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NWO Golf Links
Toledo Country Club and Don Kotnik
Most believe Ottawa Park Golf
Course to be the first course in
town, but the Toledo Country
Club opened in 1897. Ottawa
Park is historically significant
as the first public course
opened for play west of New
York in 1898.
Toledo
Country
Club
purchased 30 acres of land
along the Maumee River and
decided to construct a nine-
hole golf course. Willie Park
Jr. was contracted to build
the original nine holes, which
includes three holes, Nos.
16, 18 and 19 that still lay on
the east side of the clubhouse
along the river today.
The par-3 No. 17 was added
in a later renovation and Park’s
original 18th became the 19th
hole.
Park Jr. was one of the premier
golfers of the time. He won the
Open Championship in 1887
and again in 1889. He was
also the son of Willie Park Sr.,
who won the very first Open
Championship in 1860 and a
total of four Opens during his
career. Park Jr. was one of the
famous Scottish contingent
of professional golfers who
brought the game to the United
States.
Local golf architect Arthur
Hills completed a renovation
of the Toledo Country Club in
1997.
Have A Long History
of Toledo Golf