I'm a pretty tough critic on courses usually. There are a few key features that I expect and -- you know what - this course hits almost every one of them. Namely, in this case, we're talking natural beauty, varied shots with memorable holes and a good set of amenities.

I start pretty much every review with the natural features and that's one of the places that this course stands out. You start off in a pretty little valley and you play through plenty of Ohio woodland along the way. They also took full advantage of the shoreline of the lake. Unlike many courses of this sort that only get close enough to the water once or twice, this course touches the lake many times, including a walk out onto a beach. At every turn I found myself stopping to look around and catch an osprey fishing or a black squirrel or nice flowers. There could be no course here and I'd enjoy the park.

The course was a lot of fun to play. Much like I mentioned with the natural side, I keep finding myself saying "well this is the best hole" and then there would be one better. About a third of the course play in the same valley woodland. You'll definitely challenge your tight game with those shots as you have to get shape on long drives to have any chance of scoring well. The back nine is where it really shines. The postcard hole everyone remembers is a fun downhill drill to a green that features an elevated basket on a lighthouse looking structure. There are two holes where the lake plays a predominant feature, asking you to risk the hero shot for birdie or take the "long way" and most have challenge hitting par. Both are really nicely designed holes that give a legit chance at the hero route, while also giving you a cowards path. One of my favorite holes made use of the marshy lagoons coming in from the lake. It's a long anhyzer drive up and over two ridgelines to an amazing green that sits on a another ridge with OB swampland between all that. Another hole has a cool little island green that sits in the roundabout of a driveway.

There are two sets of concrete tees, marked Blue and Red. I liked that on several holes that tees weren't just rectangular but shaped to give line options. There are two permanent baskets on each hole with the long baskets pretty clearly marked. There were garbage cans all over the place, a vault toilet available and picnic tables.

There really are not many to pick apart here. I have played some elite courses and there are just a few things keeping this from being one of them. While I think the vast majority of this course was well designed and fair, a few holes felt too tight for my liking. I'm all for asking for accuracy, but on a hole like 14, for example, the coward route is already going to take a few well placed shots to have any chance, then the fairway is just littered with trees on top of it. In a few places, the greens felt inaccessible from all but the perfect drive placement though I'm sure locals know some lines.

It was nice that there was garbage cans all over the place, but they were all full to the point of overflowing. There was noticeable garbage laying in other places of the course as well, but that is most likely due to course traffic.

There is no running water anywhere near the course.

This is honestly worth a drive. Pack a lunch. There's plenty of beauty in this park to make an afternoon of it.

Beautiful wooded course with water surrounding and coming into play on 7 holes. Lots of elevation changes. Test your shotmaking ability.

Very challenging, nice elevation changes, in a really nice park and is secluded from the rest of the park. Just a well designed course. Won't be surprised when this course starts hosting tournaments of a larger scale.

Hole 16 really needs a concrete tee - a minor complaint.

After playing here for a second time, I've come to realize that this is one of the nicest and most challenging courses around here. It's the first time I've ever said to myself; "I'll just lay it up for a 5"! Newer course, a lot more clearing has been done since the first time I played here. I'll probably make this the course I play at the most from now on.