John McConnell believes in doing things right. That’s how this
Columbus, Ohio, resident brought Worthington Industries from an $1,800 start-up
operation in his basement to a Fortune 500 company with more than $1 billion in
sales and 7,000 employees. His philosophy: Work hard, know exactly where you’re
going and surround yourself with the best possible people.
These same rules apply to his dream course. In the ’80s McConnell
took Columbus native and longtime friend Tom Weiskopf aside during the Memorial
tournament at and asked him to look at a 220-acre tract (since expanded to 340
acres) some 20 miles north in Galena. Weiskopf was still playing on the PGA Tour
regularly at the time, but thoughts of becoming a course designer were not far
off. With its open, flat terrain, the site would require considerable
imagination to accommodate a golf course. Weiskopf’s parting comment was, “When
you decide to build your course, please give me a call.”
The phone call came in October 1989. By then, Weiskopf had teamed
with course architect Jay Morrish on several renowned projects, including Troon
North in Scottsdale. In spite of its openness the site offered enough
transitional ground to create shifting rhythms and looks. A 30-foot ravine is
incorporated into seven holes on the front side, while the back nine culminates
in holes routed adjacent to a huge natural lake. Stands of mature hardwood
trees—oak, hickory, maple, elm and beech—provide a sense of isolation on each
hole without creating a closed-in feeling, and split fairways on four holes take
advantage of the open expanses of land.
While landing areas off the tee tend to be generous, approach
shots require precise placement. Every green offers an open entrance for
traditional low-running shots, but the green complexes also contain some
devilish pin positions that can only be attacked from the proper side of the
fairway.
The four finishing holes offer remarkable variety. The par-4 15th
is a 470-yard Cape hole that wraps around a lake on the left. No. 16 is a
190-yard par 3 to a green perched on a plateau over water with a deadly pin
position to the right. Morrish and Weiskopf always build a mini par 4, but the
17th is a model for a flexible two-shotter. The double fairway is split by a
stand of trees and a massive bunker complex. The result is three distinct paths:
Go for broke, lay up straight or bail out left and approach the green
diagonally.
Double Eagle ends in frenzied fashion, with a class risk-reward
par 5 stretching to 560 yards. A marshy hazard traverses the second landing
area, just where the hole turns left. The green is set diagonally over a steep
bunker left and falls away to the back right. It’s hard to imagine a better
finish for match play competition.
Double Eagle’s low-key approach extends to its clubhouse, a
building of stone walls and slate roof. Nothing resembling a banquet hall here.
It’s more like a country lodge. In short, McConnell got it right.
Par: 72
Yardage: 7,140
Year founded: 1992
Architect: Jay Morrish and Tom Weiskopf
