Golf in Wooster

A towering dome dedicated to golf practice looms over The Golf Dome’s multifaceted grounds, serving as the gravitational center of a facility dedicated to recreational golf and baseball practice. Inside the vaulted white roof, golfers stroke drives from one of 34 hitting bays at the indoor, two-tiered driving range, where distance-reading software flashes instant readouts of shot trajectory and the pain inflicted on each practice ball. The dome further facilitates climate-controlled clubbing with a putting and chipping area and Full Swing golf simulators, which allow golfers to play digital recreations of more than 30 of the world’s top courses.

Outside, a scenic, 20-foot waterfall draws players to the 18-hole miniature golf course, where contoured greens run between rocky outcrops, interrupted by water that comes into play on 14 holes. The din of sharply struck line drives echoes throughout the grounds, sonic evidence of the six adjacent batting cages, where players swing at high-arching softballs, baseballs hurled at up to 75 miles per hour, and tiny meteors raining from the sky.

A PGA member since 1986, Chuck Mayhew employs a fundamentals-first teaching methodology, thoroughly familiarizing students with the basics of swing mechanics before moving on to more complicated tweaks. Though certain golf tenets are universal, Mayhew knows that any single teaching method won't work for every player. Some are visual learners, some learn by repetition, and still others can only learn when a cast of singing hand puppets teaches them. Private lessons begin with an assessment of each player's current ball positioning, alignment, and swing posture—key components that must be corrected before beginning any backswing. Mayhew conducts lessons at Four Seasons Golf & Fitness Center, a full-service indoor golf-instruction facility that can stay open despite rain or bunker sandstorms.

Originally sculpted into the landscape in 1958, Green Hills Golf Course winds through 5,933 yards of smoothly rolling terrain bordered by clusters of mature arbors. To compensate for its relatively short length, the 18-hole course catches clubbers off-guard with strategically placed ponds, subtle slopes, and self-destructing yardage markers. Each round takes spiky-shoed golfers gliding around tranquil ponds and past rippling creeks, which add to the course’s shot-impeding obstacles. A nine-hole par 3 executive course stretches out alongside the full-length monolith, beckoning to greenhorns, youngsters, and experienced pin-hunters still seeking their first hole-in-one. A driving range, practice green, and full regimen of golf clinics nurse withering swings back to life, while the onsite restaurant fuels muscles and carnivorous golf carts with all-beef hot dogs and other savory grill fare.

Lined by delicate flowers and blooming copies of The Legend of Bagger Vance, Westerville Mini Golf’s two 18-hole mini-golf courses bob and weave around the 80,000-gallon central pond, challenging golfers with subtle slopes and the distractingly cool mists of two waterfalls. More ferocious ball-striking awaits at the batting cages, where hitters groove line drives off pitches that range from 25 to 80 mph. Driven by a highly reliable two-wheel ball-slinging mechanism, the eight batting cages provide clients with a choice of hitting softballs, baseball, and bocce balls.

A professional golf instructor since 1999, Bobby Steiner augments golfers’ swings and course management skills during private and nine-hole playing lessons. At Little Turtle Golf Club, where Bobby is director of instruction, students can sign up to join a group of up to four players consisting of Mr. Steiner and two other pupils. The troop plays out a nine-hole, three-man scramble while Bobby analyzes and offers advice for each swing, helps formulate short-game strategies, and carefully avoids blocking the suns rays while players sunbath in the bunkers. Each on-course lesson takes approximately two hours to complete, and students should show up early to check in and warm up. During private lessons, players of every skill level receive stroke-shaving instruction on aspects of their full swing and short-game techniques. Though private lessons offer golfers the best opportunity for one-on-one instruction that focuses on improving their unique swing mechanics, people can combine two Groupons to take their lesson together.

After spending years penning a golf instruction column for a number of papers throughout the West and Midwest, Bobby compiled the observations, stories, and people he’d encountered as a teaching professional into a book, titled Munie.

Renowned course architect Pete Dye sculpted Little Turtle Golf Club's 18-hole course from 6,622 yards of Ohio countryside, artfully incorporating the waters of Big Walnut Creek into the par 72 layout. As golfers pass through the course's tree-lined fairways, they can imagine themselves walking in the footsteps and divotsteps of 1992 Masters champion Fred Couples, who holds the Little Turtle course record along with Champions Tour player Rod Spittle, the club's director emeritus of golf. Water hazards come into play on 10 holes throughout the round, often positioned close to greens to make approach shots a daunting task. The club complements its championship course with a practice facility that boasts a full-length driving range and a green with a practice bunker and designated areas for chipping.

Little Turtle Golf Club pairs its par-hunting pursuits with a lively social regimen, which includes holiday events, gatherings for sports fans, and poker nights. The epicenter for all friendly get-togethers, the Grille Room regales guests with a limestone fireplace, a copper bar, and outdoor seating that overlooks the placid waters and amphibious caddies of Lake Turtle.

Course at a Glance:

• Designed by course architect Pete Dye
• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Length of 6,622 yards from the farthest tees
• Course rating of 71.6 from the farthest tees
• Slope rating of 131 from the farthest tees
• Four tee options
• Scorecard