The hardest golf courses in Cincinnati, Ohio
The hardest 18-hole golf courses within about 25 miles of Cincinnati, Ohio, ranked by USGA slope rating from each course's longest men's tees, with course rating as the tiebreaker. 41 courses have complete, verified tee data.
Also covers Batavia, Blue Ash, North Bend, Loveland, Mainville and 4 more nearby towns.
Traditions Golf Club
Hebron, KY, USASlope rating 144, 74.0 course rating, Black tees, 7,103 yds
PrivateKen Heil
- 3.5Conditions
- NRLayout
- NRScenery
- NRFacilities
- Driving range
- Restaurant
- Bar
Oasis Golf Club and Conference
Loveland, OH, USASlope rating 143, 73.9 course rating, Palmer tees, 6,921 yds
PrivateArnold Palmer & Ed Seay
- 4.0Conditions
- 2.5Layout
- 2.5Scenery
- 4.5Facilities
- Challenging
- Driving range
- Restaurant
TPC at Rivers Bend
Mainville, OH, USASlope rating 142, 74.9 course rating, TPC tees, 7,180 yds
PrivateArnold Palmer & Ed Seay
- 5.0Conditions
- 3.8Layout
- 3.3Scenery
- 4.2Facilities
This Arnold Palmer design is an absolute treat to play. The course is always in great shape, with rolling terrain, tight fairways, and water that comes into play just enough to keep you honest.
Written by
@TGUN312
- Driving range
- Fast greens
- Halfway house
Triple Crown Country Club
Union, KY, USASlope rating 142, 74.8 course rating, Black tees, 7,111 yds
PrivateGene Bates & Barry Serafin
- 3.8Conditions
- 4.5Layout
- 3.8Scenery
- 4.9Facilities
- Driving range
- Restaurant
- Bar
The Heritage Club
Mason, OH, USASlope rating 140, 74.3 course rating, Dye tees, 7,111 yds
PrivateP. B. Dye
- 3.5Conditions
- 3.0Layout
- 2.0Scenery
- 2.9Facilities
Heritage Club in Mason is one of those courses that feels like a solid, everyday play — nothing overly flashy, but always a good time. It’s a P.B. Dye design, and you can definitely see the family resemblance in the shaping of the greens and some of the bunkering.
Written by
@TGUN312
- Driving range
- Grass range
- Putting area
The Golf Club at Stonelick Hills
Batavia, OH, USA
Slope rating 139, 74.5 course rating, Black tees, 7,129 yds
Coldstream Country Club
Cincinnati, OH, USA
Slope rating 139, 74.0 course rating, Gold tees, 7,111 yds
Beckett Ridge Country Club
West Chester, OH, USA
Slope rating 139, 73.3 course rating, Black tees, 6,867 yds
Lassing Pointe Golf Course
Union, KY, USA
Slope rating 138, 72.5 course rating, Gold tees, 6,724 yds
The Vineyard Golf Course
Cincinnati, OH, USA
Slope rating 137, 72.9 course rating, Blue tees, 6,789 yds
(Woodlands/Lakeside) Shaker Run Golf Club
Lebanon, OH, USA
Slope rating 136, 74.1 course rating, Black tees, 6,883 yds
Elks Run Golf Club
Batavia, OH, USA
Slope rating 136, 73.0 course rating, Black tees, 6,845 yds
(Kendale) Kenwood Country Club
Cincinnati, OH, USA
Slope rating 135, 73.7 course rating, Black tees, 7,015 yds
(Lakeside/Meadows) Shaker Run Golf Club
Lebanon, OH, USA
Slope rating 134, 74.2 course rating, Black tees, 6,944 yds
Walden Ponds Golf Club
Hamilton, OH, USA
Slope rating 134, 74.1 course rating, Black tees, 7,001 yds
Aston Oaks Golf Club
North Bend, OH, USA
Slope rating 134, 72.4 course rating, Black tees, 6,908 yds
The Camargo Club
Cincinnati, OH, USA
Slope rating 134, 72.1 course rating, Gold tees, 6,660 yds
(Brookview/Lakeview) Boone Links Golf Club
Florence, KY, USA
Slope rating 133, 72.8 course rating, Championship tees, 6,742 yds
Blue Ash Golf Course
Blue Ash, OH, USA
Slope rating 133, 72.4 course rating, Black tees, 6,657 yds
Maketewah Country Club
Cincinnati, OH, USA
Slope rating 132, 72.5 course rating, Black tees, 6,784 yds
Losantiville Country Club
Cincinnati, OH, USA
Slope rating 132, 71.7 course rating, Blue tees, 6,419 yds
(The Willows) Kenton Country Golf Courses
Independence, KY, USA
Slope rating 131, 72.7 course rating, Blue tees, 6,794 yds
Hickory Sticks Golf Club
California, KY, USA
Slope rating 131, 69.8 course rating, Black tees, 6,148 yds
A. J. Jolly Golf Course
Alexandria, KY, USA
Slope rating 130, 70.8 course rating, Championship tees, 6,235 yds
Legendary Run Golf Course
Cincinnati, OH, USA
Slope rating 129, 73.4 course rating, Black tees, 6,920 yds
How we rank
This ranking uses published scorecard data from each course’s longest men’s tees, the same tee set for every course. Only 18-hole courses with a yardage for every hole, a total that matches the hole-by-hole sum, and a par between 54 and 80 are included, and the tees must carry a single slope rating (55–155) and course rating. Courses whose scorecard duplicates another course’s are left out until the data is fixed. Courses are ordered by slope rating, then course rating, then Course Vaults score. Only open courses with a published Course Vaults score (at least 5 explicit ratings) are eligible, and a page is published only when at least 5 courses qualify. City pages include courses within about 25 miles of Cincinnati, so nearby suburbs can appear. Rankings refresh about hourly.
FAQ
Traditions Golf Club is #1 on Course Vaults in and around Cincinnati, Ohio at Slope 144 (74.0 course rating · Black tees · 7,103 yds). 41 courses qualify for this list.
This ranking uses published scorecard data from each course’s longest men’s tees, the same tee set for every course. Only 18-hole courses with a yardage for every hole, a total that matches the hole-by-hole sum, and a par between 54 and 80 are included, and the tees must carry a single slope rating (55–155) and course rating. Courses whose scorecard duplicates another course’s are left out until the data is fixed. Courses are ordered by slope rating, then course rating, then Course Vaults score. Only open courses with a published Course Vaults score (at least 5 explicit ratings) are eligible, and a page is published only when at least 5 courses qualify. City pages include courses within about 25 miles of Cincinnati, so nearby suburbs can appear. Rankings refresh about hourly.
Slope rating is the USGA measure of how much harder a course plays for a bogey golfer than for a scratch golfer, from 55 to 155 (113 is average). Course rating is the expected score for a scratch golfer from the same tees.
Yes. It includes qualifying courses within about 25 miles of Cincinnati, not only courses whose address is in the city.
This page was last generated Nov 12, 2026, 3:48 AM EST. Scores and eligibility are recomputed about every hour.
