Early Look at Scioto Country Club

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The U.S. Senior Open is next week at Scioto Country Club in Upper Arlington, Ohio.  Scioto was designed by Donald Ross in 1916.  It is a better course than Baltusrol (Lower Course).  This now makes 2 Major Championships in-a-row that the PGA Senior Tour has played on a better course than the PGA Tour (Carnoustie [Championship Course] is a better course than Royal Troon, and Scioto is a better course than Baltusrol [Lower Course]).

Scioto is a well known for 3 reasons.  One of Scioto's Co-Founders was Samuel P. Bush, the paternal grandfather of President George H. W. Bush (and great-grandfather of President George W. Bush).  Secondly, Scioto is one of only four courses in the United States to host the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship, the Ryder Cup, and the U.S. Amateur.  It hosted the 1926 U.S. Open won by Bobby Jones, the 1931 Ryder Cup won by the U.S., the 1950 PGA Championship won by Chandler Harper, and the 1968 U.S. Amateur won by Bruce Fleisher.  Thirdly, Scioto is where Jack Nicklaus learned the game, and honed his game under the eye of legendary teaching professional, Jack Grout.  Just that 3rd aspect alone means that Scioto Country Club is one of the most historically significant places in the history of golf.

In Donald Ross' extensive portfolio of courses he designed, Scioto could very well be one of the 4 best courses Ross designed.  It is not quite as good as his Seminole course in Florida, his course at French Lick, Indiana, or his Essex County course in Massachusetts, but Scioto is better than his Pinehurst No. 2 course and his Oak Hill (East Course) course.  Pinehurst No. 2 has garbage domed greens that are not Ross' greens, but irrespective of the greens aspect Ross' routing at Scioto is a better routing than his routing at Pinehurst No. 2.

Donald Ross did a very good job regarding his Scioto design.  It is a very good Ross strategic routing, and it demands shot making.  About all of Ross' work that is left at Scioto is his routing.

Scioto underwent a renovation by Dick Wilson in the early 1960s.  Wilson is known for his Cog Hill #4 co-design, his Bay Hill design (course owned by Arnold Palmer), and his Doral (Blue Course) design (course owned by Don Trump).  During the Wilson renovation, Ross' greens were changed.  Also, the second half of the 8th hole was changed during the Wilson renovation, which is ironic considering that it is now regarded as the signature hole at Scioto.  Additionally during the Wilson redesign, bunker schemes were altered and the greens were raised.

From what I have read, Jack Nicklaus was never that enamored with the Dick Wilson redesign of the 1960s.  Nicklaus particularly did not like the post Wilson renovation green at Hole 8, as explained by the following story in an article.

"It's been a picturesque hole for us for many years," course superintendent Mark Yoder said.

Its beauty, though, was not in the eye of the beholder one day last spring as Jack Nicklaus walked toward a members committee on No. 8 and said, "Well, what do you guys think of this green?"

"The members said, 'We love it,' " said Mike Hurdzan, a local golf course architect who also was there that day. "They said, 'This is our favorite green. It doesn't get any better than this. This is our signature hole.'

"And Jack said, 'Well, I think it's just awful,' " Hurdzan said with a smile, "and I'm saying to myself, 'Oh, my God, this is really going to get fun.'

"Jack said, 'What makes you think this is such a good hole?' Now, all of a sudden, he's (challenging) these members to try to explain to Mr. Jack Nicklaus, winner of 18 majors, why this is such a good golf green? And all of a sudden people are looking at it and saying, 'Well, maybe it isn't so good.' "

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/sports/2008/04/29/scioto_cc_renovation.ART_ART_04-29-08_C1_MLA2CAK.html

In 2008, Nicklaus and Dr. Michael Hurdzan did a renovation at Scioto.  Eleven greens were changed, with many of the changes involving increasing the areas where pins could be placed.  Hole 8's green and Hole 10's green were enlarged to bring water into play.  Also, all of the greens were rebuilt to USGA specifications for drainage.  Additionally during the Nicklaus and Hurdzan renovation, tees were rebuilt and moved back which increased the yardage to more than 7,000 yards.

Here is the Scorecard of Scioto, with the yardage being from the back Championship tees.  A picture of the hole and a description of the hole is in the direct link.

Hole 1   Par 4   434 yards

http://www.sciotocc.com/course-tour#&panel1-2

Hole 2   Par 4   460 yards

http://www.sciotocc.com/course-tour#&panel1-3

Hole 3   Par 4   384 yards

http://www.sciotocc.com/course-tour#&panel1-4

Hole 4   Par 3   200 yards

http://www.sciotocc.com/course-tour#&panel1-5

Hole 5   Par 4   452 yards

http://www.sciotocc.com/course-tour#&panel1-6

Hole 6   Par 5   560 yards

http://www.sciotocc.com/course-tour#&panel1-7

Hole 7   Par 4   378 yards

http://www.sciotocc.com/course-tour#&panel1-8

Hole 8   Par 4   502 yards

http://www.sciotocc.com/course-tour#&panel1-9

Hole 9   Par 3   162 yards

http://www.sciotocc.com/course-tour#&panel1-10

Out   Par 35   3,532 yards

Hole 10   Par 4   424 Yards

http://www.sciotocc.com/course-tour#&panel1-11

Hole 11   Par 4   362 yards

http://www.sciotocc.com/course-tour#&panel1-12

Hole 12   Par 5   550 yards

http://www.sciotocc.com/course-tour#&panel1-13

Hole 13   Par 4   471 yards

http://www.sciotocc.com/course-tour#&panel1-14

Hole 14   Par 3   250 yards

http://www.sciotocc.com/course-tour#&panel1-15

Hole 15   Par 4   447 yards

http://www.sciotocc.com/course-tour#&panel1-16

Hole 16   Par 4   426 yards

http://www.sciotocc.com/course-tour#&panel1-17

Hole 17   Par 3   202 yards

http://www.sciotocc.com/course-tour#&panel1-18

Hole 18   Par 4   476 yards

http://www.sciotocc.com/course-tour#&panel1-19

In   Par 35   3,608 yards

Total   Par 70   7,140 yards

Course Rating   75.4    Slope Rating   140

Here is a course photo gallery with 15 photos from the USGA's Web site.  After it loads, can click on a forward or back arrow.  Below each photo is a description.

http://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/galleries/2016-u-s--senior-open-course-tour.html

Scioto has some strong Par 4 holes (Holes 2, 5, 8, 13, and 18).  Scioto's Hole 2 is regarded as being one of the best Hole #2s in the United States.

It has a good design variety, with 3 Par 4 holes being sub 400 yards (Holes 3, 7, and 11).  It actually has a better design variety than Augusta National, which has only 1 sub 400 yard Par 4 hole.

One of Scioto's Par 5 holes, Hole 12, is a true 3 shot hole.  The other Par 5 hole, Hole 6, provides a Birdie opportunity.

Perhaps the best attribute of Scioto are the Par 3 holes.  It is an outstanding set of Par 3 holes.  They may be the best set of Par 3 holes played in all of professional tournament golf in 2016.

All-in-all, Scioto is a very balanced course.  It should provide for enjoyable viewing on T.V., and be better viewing than Oakmont, Royal Troon, and Baltusrol (Lower Course).  It will also be neat to see the course where Jack Nicklaus learned and honed his game.  Scioto definitely prepared Nicklaus for the courses he would face later.  I wouldn't be surprised if Nicklaus feels Scioto is the best course he has ever played.