from 1999-2018. There’s a plaque in the 18th rough from 167 yards out commemorating Tiger Woods’ iconic “shot in the dark” in 2000. The 667-yard, par-5 16th was dubbed “The Monster” by Arnold Palmer after his infamous triple bogey in the 1960 PGA Championship. Now here I was, getting ready to walk the same fairways as the game’s greats— with one of them alongside me as I was paired with three-time major winner Vijay Singh for the pro-am. I immediately found out how Firestone CC can punish errant tee shots as I hooked my opening drive into the left rough. The South Course is defined by narrow fairways and well-protected greens. Accuracy and precision aren’t nice perks to have on this course, they’re necessary tools for survival or you’ll be in for a long afternoon. Trust me, I know. Rather than worrying about my scorecard, I chose to soak up every minute alongside Singh, which included him calling out my cautious putting, giving me a swing lesson, him easily bombing a drive left handed, and, of course, many a photo opp. The Monster certainly lived up to its name and felt even more intimidating—if that’s even possible—with the tournament buildout and spectators on-site since it was a pro-am. Like Arnold Palmer, I proudly carded a triple bogey. Firestone CC is a private club, but offers “public” access via stay-and-play opportunities, which I’d recommend since I also stayed on-site overlooking the North Course. While the South Course justifiably garners the headlines due to its extensive history, there’s also a very enjoyable North Course across the road and the modern, links-style Fazio Course as part of the property for an additional challenge.
Firestone Country Club (Akron, Ohio) Many golf courses want to be hidden. Being off the beaten path adds to the allure of exclusivity, whether it’s being blanketed by more than 4,000 palm trees like Shell Bay Club in Hallandale Beach, Fla., or traversing a mile-long scenic drive from main road to clubhouse at The Preserve in Carmel, Calif. Firestone Country Club wants to be seen. If it didn’t, the 120-foot water tower shaped like a golf ball on a red tee certainly blows its cover—from miles away at that! Erected in 1956, the 50,000- gallon landmark was designed to serve as the primary water source for the course’s sprinkler system. Like staring up in awe at the Empire State Building on your first visit to New York City, I cranked my neck skyward as I arrived at the historic course for the Kaulig Companies Championship last June. Not only was I looking forward to watching some of the game’s greats like Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, Bernhard Langer and Colin Montgomerie compete in one of the PGA Tour Champions five majors, I was anxiously awaiting my opportunity to play the historic South Course as part of the event’s pro-am. If you're unfamiliar with it, the Firestone CC South Course has hosted more than 80 professional tournaments including the PGA Championship in 1960, ’66 and ’75 as well as the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational
Photography: Invited Clubs
"Accuracy and precision aren't nice perks at Firestone— they're necessary tools for survival."
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