The Virtues Course
Nashport, OH, USA
Ohio's The Virtues Golf Club unfurls across land once farmed by Benedictine monks, a testament to transformation from tranquil fields to a challenging course. Architect Arthur Hills, working in the early 21st century, sculpted a modern American design that embraces the rolling terrain of Hanover Township. The course rewards strategic play rather than brute force; prevailing winds and cleverly placed bunkers penalize wayward drives, while undulating greens demand a deft touch. While The Virtues hasn’t played host to major championships, its demanding layout and scenic beauty have made it a popular venue for state-level competitions and amateur events. The course's reputation is primarily regional, drawing golfers from across the Midwest seeking a demanding test of skill and a peaceful escape. Beyond the golf, The Virtues is known for its community spirit. The club fosters a welcoming atmosphere, attracting a diverse group of players who appreciate the course’s challenges and the camaraderie it inspires.
Ranked by CV ratings from golfers who've played this course. Positions are shown worldwide, by country, and by state; the Public column compares courses anyone can play.
Best in World
Unranked
Best in USA
Public: #216
Best in OH
Public: #3
Golfers say this course stands as one of Ohio's premier public facilities, with many calling it the best in the state for its pure greens, engaging fairways with strategic speed slots, and a layout that rewards precision while punishing errant shots. Most praise the routing and overall conditioning as top-notch, noting the course remains well worth a drive from Columbus or beyond. However, some longtime players observe that recent seasons have brought slower pace of play on weekends due to heavy demand and tee times scheduled every nine minutes, while bunker maintenance has slipped from previously immaculate standards. Despite these concerns about crowding and upkeep, reviewers still recommend experiencing this gem of a course.
8.1
71 players
Beautiful course with a fun layout. More scorable than it seems but still makes you think through every shot. Greens were fast and driving range had seem some use but the course held a tournament a few days prior to my visit. My biggest complaint were the greens keepers mowing on hole 18. They didn’t stop nor move out of anyone’s way causing me to have to hit a shot over top of them. Then one of them got the mower stuck in neutral and almost rolled down the hill into me.
Views were amazing, course was difficult, but overall it does not look like the course is being well kept. Par 3 tee boxes are absolutely decimated, bunkers have less than 1/4" of sand plus baseball size rocks, and the carts are slow as hell. Absolutely not worth $140. Would play there again if it was closer to $100 for a round.
I will be biased in my review. This is where I learned to golf. I have played here over one hundred times. It has been rated the number one public course in Ohio many times. Unfortunately, the last three or four seasons, this course that I would consider to be my FAVORITE due to its sentimental value has started to slowly drift negatively. The pace of play on the weekends makes it unplayable. The bunkers are not being maintained. The condition and the layout otherwise, however are top notch for a public course. Tee times every nine minutes with its demand to come and play here just equals too many players on the tee sheet each day which slows pace of play and reduces the once IMMACULATE conditions (again for a public course). I could say a lot more. But the course that I am emotionally attached to is becoming unrecognizable. ALL OF THAT SAID, YOU SHOULD STILL EXPERIENCE THE PLACE!
The best public course in Ohio
This course is an absolute gem. I think it has a good argument for being the best public course in Ohio. The greens are pure and fairways are really fun the way you can uses the speed slots. Virtues really rewards good shots and punishes your bad shots. It’s about an hour outside of Columbus but I think it is 100% worth the drive.
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FAQ
Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.
The Virtues has a Course Vaults score of 8.1 out of 10 based on 39 explicit golfer ratings.
The Virtues was designed by Arthur Hills and Spencer Holt.
Yes. The Virtues is listed as welcoming public or guest play on Course Vaults.
Par at The Virtues is 72.
The Virtues plays 7,243 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.
The slope rating at The Virtues is 139.
