Best golf courses near Dayton, OH

Nipper Campbell, one of the all-time great names in golf, was a prolific golf architect in Ohio, but is mainly remembered for his design of Moraine, where he also served briefly as head pro (he was also highly involved in the expansion of The Country Club in Brookline, site of the 2022 U.S. Open). As the name suggests, Moraine Country Club was created on glacial moraine topography, which over the years had become obscured by massive tree planting. Keith Foster, soft-spoken but carrying a big chainsaw, wiped out nearly all the trees to reveal all the domed hills that members had never noticed during play. Moraine sits right next door to NCR Country Club, which was built by Dick Wilson in the early 1950s. At the time, a Moraine assistant pro would sneak over and watch the construction progress. He finally told Wilson he’d like to get into that golf design business, so Dick hired him away. The assistant pro was Joe Lee.

The South Course at NCR Country Club in Kettering is one of the best courses in Ohio. Discover our experts' reviews and where NCR Country Club ranks in our rankings

Community Golf Club is a 36-hole municipal facility just south of Dayton. The Hills course, host of the third U.S. Amateur Public Links in 1924, plays over rolling terrain and has many elevated tees, making it a strenuous walk at times. Compared to the Dales course, which tips out around 5,300 yards, the Hills’ 6,300-yard layout is a longer and tougher test.