I would agree with the previous reviewer about the spectacular vistas, and the serene country setting. However, my overall view of this track is not favorable.

While some holes are beautiful, and challenging, and interesting, the course on the whole lacks continuity. Some golf courses have a nice natural uniform flow about them, and others do not. Part of the reason why Elks Run lacks flow is because of the lack of mature trees, as the previous reviewer mentioned. Golf courses that do not have distinguished lines provided by the trees, ususally expose surrounding holes, and in a way, cheapen each hole individually. It cheapens each hole partly because it gives you too much too look at, and takes some of your focus off the hole you are playing, and it cheapens or spoils surrounding holes because you get to see them before you play them. In my opinion, golf courses should play like theater, in acts. Elks Run leaves little to the imagination in this way. As I recount my round at Elks Run, my most vivid memories are of the vistas provided by the drastic elevation changes on two or three holes, and not much else. 10 minutes down the road you have Stonelick Hills, which is possibly the best course in the Cincinnati area in terms of continuity. Each hole is unique, has plenty of character, and at no point is your mind focused on anything else but the hole you are playing.

Having said all of that, the biggest strike against Elks Run is the price. If you play the course in the summer when it's in it's best playing condition, you'll need to shell out $80 to do so. I know Elks Run is not an $80 golf course....I've played Shaker Run. I know that Greg Norman (the designer) has much to do with the high greens fee, but it is not justified. Elks Run is comparable to courses like Legendary Run and Stonelick Hills in terms of quality and substance, and both of these courses can be played for around $60. Elks Run's greens fee should be somewhere in that neighborhood, and I believe that it's only a matter of time before it is. Just by playing the course, I could tell that it's survival is dependant on it's members. It obviously gets very little play by the general public when the greens fee is not $45.

So on a postive side, the condition of the course is exceptional, especially for this time of year. The greens roll true, and are probably the fastest in the tri-state area. I would probably rate the greens at Elks Run the second best in Cincinnati, slightly less enjoyable than the greens at Legendary Run. In terms of shot-quality, some holes have really interesting and fun approaches, while others are a little bland. The same is true from the tees. Some tee shots are really exciting, and others are bland, even awkward. If you want to score well at this course, you will need to be able to shape your shots, as some greens and pin locations are really only receptive to certain types of shots. You could hit a ball dead on the stick from 170 yards out, and see it trickle off the back of the green, or roll back to the front. These types of greens can make pitches and chips and even putts a lot of fun, but they can also make for a very long day.

In conclusion, I'll sum it up by simply saying that Elks Run just didn't do it for me. Maybe I went into it with abnormally high expectations, but when I compare and contrast this course with the other upscale public courses in the area, it just measures up. Nothing more, nothing less. And when you consider the price, it's hard to fall in love with it. I would recommend playing it only at the reduced fall or winter rate, atleast until the regular greens fee drops down to something more reasonable for the average Joe.

Customer Service

Great. When I carried my bag up to where the carts are located, the gentleman appologized for not making it out to my car in time to pick my bag up for me. Aside from that, the starter/rangers were very kind and helpful, and the cart girls are probably the best looking cart girls on Earth. So yes, I would say that the customer service is exceptional.

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Shaker Run, Stonelick Hills, Legendary Run, Lassing Pointe, Aston Oaks...

The course owner has spared no expense. Lots of ammenities throughout the course. Poured concrete cart paths shows this owner is committed.

Lack of mature trees provides little wind break.

This course can turn into a long golf day. There are lots of ways to get in trouble from the tees and second shots. Roughs are tall and make up for the lack of mature trees. This is definitely not a course for slicers unless you're carrying lots of golf balls. Country setting makes for lots of beautiful vistas. One one hole the viewing gallery was five horses and three cows. Pretty cool! Several of the tee boxes are high above the fairways providing fantastic vistas of the entire course.

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