Kirtland Country Club

Overview: Kirtland Country Club in Willoughby is a classic C.H. Alison parkland course shaped through rolling ground and mature woodland. The par-70 routing does not depend on one spectacular feature. Instead, it builds its interest through changes of elevation, framed approaches and green complexes that ask the player to understand the ground before choosing a line. The course has the composed, strategic feel associated with Alison's work, with enough movement in the property to make the same club play differently from one hole to the next.

History: Stockholders purchased the property in 1920, and the club was formally inaugurated on July 9, 1921. Alison's 18-hole course came into play in 1922, which is the year used here for the golf course rather than the earlier club milestone. A major course restoration reached completion during 2008, preserving the historic routing while renewing the playing features that define the design.

Did You Know? Kirtland's course history contains two nearby dates that are easy to confuse. The club dates from 1921, but the Alison course followed in 1922. Keeping those milestones separate explains why the present profile uses 1922 for the course year and avoids turning the club's founding milestone into a misleading course-opening claim.