August 10, 2013

LEBANON, OH — The once crown jewel of the greater Cincinnati public scene is Shaker Run Golf Club, a championship 27-hole complex about a 45 minute drive from the home of the Bengals and Reds in a quaint farming town just off of Interstate 75.

Shaker Run, which bankrupted several years ago and recently purchased by two brothers, was gladly added to the 2014 Carl Spackler Open venue list. The course is located  north of the Cincinnati, south of Dayton, and between Interstates 71 and 75 in southwestern Ohio.

"Shaker Run was once considered impossible to host a Carl Spackler Open," says Greg Long, Chairman of the Captains Club. "The course was considered one of the strongest ever played, but also had higher rates and heavy foot traffic. The bankruptcy, preceding conditions, and poor management had succeeded in running off every golfer within 100 miles. A perfect situation for a Carl Spackler Open with new ownership and good conditions."

For three decades, Shaker Run Golf Club reigned as king over the Cincinnati golf scene and was considered tops in Ohio when it was good enough to host the USGA Public Links Championship.

New owners Steve and Ted Lambert, a father-son duo of PGA professionals, began managing the club in April 2011, bought it last winter, and plan for a return to glory.

"For 15 years, I considered this the best in Cincinnati, layout-wise," said Greg Long. "There are six or seven picturesque holes on this course."

Arthur Hills designed the original 18 holes in 1979. Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry added a Meadows nine in 2000. The original 18 is a classic shot-maker's delight. Players who aren't in position off the tee will likely have to go over, under or around a tree to reach the green.

"Position is everything out here," Shaker Run Assistant Professional Tyler Geswein said.

Geswein calls the par-4 ninth hole on the Lakeside nine the best hole he's ever played, but the fourth hole on the Lakeside nine and No. 8 and No. 9 on the Woodlands nine are just as beautiful.

Surrounded by flat farmland and cornfields, Shaker Run features rolling hills and wondrous elevation changes that one wouldn't expect from the Ohio terrain. Players love the challenge.

The Woodlands starts off with a dynamite 557-yard par 5. After driving from an elevated tee to a generous landing area, the fairway climbs uphill, making it a three-shot hole.

The third hole, a 420-yard par 4, is a great golf hole, but the club needs to put a sign at the tee area, warning players what lies ahead. At about the 150-yard mark, the fairway plummets at least 100 feet to reveal the green, guarded in front by a small creek and a retaining wall. Long tee shots can get caught up in the rough on the side of the downhill, forcing a near-impossible approach shot.

The 203-yard par-3 fifth is another Hills' masterpiece. The skinny green sits nearly 120 feet below the tees, giving players the impression the hole plays shorter than it really does. Don't be too short, though, another creek and retaining wall lie in front.

After several tight, tree-lined tests, No. 9 opens up with an incredible, and intimidating, view. This 435-yard par 4 requires a 170-yard carry over a pond to a skinny fairway with the clubhouse in the background.

If players are fortunate enough to find dry land off the tee, their approach shot must carry the pond again to reach the green. This hole is just a warm-up to the appropriately-named "Lakeside" nine.

The second Lakeside hole is a downhill, 165-yard par 3 over another pond. If players go long, a bunker in back will make your second shot back toward the water just as unnerving as the tee shot.

One would think the second-shortest par 4 on the course wouldn't be one of its highest handicap holes, but that's exactly what No. 3 is. It plays just 383 yards from the tips, but placing an uphill tee shot between three fairway bunkers is always tough. More greenside bunkers also require accurate irons.

The finishing holes are fantastic. The lake comes into play behind the greens at No. 7 (424-yard par 4) and No. 8 (499-yard par 5). The fairway on No. 8 snakes along back and forth until dropping downhill to the green, which is tucked behind a mound and a tree, not to mention several bunkers.

No. 9 is a test of your power. The more water you can carry off the tee, the closer you can get to the hole of this 420-yard par 4. The water stays in play up the entire left side until the hole.

"We are very excited about the potential with Shaker Run Golf Club," says Greg Long, Chairman of the Captains Club. "There are a ton of items to verify including lodging, course conditions, and prices. Availability for May 14-17 is not one of them.

The Captains Club continues to create a list of possible venues for the 2014 Major Championship. An announcement on 2014 venue is scheduled to be released on November 1, 2013. Shaker Run Golf Club joins Sevierville Golf Club in TN, Old Silo Golf Club in KY, and The Golf Club at Chapel Ridge in NC as potential sites.