The Henebrys
John and Jeannine Henebry
The Henebrys
Camargo Club
Cincinnati, OH • Private
Camargo Club
8605 Shawnee Run Rd
Cincinnati, OH 45243-2811
United States
Overview
One of Seth Raynor’s last designs, Camargo Club wasn’t completed until nearly a year after his 1926 death. William Jackson, who later became the club’s pro and superintendent, handled the construction and was faithful to Raynor’s diagrams with two exceptions: He turned the 16th into a par 4 and the 17th into a par 5. Robert von Hagge added flashy but incongruous bunkering in the early 1960s. They lasted over 20 years, until Tom Doak undertook a restoration in the Raynor style of geometric-shaped bunkers and greens. Curiously, the Biarritz green at the par-3 eighth has never been mowed, as the 60-yard-long putting surface found on other Biarritz holes built by Raynor or his mentor C.B. Macdonald. Club officials insisted early aerial photos confirm the front half of the green was always mown at fairway height, so they continue that tradition today. Don Placek of Renaissance Golf has recently completed further renovation enhancements, including adding six acres of restored fairway to better help define the scale of the property and extending the back left section of the Road green at 17 (as well as reintroducing a second "Road" bunker beyond the first) to reclaim its original prodigious 15,000 square feet.
About
Awards
Ranking history:
100 Greatest: Ranked in 1966, from 1991-2008, & since 2015.
Highest ranking: 42nd, 2021-'22.
Previous ranking: 47th.
2025-'26 ranking: 48th.
Best in State: Ranked Top 5 in Ohio from 1991-1993, 2005-'07, & since 2011; Top 10 from 1987-'89, 1995-2003, & 2009.
2025-'26 ranking (and previous): 3rd.
Panelists
Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists
100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES
Shot Options
Character
Challenge
Layout Variety
Fun
Aesthetics
Conditioning
Reviews
Review
“Camargo is Ohio's sole design by Seth Raynor so it gets a lot of attention. It is certainly in the top 5 golf courses in the State of Ohio. It is also one of the most stuffy with few areas to just hang out like at many other clubs. The highlight of the round are the par 3s, which are clearly the best set in the Midwest. However, many of the par 4's are excellent and worthy of mention, including the great 4th hole."
Read More2025
Review
“The Camargo Club's massive, subtly undulated greens compliment the rolling terrain that comprises the club's property. Seth Raynor's template holes exist here in inventive and striking forms, including excellent representations of the ideal par-3s eden, redan, biarritz and short. Large, firm fairways rarely yieId flat lies and healthy, uncompromising rough awaits off-target shots."
Read More2025
Review
“The Camargo Club's massive, subtly undulated greens compliment the rolling terrain that comprises the club's property. Seth Raynor's template holes exist here in inventive and striking forms, including excellent representations of the ideal par-3s eden, redan, biarritz and short. Large, firm fairways rarely yieId flat lies and healthy, uncompromising rough awaits off-target shots."
Read More2025
Review
“A great template course with outstanding greens and par threes. A must play for any Raynor fan."
Read More2025
Review
“Camargo has outstanding versions of so many template holes with outstanding green complexes that are large and have interior movements. The par threes are outstanding, and include Eden, Biarritz, Short, and Redan holes. The Biarritz includes fairway short of the slope, unlike many others that have the trough in the middle of the green. Good risk reward options off the tee, with the prudent play often a layup. A nice variety of difficulty in the par four holes, including length. A must play for any Raynor fans."
Read More2025
Review
“A classic Seth Raynor design. If you get an opportunity to play the course, jump at it. The Greens are massive! They putt very true. Some of the best bunkers that I have ever played. A great day of golf in a lovely setting."
Read More2025
Review
“A classic Seth Raynor course that was recently restored to closer replicate the early design and remove some of the less desirable changes made in the past. The Bunkers are exceptional, and are some of the best that I've ever played. The fairway bunkers are placed in the proper spots, and the green side bunkers well protect the greens. The greens are massive and if you hit into the wrong spot on the green, a 3 putt is very possible if not likely. That also allows for a great variety of hole placement options, and thus shot variety. The greens are relatively new and will improve over time. They putt true, but will soften up and hold shots better over time. Conditions were excellent throughout the course, with only a few spots less than ideal on the course. The Punchbowl green was not as dramatic as other Raynor courses that I've played, but the Redan 15th hole was a beast."
Read More2025
Review
“Pound for pound, the best green complexes and compilation of Par 3's on the Top 100. Raynor at his finest. Subjectively speaking, if this course were located near an ocean it would be a top 15 course in the world. The perfect combination of architecturally sound, but also can't wait for the next loop out of sheer fun."
Read More2024
Review
“Camargo Club is a big, bold, Seth Raynor gem with huge scale. The gently rolling topography outside of Cincinnati, OH provides compelling grounds for golf. The playing corridors and fairways are wide, and the green complexes/greens themselves are huge. The scale of certain holes might mean a bomb and gauge strategy works best. However, on most holes, particularly when the turf is firm, the rough is up, or the wind is up, there is much more nuance and strategy. How best to set yourself up to approach and navigate these fascinating green complexes with interesting angles, ridges, slopes, thumbprints, kickboards, hollows, and valleys is a wonderful challenge. This course scores extremely well on the "How bad do you want to go right back to the first tee when you finish putting on #18?" test."
Read More2024
Review
“Fabulous Seth Raynor. Restoration work is sensational. All the template holes. A terrific walk."
Read More2024