Akron/Canton has plenty to offer
Golfers in Cleveland don't need to rush down to Akron or Canton to find plenty of choice golf courses. However, golfers in Akron and Canton don't need to flood Interstate 77 to Cleveland just to enjoy a round of golf. There are many fine and even historic courses in and around both cities to satisfy even the pickiest golfer. Akron's Portage Country Club can provide historic golf, while Canton's The Dales and The Hills at Tam O'Shanter Golf Courses bring a touch of Ireland to Northeast Ohio.
Built in 1894 and designed by architect Joe Langford, Portage Golf Course is one of Ohio's most historic sites and one of the oldest golf courses in the U.S. The bentgrass course is private, but allows non-members to play with guests. Portage is a flat, very traditional course even to the point that it has zero water hazards. Trees dot the fairways and few doglegs make most holes strategically straightforward. A par-71 at 6,246 yards from the back tees, Portage Country Club has been listed by both the USGA and Golf Magazine as being one of the first 100 established clubs in America.
If you are more interested in NFL history, How about a morning on the links followed by an afternoon at the Hall of Fame in Canton. Thanks to two courses at Tam O'Shanter Public Golf Course this can be a reality. Both Tam O'Shanter Courses can provide a little bit of Irish tradition with enough golf to fill a weekend. Both courses, The Dales and The Hills, are par-70 courses with nearly 13,000 total yards between them. The Dales, designed by Leonard Macomber, opened in 1928. Like many Ohio courses, the Dales' and the Hills' fairways were created by the glaciers that covered the area thousands of years ago. The Dales are home to the Ohio Open Championship every year, so the course should be challenging enough for the average golfer.
The Hills opened two years after the Dales and features a classic Donald Ross design. Rolling fairways and undulating greens mean you'll have to bring a good short game to succeed at The Hills. A colonial clubhouse and great restaurant also join the rolling hills and great golf holes.
As golfers know, there is more to Northern Ohio golf than Cleveland. In fact, a good part of it is just a short drive southeast of there.