Golf trip to Cincinnati, Ohio, a real eye-opener

NORTH BEND, Ohio – There were moments today at Deer Run Country Club and Aston Oaks Golf Club when I swore I was in Gaylord or Harbor Springs in northern Michigan.

The hills and rolls of the Ohio Valley reminded me so much of the glorious glacier-cut terrain of northern Michigan. I’m quickly learning just how good the public golf scene is in the home of the Reds and the Bengals.

This most recent trip into Ohio (I was in Columbus three weeks ago) is bringing back memories from my days as a sportswriter. More than a decade ago, I covered a high-profile prep football showcase at the Bengals’ Paul Brown Stadium. Don’t tell my old boss, but I snuck out to play Shaker Run, a 27-hole course considered one of the gold standards of golf in greater Cincinnati. I’m scheduled to see Shaker Run again on Thursday as the grand finale of this serious golf bender I’m on.

I’m already 54 holes in with much more to see. I played Beavercreek Golf Club near Dayton on the drive down from Michigan. Aston Oaks, today’s highlight (see photo above), is a strong, tough Jack Nicklaus design spread across 238 acres of forest, hills and wetland northwest of the city. Next on the tee are a Greg Norman design (Elks Run Golf Club) and a former host of a Champions Tour event (the Grizzly course at King’s Island), along with Legendary Run Golf Club and Crooked Tree. All are bookable here and at GolfNow.com.

The weather feels like Ohio in August not April. It’s supposed to be in the 80s the rest of the week, although a severe storm hovers over me tonight. Thankfully, I’m staying in Middletown, north of Cincinnati in Warren County, at a comfy Drury Inn & Suites, where free wifi, breakfast, happy hour and dinner appetizers are great perks for any road warrior. I’m starting to feel at home, like I should stay awhile.