Pepper Pike Club, 1924 William Flynn, Pepper Pike, OH
Located on the east side of Cleveland, “Pepper” as it is called around here is the next door neighbor of another Cleveland Flynn, The Country Club. The land that Pepper sits on is some of the best in the Cleveland area. The course is beautifully routed through rolling parkland hills and valleys.
The fairways at PPC are pretty generous in width. Most are lined by fescue and just the right amount of trees. The conditioning is very good with drives off the tee getting plenty of roll out. Where Pepper gets you is on your approach shots. You must find the right spots on the greens to have legitimate chances at birdies/pars. The greens have quite a bit of subtle contour that if you are on the wrong sides you have little chance of holding them. Get above many of these classic Flynn infinity greens and you will be faced with a nerve wracking downhill putt that many times may not stay on the surface. Pepper’s greens surfaces are some of the best in town.
I’m often asked about this club and course - what it is like since it’s not talked about very often. Pepper was once known as the “CEO” club of Cleveland. It’s a small membership made up of Cleveland’s business movers and shakers. It is a second club for them with a very small amount of annual rounds played. The clubhouse/men’s grille/locker room is probably the best in the city. A very special place indeed. Getting an invite to spend a day at Pepper is one you rarely turn down. The golf staff are great, the service is impeccable, and you feel like a king when on the grounds. Big thanks to my host and friend for a great day.
This week on Designing Golf, @garrett_TFE broke down the five essential William Flynn golf courses (with a few caveats)
*1. Not necessarily the best or Garrett's favorite Flynn courses, but ones you could study and come away with a pretty good understanding of Flynn's architecture
*2. The host of this year's U.S. Open was an automatic entry
*3. Only solo designs were considered (Pine Valley, Merion & Brookline excluded from consideration)
Thread 🧵👇
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