While present in Akron, Ohio for this week’s WGC – Bridgestone Invitational I visited Maplecrest Golf Club located in Kent, Ohio and only about a 15-minute drive from the Firestone Country Club course.

Maplecrest was built in 1928 and through the years it has undergone many improvement and advancements to the stage it is now rated one of the best public courses in Ohio.

It was a hive of activity late in the afternoon when www.golffile.ie colleague, Eoin Clarke and myself drove into the Maplecrest club car park.

The day had been very hot but the course was still abuzz while the nearby practice range was pretty full and there was a sprinkling of people on the practice putting green.

Eoin and I were warmly greeted on arrival in the clubhouse but with my only downturn being no left-handed hire clubs.

Instead, I happily agreed to accompany Eoin and act as ball spotter.

Eoin was playing ‘army golf’ early on but once he got the hang of the hire clubs he started to hit the ball a little straighter.

At the second hole I took great delight in managing to chip close from the back of the green at the uphill second hole using a right hand wedge back-the-front before Eoin ‘thinned’ his shot through the green.

Though in fairness to Eoin he played a superb tee shot into the 210-yard par three, third hole to find the green.

For a public course that no doubt gets a lot of traffic, the Maplecrest course looked in good condition apart from a tree that had collapsed onto the fourth green doing a lot of damage to the putting surface, and also disturbing a local bee colony that had taken resident in now fallen tree.

Each hole is stately tree-lined so there is a strong emphasis on driving.

A check of the scorecard reveals it plays to a par 71 measuring 6,312 yards off the blue tees, 6,016 off the white tees.  For the ladies, it’s a par 72 layout and measuring 5,285 yards off their red tees.

Water comes into play on the first two holes where there is a stream crossing the fairways.

A feature of the course is the attractive gardens that have been established on each tee while Maplecrest is unique in that is also has it’s own nursery in this regard to help maintain the high standard of plants and shrubs.

Also, each tee is identified by a large painted iron frame as you will notice in some of the photographs.

Time permitted us to walk the first five holes before jumping over to play 17 and 18.  The 17th a great 169-yard par three off the blue or 159-yards off the while and guarded on both sides of the green by bunkers.

The 18th, a par five at 491-yards off the blue and 481-yards off the white, is also ranked 18 on the scorecard.  The drive has to be the rightside of fairway to then give you a better angle into the green.   Unfortunately, the finish is hardly attractive with a wire fence in place behind the green and the backdrop being the car parking area to the local Applebees and Wallmart.

Aside from that, Maplecrest seems a pretty decent challenge and Eoin and myself were pleased to have at least experienced the pleasure of walking a few holes.

Four-time Major champion, Phil Mickelson has visited the club as there is a painted mural of him within the clubhouse he’s autographed.

*  Click on photographs to enlarge.