Firestone Country Club: South

About Firestone Country Club: South

You're looking at a genuine piece of golf history here, originally designed by Bert Way in 1929 and later touched up by Robert Trent Jones Sr. This is the quieter sibling to Firestone's famous South Course that hosts the PGA Tour, but don't let that fool you into thinking it's just an afterthought. Way's original routing makes brilliant use of the rolling Akron terrain, creating natural elevation changes that give you honest uphill and downhill lies rather than the manufactured drama you'll find on newer courses. What sets this course apart is its old-school character – you'll find tree-lined fairways that reward accuracy over distance and greens that actually hold approach shots if you hit them properly. The Jones renovations added some strategic bunkering without losing the classic 1920s feel, and the fact that you can walk it makes this a throwback experience in the best possible way. For a public track, the conditioning is surprisingly solid, and you're getting legitimate championship-caliber architecture at a fraction of what you'd pay at the resort courses nearby.

Key Facts