Bold talk, devilish greens

The phrase "You cannot be serious" has become ingrained in Oldgolfdawg's mind lately after repeated exposures to the television commercial in which tennis great John McEnroe complains to a rental car company employee about its "Choose any car" policy.

Every time Oldgolfdawg views the commercial it makes him think of Deer Ridge Golf Club in Bellville, Ohio, about halfway between Columbus and Cleveland. The "You cannot be serious" phrase captures a reaction he often had after stroking an ill-fated putt on its lightning-fast and severely sloped greens.

Oldgolfdawg had driven by Deer Ridge probably a hundred times while making frequent visits to his old stomping grounds in the Stow-Kent area north of Akron. But he didn't realize what a gem of a course was located just off an exit of I-71 until last summer when a gathering there of old high school friends taking part in the annual Gula/McClintick Classic opened his eyes.

The course, designed by Brian Huntley and opened in 1998, isn't long, but its large undulating greens make up for whatever it lacks in distance. Along the way are breathtaking views and scenic vistas on a well-maintained course with many tree-lined fairways and several holes with extreme elevation changes.

The seventh hole, a 156-yard par 3 from the blue tees, is the fifth member of Oldgolfdawg's Elegant Eighteen. The golfer can't see the green when teeing off because it is nestled on top of a hill about 70 feet in elevation above the tee box. The green is large and sloped from back to front. If the pin is located near the front of the green and your tee shot ends up above the hole, you better start praying. If you're on the green and below the hole, you have a chance to escape with a par. But the hole only rewards those with a brave heart and a steely putting stroke.

Oldgolfdawg often gauges the difficulty of a course by the comments made by playing partners during or after a round. So Oldgolfdawg took note when Billy "Bear" Carlyon, a longtime friend and golfing rival, suggested he was going to rip Deer Ridge a new one the next time he played it after a round last October. Billy Bear, as Oldgolfdawg calls him, plays to about a 3 or 4 handicap and he was running a little hot under the collar after shooting an 84. At the Gula/McClintick gathering in August, Bear had posted a field-leading 77 and perhaps entered a return engagement with The Ridge with a false sense of security.

Anyway, after hearing Billy Bear's boast, Oldgolfdawg couldn't help but try to temper the situation by quoting Ned Pepper of True Grit fame and saying, "I call that bold talk for a one-eye fat man."

Only time will tell if Billy Bear will get his revenge. All Oldgolfdawg knows is that Deer Ridge is the kind of course where the phrase "You cannot be serious" runs off the of lips of even the best golfers.











http://www.deerridgegc.com/