Fowler Mill's Golf Course, Lake/River Course, Chesterland, Ohio - An Early Pete Dye-Designed Golf Course Just Outside of Cleveland

The Fowler's Mill golf facility offers three nine-hole courses - the Lake, the River and the Maple course - which can be played in three different 18-hole combinations. The Lake/River Course is a Pete Dye design that features his typical penchant for water hazards and bunkers.

The course, which opened in 1971, plays to 7,025 yards from the longest (Gold) tees, with a USGA rating of 74.7 and a slope rating of 136 on Bent grass. Another noteworthy element of the course is its greens, which have been said to roll no faster than the local municipal course, yet can confound players with their subtle slopes and undulations. Even when striking the ball well, high scores are still very possible on this course, thanks to added putting strokes.

Some of the most noteworthy holes include No. 4 on the Lake course. Nicknamed "Coastline,'' this 438-yard par-4 has been consistently rated as one of Ohio's most difficult and diabolical par-4s. This signature hole tracks a lake from tee to green, and the water hazard has been described as "larger than life.'' Playing close to the water on the right shortens the hole, but also increases the risk as the fairway and green curve around the water like a reverse question mark.

Hole No. 9 on the Lake course is another distinctive par-4 that plays to only 388 yards from the back tees. The fairway on the hole named "Decision'' is split by a vertical water hazard, however, which not only calls for a decision off the tee, but can often separate golf partners who end up on opposite sides of the creek. Playing to the left half of the fairway is the safer play, while the riskier play to the right provides a better angle for an approach to the green that takes the creek out of play on the second shot.

Hole No. 12 is nicknamed "Chagrin,'' and is another short par-4 at only 350 yards from the back tees. Once again, golfers find themselves with a choice off the tee as the fairway is split with a vertical water hazard. The left side is a common choice, but brings into play a large, solitary tree just left of the creek. As players approach the green, they'll find the water hazard wrapping around it in a figure-C layout that has claimed many a golf ball around a heart-shaped green.

Hole No. 15 is another par-4 that plays to 429 yards from the back tees. While there's no water on this hole, golfers must contend with a cavernous valley that runs along the left of a narrow, deep green.

Practice facilities at Fowler's Mill include a driving range and short-game area. There's also a well-stock Golf Shop and a Western Reserve-style clubhouse with a Grille room for casual dining. The clubhouse also features the Pete Dye room, which provides an upscale setting for banquets, meetings and wedding receptions.