Firestone Country Club
If you’re a golf enthusiast, you probably remember Tiger Woods’ famous “Shot in the Dark.”
Even if you’re under 30 years old, and were only 7 years old at the time, there have been enough replays of the 8-iron he hit on the final hole on the South Course of Firestone. It came at 8:25 p.m. on Aug. 27, 2000, as he finished off his opponents to capture the WGC-NEC Invitational.
But if that’s all you know about Firestone Country Club, you’re a little bit in the dark. Because the club, which started in 1929 as a park for the employees of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, is more than the 18th hole and way more than the famous South Course. It’s 54 holes of pure golf with three layouts that are unique, all championship quality, in a setting that rivals some of the finest clubs in America.
And although it’s technically a private club, anyone can play it if they book a stay-and-play package. Combine that with great dining, another nine holes of public golf next door, plus some great attractions in the area, including the Pro Football Hall of Fame in nearby Canton, Ohio, and have a heck of a buddy trip to Akron, Ohio.
Take your shot
Of course, you’ll probably want to try Tiger’s shot on the 18th of the South Course, even if it’s in the daylight. It was 167 yards from the first cut of rough on the right side to a back left pin (there’s a plaque there commemorating the feat). The video doesn’t do the shot justice because the camera aperture sees more light than the human eye. Of course, he didn’t really need to hit it tight to win since he had already had a double-digit lead, but it was still cool to see him nail it to put a bow on everything and avoid a Monday finish. This was the same year, by the way, that Woods started his famous “Tiger Slam,” four consecutive major victories that ended with his 2001 Masters victory.
The tournament history at Firestone, however, goes way beyond those WGC events. It started with the Rubber City Open back in the 1950s. There were three PGA Championships conducted at Firestone, the last one won by Jack Nicklaus in 1975. And the WGC events spanned the better part of five decades with Woods winning eight times. Currently, the Seniors Players Championship is conducted on the South Course, with Steve Stricker winning in 2023.
Firestone Country Club
Firestone’s exceptional golf courses
The South’s nickname is The Monster, which is what Arnold Palmer called the difficult par-5 16th when he triple-bogeyed it in the third round of the PGA Championship. While the 16th is pretty daunting with its length (667 yards), narrow fairway, and troublesome trees, the entire course is pretty much relentless, so the South as a whole became known as The Monster.
Despite its difficulty, like all great courses, avid golfers just want to play it. It’s a 7,400-yard par 70 from the back tees, with three other sets, starting at 5,155 yards. Originally designed by Bert Way and opened in 1929, the course got a major facelift from Robert Trent Jones in 1960 in preparation for the PGA Championship as fifty bunkers, two ponds, and several hundred yards of length were added. Another renovation in 2007 brought the course to its current yardage.
You get a few breaks during the round, but for the most part, the South requires accuracy, an ability to work the ball, and a great short game for success. Some highlights include the par-4 third, one of the sharper doglegs on the course that finishes with a green protected by a pond.
While the 16th with its length and difficulty — there’s a pond that fronts the green — is one of the most difficult on the course, we have to mention the hole before it, the 221-yard par-3 with a tricky bunker on the left that you don’t want to find.
And finally, the 18th is everything you hope for in a finishing hole. It’s narrow and long, and depending where the flag is, you might want to work the ball into the green like Tiger did. Of course, most would be happy with the middle of the green, even if it’s on the third shot.
One of the great aspects of Firestone Country Club (part of ClubCorp, recently rebranded as “Invited,” since 1981), however, is that the other two courses there are no slouches either. In fact many of the members prefer playing the North and the West because they are that good.
The North, with its many doglegs and water features, is considered the most scenic of the three. Also designed by Jones, it opened in 1969, and is nearly 7,200 yards from the tips. The finish is most memorable, with a peninsula green on the par-3 17th, and two carries over water on the par-5 18th.
The West, now known as the Fazio Course, first opened in 1969 and was designed by Geoffrey Cornish and Brian Silva. In 2002, Tom Fazio did the redesign and improved the course with better bunkering and greens. It’s a par-70 that plays a little more than 6,900 yards from the tips, with great variety. In short, anyone who books a package to Firestone should play all three courses because each has a unique vibe. The one thing all three have in common, though, is incredible conditioning, including perfect greens and fairways. The rough is more difficult on the South, but that’s to be expected since it’s a tour course.
It’s also worth mentioning that there’s a public nine-hole course that anyone can play as well as a BigShots facility right next to the North Course.
The Raymond C. Firestone Course is ideal for a warm-up round and takes less than two hours to play. Plus, the green fee is nominal. It’s right next to BigShots, which is a smaller and perhaps more manageable version of Topgolf. The range uses different technology than Topgolf and offers a wide variety of target games as well as terrific food and drinks. It’s definitely worth the visit for anyone staying at Firestone.
Firestone Country Club
So much more than golf
So let’s talk about the stay part of the experience at Firestone. There are basically two options and they are both superb.
One is to stay in one of the golf villas offered at the property. The rooms are spacious and comfortable, and each villa offers a common area that has a large TV, pool table, kitchen and even a poker table.
The other option is to stay in the clubhouse rooms, which sit on the second floor of Firestone’s magnificent clubhouse. Each room is named for a former champion, and features memorabilia from that player throughout the room. The rooms are also adjacent to the men’s locker room (there’s also a women’s locker room, of course), and guests who stay in the clubhouse have access to the locker room and its amenities, including a full bar, as well as a new fitness room that was recently added. There’s also a fun putting course near the clubhouse, and it’s lit, so you can play it anytime, even in the middle of the night.
Those who stay in the clubhouse really do get a feel for what it’s like to be a member, which brings us to another point: Firestone offers some very reasonable non-resident membership plans. New members often come from the groups that book stay-and-play packages.
Firestone Country Club
Dining and other extras
Consistent with the rest of the experience at Firestone, dining is top notch. Led by the La Vetta Italian Chophouse, there are three restaurant options. The most popular is the 1929 Grille and Legacy Pavilion, which offers a variety of sandwiches, salads, and entrees in both outdoor and indoor settings. They also have some really good cocktail and craft beer offerings, including the outstanding Water Tower IPA, which is brewed for Firestone at nearby Missing Mountain Brewery. At both of these venues, you’ll want to sample the club’s famous Crunchy Cream Pie, which Nicklaus supposedly loved so much that he once sent a private jet to pick them up for him and his guests back home.
There’s also the 55th Hole Bar, which sits above the ninth green of the South Course, a perfect vantage point to watch players close out the outward nine. And this is also where you might run into a local legend named “Fuzz,” who runs things up there at the 55th Hole. (You’ll want to get on his good side, but don’t try too hard.)
And finally, out on the course, there’s the 7/12 Grille, which offers burgerdogs. It seems Firestone General Manager Jay Walkingshaw brought those over from The Olympic Club, where he used to work. And just like Olympic Club, they are delicious and will refuel you in your quest to conquer a difficult course.