 312 yards. This short par 4 has a wide fairway and offers a great way to get your round started on a good note. That will leave a short pitch shot into a small, elevated green that is fronted by four bunkers. A couple of them are about 30 yards short of the green so make sure you take enough club to get on the green. The green slopes back to front.

Number 4: Par 3, 130 yards. There’s a big difference between the blue and white tees on this par hole – over 100 yards! There’s quite a bit of trouble too: there’s out of bounds on the left side and behind the elevated green. Push your tee shot too far right and you’ll be on the #5 tee box. Two pot bunkers guard the front of the green. The fairway bunker adds a lot to the looks of the hole but really shouldn’t come into play for anyone.

Number 6: Par 5, 420 yards. This short par 5 is reachable with a good drive. The fairway slopes left to right so a drive down the right side will funnel down to the left, which is the side you want to approach the green from. Once again the green is elevated and guarded by bunkers on either side.

Number 16: Par 4, 305 yards. The 16th hole is far from the longest par 4 on the golf course but it’s one of the prettiest. Majestic pine trees on either side frame a fairway that meanders uphill to a green with a small bunker front right.

Number 18: Par 4, 340 yards: The 18th hole is clearly Denison’s signature hole. The scorecard says that from the White tees, Number 18 plays 340 yards, although since you’re playing downhill from an elevated tee box, it plays shorter. There are fairway bunkers on either side of the landing area to keep you honest off the tee. A good drive will leave a short chip shot into a large green that is crowned in the back and has a ridge running through the middle creating two distinct levels. It can be a tough two-putt if you’re in the back putting to a front pin.

Before your round, warm up on Denison’s full-length driving range where you can hit every club in your bag. There’s also a practice putting green where you can get an idea of what you can expect on the course.

From the White tees, the par 5 holes are reachable in two, setting up some good scoring opportunities. If you’re looking for a golf club that the whole family can enjoy and a place with a friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable staff then you’ve come to the right place! Denison Golf Club is a nostalgic Donald Ross course with a lot of character that can be enjoyed by golfers of all ages and abilities. Even stretched to its limits, the course won’t overpower you. Most of the greens are elevated and are true Donald Ross greens with crowns, false fronts, and fall off areas on several sides. General Manager Todd Bishop and his staff can assist with all of your needs

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The golf courses reviews are the personal opinions of members of Golfshake who completed a review after playing the course. These opinions do not necessarily represent the views of Golfshake.com