Potential revived

When Travis Russell arrived at Columbus Country Club in 2021, the Ohio club’s par-3 course existed in far from ideal condition.

“It was rough over there,” says Russell, an assistant superintendent. But with an eye for potential and big plans, Russell works every day to bring that scene to life. “In my mind, I want it to be like Augusta, but in reality, we can do our best at it,” he says. “We definitely try our best with what we have and what we’re allotted with.”

Columbus Country Club, the host of the 1964 PGA Championship, used the land as a parking lot for the event. Columbus Country Club also has hosted two PGA Tour events and five Ohio State Amateurs. With proceeds from the PGA Championship, won by Bobby Nichols, members and friends took the funding, found a bulldozer, and plowed the land for the first par-3 course in central Ohio. The course was up and running in the 1970s and was in its prime in the 1980s and ’90s.

“It was kind of in its heyday, it was really booming,” greens superintendent J.R. Lynn says. “It was definitely a big part of the early or the middle years of what our club has been up to this point, but it’s very unique. It was one of the first of its time.”

After renovations to the club’s original 18-hole championship course — which was designed first by Tom Bendelow and later by Donald Ross — began in 2015, the short course moved to the bottom of the priority list. An irrigation emergency forced the club to build a pond between the first and third holes of the short course. The club then reevaluated funding and ultimately focused on renovations to the main course. The par-3 course was unplayable for two years.

“It’s about 30 acres of the club as you drive in, so it’s a pretty focal point, and you don’t necessarily notice how impactful it is until it becomes unsightly,” Lynn says. 

Regular mowing and maintenance has helped restore the par-3 course. But the property would not be in the condition it is in now without Russell, whom co-workers affectionately refer to as the “par-3 superintendent.” 

“We really try to manage it the same so that it’s very much just in conjunction with what we’re doing on the main course,” Lynn says. “Travis has taken it to the next level to make sure we’re actually staying true to that. It holds us all accountable in the end.”

The par-3 course features nine holes with one set of tee boxes. The longest hole, No. 6, measures 172 yards, and the shortest, No. 2, measures 84 yards. Bentgrass covers the tees and greens, and a turf-type tall fescue blend is found in the fairways. The irrigation system focuses on the main playing surfaces, so the roughs require grass that can withstand drought-like conditions. As the course is on land that was once a parking lot, the surface area is predominantly flat. 

Although the course is open to member play, the layout is used for more than that. The course brings opportunities for kids and families to learn and play the game. “A big part of our mission statement and our foundation is that we are a family club, so it offers something for everybody,” Lynn says. “But it also offers the ability to come in and still enjoy what we’re all about with golf, but not something that has to take up an entire day.”

The crew will often bring their own families to enjoy the course. “It’s bringing the family out from our end too and being able to showcase what you’re doing while you’re spending the time enjoying it with your kids and trying to build that same foundation behind what it is,” Lynn adds.  

With an increase in women’s golfers, the par-3 course can offer a less intimidating environment to learn the game. The course is utilized frequently for women’s lessons, kids’ lessons and youth clinics. “The main golf courses, it’s so intimidating to so many people, it’s just a great way for people to gain confidence in what they know,” director of golf Ryan Coll says. “They feel less pressure, because when you’re a beginner-level, even a middle-level golfer, the one thing you’re worried about is holding up the people behind you. And when you have an extra entity like this, you don’t have to worry about it.” 

The course offers yet another purpose: team building. “That’s important for me, to see those guys having fun on the product that they’re taking care of,” Coll says. “The par 3 has been good for those guys, because they get to go over there and have fun and they get to play golf, too. I think that’s important for everybody that’s in this type of business because you got in it probably because you love the game. So not playing, that’s not any fun. It’s cool that they get to reap the rewards of all their hard work.”

For Lynn, an Ohio State graduate raised in Tallmadge, Ohio, having a solid team mentality is important. “To me, it’s building a cohesive team that can come together when we need to, but also be able to focus on our individual responsibilities and how much that really affects what our members get to see.”

When the course is being enjoyed in more ways than one, full of golfers, families or co-workers, Russell says, “It fills my cup.”

The par-3 course is one of Russell’s work passions. He has taken a leadership role on the layout, making sure it is properly cared for, while helping improve its conditions. “He cares about everything,” Coll says. “Everyone knows it’s Travis’s baby.”

When Russell arrived, the course was mainly only used by a lifetime member who would play almost daily. From there, the daily-play average has increased annually. “Led by (Russell), they brought it back to better than what it’s ever been,” Coll says, “and I think it’s being utilized more this year than it ever has.” 

The par-3 course now averages about 100 rounds a month; the main course is set to support 23,000 rounds this season. 

A nursery is planned to eventually utilize part of the par-3 course’s eighth hole. The nursery will have potential for a future design concept involving integrating short grass from tee to green to provide on-the-ground playing options.

Russell’s hustle and the maintenance team’s work have reintroduced a valuable member amenity.

“We’re all here for one bigger goal, and that’s to provide an experience for our membership, right?” Lynn says. “We’ve seen our team specifically, especially in the management scenario, grow a lot over the last few years.

“We’ve seen that by being able to put some ownership behind some roles and being able to have people that can be dynamic and working together, that can really elevate what the end result is.”

Kelsie Horner is Golf Course Industry’s assistant editor.