Why Firestone is a must for your summer golfing in Ohio

Firestone Country Club is a private golf club in Akron, Ohio – but playing any one of their best-in-state candidate courses is a simple matter of making a booking.

And given some say that Firestoneand their three amazing courses is the best reason to visit Akron, why wouldn’t you?

Quite a few of the best courses to play in Ohio are notoriously difficult to get a round on, but Firestone has no such accessibility worries.

It has hosted the World Golf Championships since 1999, with the exception of 2002, when it was played at Sahalee Country Club. It is a favourite tournament of Tiger Woods, who has won it at Firestone seven times.

Founded as a private park for Firestone Tire and Rubber Company employees, the first golf course was laid out in 1929 by Bert Way.

Today there are three courses, South, North and West (also known as Fazio after designer Tom Fazio).

Here we look at the three courses that make Firestone a worthy addition to a golf holiday or day trip.

The South Course

The South course is the original configuration, which has been modified several times, most notably by Robert Trent Jones in the 1960s.

It is considered an honest challenge of your golfing skills but players who don’t hit the ball great distances might be in for a long day on South.

Well-conditioned if a little bland, South is about the golfing experience and is a great way for the better golfer to introduce themselves to Firestone.

The par 70, 7,400-yard South Course at Firestone includes some of the toughest, most famous and most enjoyable holes in golf.

Narrow, tree-lined fairways and immaculate conditions define the South Course, and groundskeepers work year-round to ensure world-class playability.

Playing South is straightforward and fair. Recovery opportunities are plentiful, water rarely comes into play, and the greens roll true.

North Course

If South is a brief introduction to Firestone, North will get you dialled into your golfing experience.

The engaging Robert Trent Jones Snr layout debuted in 1969 and is considered to be underrated by those who know Firestone well.

North presents a number of interesting water holes, including the 534-yard 7th, running downhill to a picture-perfect waterside green.

The 201-yard 11th, as well as the 545-yard 18th, a grand dogleg right which dares a huge diagonal carry of the tee, are also feature holes.

North Course was meticulously designed and has been beautifully maintained to showcase Firestone’s incredible natural beauty.

Doglegs run in both directions with bunkers bordering rolling fairways. The greens are also large but quick, making it a true shotmaker’s course.

You’ll find a welcome reprieve from the typical golf experience when you play North at Firestone.

West Course (Fazio)

The Tom Fazio design was the most recent addition to the Firestone lineup when it debuted back in 1989.

While North and South are typical parkland courses, Fazio laid out a link-style challenge and then his company updated the design in 2021.

From the scenic, elevated vistas to each strategically designed hole, this course demands accuracy and distance control in an enjoyable but challenging round.

The course is slightly more forgiving for average players but in general Firestone is a great place to get better and drilling them long and straight.

Fazio plays the shortest of the three courses although at 6904 yards from the tips, there is still room to swing.

Why Firestone is a must for your summer golfing in Ohio Golf365.