Virtues Golf Club

Decided to make the trip to play the Virtues Golf Course in July 2021. The course does not deserve the #1 ranking for the top public course in the state of Ohio by Golf Advisor or Golf Digest. From entering the property, you can see the property has come under disrepair. The landscaping is overgrown and the parking lot and clubhouse is in rough shape. The pro shop is a hodgepodge of unorganized items and displays. Definitely does not have the appearance of a top course.

Do not play this course if the course is cart path only. I played on a day when it was cart path only. There was no need for cart path only. The course was dry but the path rule was still in effect. Rain was in the forecast but had not rained yet. All cart paths are 40-50 yards away from greens and fairways. It slows down play significantly when you have all golfers on cart path only. The course cart paths need repaved. They are riddled with pot holes and need attending by the staff.

There are numerous bunkers on this course that add to the appeal and course setup. They are placed in challenging locations off the tee and near greens that make the course setup appealing for golfers of all skill levels. The issue is the bunkers are in disrepair. Every bunker was washed out and look like it hadn't been maintained in some time. There is no way that any grounds grew had attended to the bunkers in some time as weeds were growing in most bunkers. Every bunker, including green side bunkers, were all hard pan from washout and poor drainage.

The course setup and appeal was nice. It had generous fairways and very picturesque hole layouts. Great for all skill levels and ability. The green rolled true and fast, which was nice to see from a public facility. You can see that at one point in time the course was a true gem. No longer the case.

At the end of your round, instead of being able to take your clubs to your car with your golf cart, you were left to return your cart behind the clubhouse and carry everything back to your car because there is a strict no carts in parking lot rule. A bad ending to an unimpressive round.

The course in general is both scenic and challenging. However, a 5.5hr round, clueless rangers who could care less at $100/rd? No thank you. I will never go back.

This course is well worth the money and the drive. The staff is super friendly and the food was great. Course was cart path only due to a lot of rain recently, which made it a long day having to walk the hills. We played 36 holes and were all dead tired at the end. Overall a great experience and we will be back. Highly recommend this course!

Arthur Hills left nothing on the drawing board when he designed The Virtues Golf Club in Newark, Ohio a mere 40 miles from downtown Columbus. Up until 2016, The Virtues was known as the Longaberger Golf Club; on your way odds are you’ll drive by the abandoned basket-shaped office building that was once home to the world-renowned basket company.

The Virtues Golf Club offers golfers 5 sets of tees. Don’t bite off more than you can chew yardage wise and you’ll have a great time.

As you make your way around this magnificent layout, you’ll encounter a variety of holes. Many consider The Virtues a parkland layout, but I think it incorporates several styles. Holes lined with tall, thick fescue grasses are reminiscent of a link-style course while rising and dropping fairways coupled with blind shots are more like something you’d encounter in the mountains. You’ll play through meadows and rolling countryside, around tree-covered hills. The hitting surfaces are incredible: well-manicured Bentgrass tee boxes give way to Bentgrass fairways which lead to Bentgrass greens. The Virtues Golf Club is not without its share of hazards - there are over seventy strategically placed bunkers and water comes into play on 8 holes. The Virtues Golf club isn’t the kind of course you’ll enjoy walking unless you're part mountain goat.

Virtues Golf Club is one memorable hole after another. Number 4 is a par 5 that plays 563 yards and is memorable not only because of its challenge but also for the views it provides. There’s a significant change in elevation from the tee to the green and from the elevated tee box, you can see for miles. It also gives long ball hitters a chance to get home in two. Although the awaiting fairway is generous, finding the green can be an arduous task as it is narrow and angles back and to the right, bringing the water into play that much more. Shot selection on your layup shot is important as the water can come into play if you hit it too far. Big numbers are as easy to make as birdies!

Number 18, 466 yards. If I were naming holes, this would be called “Uphill Journey.” This dogleg left par 4 plays uphill all the way and finding any of the five fairway bunkers at the corner of the dogleg makes par that much tougher. A draw shot off the tee that finds the short grass over the left side bunkers will leave a mid-iron approach shot uphill into the green. A back-right pin placement can be tricky because of the bunkering around the green. The view of the clubhouse in the background makes for a nice picture.

The Virtues also boasts some pretty impressive practice facilities. Before your round, warm up on their full-length driving range where you can hit every club in the bag. There is also a spacious short game area with a practice bunker and a large putting green nearby.

After your round, be sure to stop by the Overlook restaurant at The Virtues Golf Club. In addition to a wide selection of beers and a full liquor bar, the food is amazing and well presented. Appetizers include traditional clubhouse favorites such as Mozzarella Sticks, Quesadillas, and Chicken Wings. If salad is more your thing try the Nut and Berries Salad - tender baby spinach, mixed greens, spiced pecans, chevre cheese, and dried cranberry tossed in our house-made vinaigrette. They have some unique sandwiches and entrees as well such as The BBQ Meatloaf Sandwich, Lemon Broiled Salmon, and a Grilled Ribeye Steak.

Virtues Golf Club has partnered with several local hotels to create stay and play packages that allow you to play the course a few times rather than just one and done. Or, if you prefer, you can play a different course, Eaglesticks Golf Club in nearby Zanesville. Packages include overnight stays in comfortable guest rooms and access to dining and local attractions. Click on the 9 Stars of Golf icon on their website, fill out the form and they will get back to you quickly. Playing this course on back-to-back days is a golfer’s dream!

Last Word: To me, this is the most beautiful and challenging Arthur Hills course I have played. Holes are routed such that wayward shots are penalized; miss the fairway off the tee and you’ll find your ball easy enough but it’s usually going to be in some tall grass or behind a tree. With such forgiving and generous fairways off the tee, the emphasis is on approach shots into the greens. The green complexes are guarded with bunkers that are not too penal but will test your bunker play. Most greens have a lot of undulation and present some challenges; especially if you’re looking to recover from an errant approach.

Beautiful layout through the hills of central Ohio. The architect couldn’t have routed the course any better. Some greens were good, some were beat up, but it’s the end of our season. I would Def play again!

The course is the nicest layout I have ever seen. The course was in pretty good condition, however there is no detail like it used to be. Even in the last year or so it has gone down hill. No water fountains on the course due to COVID but jugs should be available on the course. No sand on the carts to encourage divot repairs. Weeds all along cart paths, center circle in front of clubhouse, entry by gate, back by patio and walking from parking lot are done maybe 1X a month. Small details would make a HUGE difference in the course and getting it back to what it should be. I am a chemical guy and the use of Lontrel, Glyphosphate, Sureguard, and Grassout would make a huge difference along with a fresh coat of mulch!

Well If I could give it 3.5 stars I would have. My love for this course goes back 20 years. For the longest time it was my favorite public course you could play. About 6-7 years ago it ended up tying with Fallen Oak in MS as my favorite course but the conditioning of the course just continues to go down hill. Yes it is a fantastic layout but my issues today were how wet the course was and there was no reason for it. On the front side it was as if it just rained 2 inches. Better on the back. I know its heating up but this is no way to maintain a course. You will burn it or mold it out this way. This course is more enjoyable when its firm and fast. Greens were slower too and have been last several years. No sand on the carts. Why?????? 70 Bucks to play use to be worth it but no more. It is a shame how they have let this course become just an average golf course. Disappointing for me. LAY OFF THE WATER

What a fun course to play. Just about every hole has character, elevation changes, and a picturesque view. It's only ~45 minutes outside Columbus, but you feel like you're in the middle of the country. The greens rolled fast and true. Fairways were in good shape. No real complaints at all. If you're in the Columbus area, it's the best course to play (especially for the price).

Because The Virtues is definitely 5 stars. Beautiful course with an excellent layout, great scenery and elevation changes, and a nice variety of home types with a strong set of par 3s and one of the better closing holes you will find. It’s a really nice course the first time you play it and it only gets better with each successive round. Even if my ball finding the water on 16 is one of life’s certainties along with death and taxes.

Another great experience at Virtues / Longagerger. Greens were in good shape and fast. Course layout is very fun’ with lots of elevation changes and really made me think about shots and club selection. There are also a number of holes with risk reward options. We played the White @ about 6200 yards, but with the elevation changes I thinks it plays longer than that.

$84 for the sat 7:30am tee time. Played the front in two hours only to find four foursomes starting off the back nine when we made the turn. Had to wait 1/2 hour. Management didn’t think there was a problem. Won’t be back.

I consider the Virtues a must-play whenever I'm in the Columbus area, and you should, too. Pleasant staff, superior course conditions and a fabulous design by Arthur Hills.

This is the sort of special course where you'll remember every hole long after your first round. Well-measured doses of drama within a routing that uses the rolling terrain and natural, abundant prairie vegetation like a curtain that raises to reveal each hole just as you reach the tee.

The 400-yard-plus par-4 eighth is a gem, temping a drive that favors the right side, to a steep, swooping right-to-left pitched fairway, which then presents a downhill approach to a thumb of a green surrounded by water. From the tee, it looked like the safe route. Upon arrival, you may face the mother of all hanging lies and a backdrop where it's hard to see anything but the water around the green.

The other option is to challenge the left side with a longish carry from the tee, over scrub to a fairly ample landing area. From a flatter lie, that will leave a wedge or high iron approach, but almost all carry over water. The number 3 handicap hole, it feels like a victory to be putting for birdie, and very satisfying to make par.

Play this course. And then play it again. It's even better when you can enjoy it with someone experiencing The Virtues for the first time.

Good layout with a handful of really memorable holes, but I was a little underwhelmed by The Virtues, considering its ranking in both of the top two golf magazine’s Top 100 public courses list.

To be fair, this is the end of the golf season in eastern Ohio, so conditions weren’t going to be top notch. Additionally, the course took on considerable rain the day before. The fairways, despite being damp, were just fine. The greens, however, were very slow for Bentgrass. The biggest detriment was the dire condition of many greens due to unrepaired and poorly repaired pitch marks. Perhaps this isn’t paid as much attention to by the maintenance staff since it is the end of the season. I would be curious if this is a problem in peak season.

As I stated, there were some really memorable holes. The opening par four is unusual. The 90-degree dogleg tempts cutting the corner. But playing at the large tree in the center of the fairway with less than driver leaves 125 yards.

The short par-4 sixth was another standout for me with an excellent risk/reward proposition.

The eighth would appear to me to be the course’s signature hole, though I can’t say that with certainty. Arthur Hills did a great job designing it, providing three options off the tee: one can play out to the right side and take advantage of the Redan-like fairway to feed the ball down the slope. Or one can challenge the corner of the dogleg and set up a wedge approach. Failure to clear it will leave the player in a large grass swale and perhaps dealing with tree trouble to pin placements on the left side of the green. Thirdly, one can play to the small landing area left of the cluster of trees and set up a short second shot. This route requires an approach completely over water though. This hole was well thought out and extremely fun to play.

The back nine played into the valley, so it was flatter than the undulating front half. The eleventh is a good hole that can offer a semi-blind approach if your tee shot is to the left half of the fairway. There is more room left of the green than appears though if you need to bail out.

Course played long in 10-15 mph wind and low 50s temps. Might want to move up a tee box.

I would like to see the staff keep the leaves picked up. Lost several balls in the leaves that should have been found.

The shoulder season rate is a good value and I definitely think it is worth a spin.

beautiful course. went by myself, got partnered up with three other players. great experience. course was spectacular.

The title pretty much sums it up. Starting with the staff, always friendly and professional. Course was in excellent shape even considering a year's worth of playing. Have played this course many times and have never been disappointed.

Have not played the course in probably 5 years. Service was top notch! Everyone was very nice! Unfortunately, for $90 and the drive, I would have thought the course would have been in better shape. Tee boxes have weeds and the turf has not been properly maintained. Sand was not raked/dragged and mostly muddy. The greens were not much to write home about either...very spotty. Sad to see such a beautiful course with such a wonderful history and incredible views fall into the state it is.

Wonderful course. Long. Beautiful. Scenic. Challenging. My traveling group goes twice a year every year and we will continue too.

I was excited to play a Top 100 course, as they typically outshine their reviews, however this was not the case with The Virtues. First off the pro shop staff wasn’t very friendly, but that’s not a big deal. The range was beat up with hardly any grass to hit from in between the ropes, I thought the course is probably better. The views from the first tee set my expectations high, and then I got to greens. When dropped $70 on a round I expect a level of smoothness from the greens. These greens didn’t reach the level of a $30 muni, I don’t think anyone repaired a pitch mark on the greens this season, every green I felt like I had to dodge land mines and buried elephants. I was truly disappointed in the greens and the fairways, tee boxes and rough didn’t make up for it. When you add to that the lack of water jugs and the beverage cart not showing up until 7 holes into our 2:30 front nine, I was disappointed and parched. Overall, the routing of the course was demanding requiring well placed drives and accurate approach shots. However, the routing could not overcome the poor conditions, I struggle to believe this course is a Top 100 course in the US, don’t waste your trip, play your local muni!

This course is always in great condition. A few tee boxes are beat up due to play (#5). Other than that minor problem, not much else negative can be said. Course is a nature lovers paradise, usually see a few deer running around. No houses anywhere on the course. A few tee boxes have a long forced carry to the fairway. Be sure to pick the right tees to match your game . Play this one when you get a chance