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| - Golf Ohio - Play British Open Champion Ben Curtis’ Home Course |
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Ohioan Ben Curtis made history with on of the most improbable and magical wins in golf history. Curtis, the PGA Tour rookie in only his 16th tour start, surprised his more seasoned competitors by finishing one under par and winning the British Open at Royal St. George’s. Curtis is believed to be the first player since Francis Ouimet at the 1913 U.S. Open to win the first major he ever played in. |
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| Ben mastered golf right here in Ohio at Mill Creek Golf Club, the beautiful public course his grandfather carved out of the family farm. Today, Ben’s mom, Janice, still collects the greens fees and his dad, Bob, is the course superintendent. Although his grandfather passed away earlier this year, Ben’s 80-year-old grandmother still works at the course along with his aunts, uncles and cousins. Mill Creek is a true, old-fashioned family-owned golf course and the owners take great pride in their reputation as the “friendliest club in town” Mill Creek is the kind of course where people tell you which holes to look out for and then ask how you played with genuine interest. Throughout the 6,300-yard course watered fairways are beautifully tree-lined while well-positioned lakes and ponds test the golfer on six of eighteen holes. The size of the course makes it attractive to seniors, women and juniors, but the hard and fast greens and the tight fairways offer problems for even the most ambitious amateur golfer. Mill Creek is known for its tricky holes. The par 5 12th hole jogs sharply left around a water hazard about 250 yards from the tee, and the fairway turns left at a 90 degree angle cleverly sloping toward a cluster of trees. After finishing the 12th, the 13th hole looks like a breeze. The green is wide open and the pins look much closer than you thought they were. Ben’s grandfather wanted you to think that. He was sly. A water hazard hidden from sight surrounds the green on three sides and out of bounds markers for the driving range restricts the space on the right side of the green. The 17th hole presents another challenge, it is just 160 yards from the white tees, but your tee shot must travel over or through a tunnel of trees for the first 100 yards. The shot is uphill, and the green is elevated above the fairway with a slope from front to back. After playing a round on this course, you will see how this “club in the country” produced the British Open champion. To learn more about Mill Creek Golf Club visit www.visitdelohio.com. Discover golf in Ohio. Ohio is home to the Jack Nicklaus Museum and eight of the country’s greatest golf courses and six of the country’s best public courses according to Golf Digest magazine. |
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(04/01/2006 ) |
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