Hole #16 - Firestone North Course

Private Firestone Country Club Unveils Non-Member Stay-and-Play Packages

Tradition-Rich Club Invites Guests to Walk in the Footsteps of Golf's Greatest Champions

By Brian Weis

Firestone Country Club, renowned as one of North America's most historic venues for championship golf, is now allowing an exclusive opportunity for non-members to reserve a limited number of stay-and-play packages and experience its celebrated on- and off-course offerings.

Since the 1950s, the club and its famed South Course has annually hosted the biggest names in professional golf. In addition to being site of three PGA Championships, Firestone was the long-time venue for the PGA TOUR's World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational and its predecessor, the World Series of Golf. It currently hosts the Bridgestone SENIOR PLAYERS Championship, being held this week and televised on Golf Channel.

One-, two- and three-night packages are now available with prices starting at $595 that include lodging and golf. More information can be found here. Packages feature play on the aforementioned South Course, which is highlighted by the famed 667-yard par-5 16th hole (famously dubbed "The Monster" by Arnold Palmer after he recorded a triple bogey during the 1960 PGA Championship); the Robert Trent Jones-designed North Course; and the Tom Fazio-designed West Course.

Accommodation options are villa-style suites bordering the golf courses or recently updated dormitory rooms above the clubhouse and adjacent to the club's iconic water tower. Dining is available at three on-property establishments, including the clubhouse's 1929 Grille & Legacy Pavilion and 55th Hole Bar, both of which offer open-air dining and golf course views.

"Nearly every legend in modern golf has been crowned a champion at Firestone Country Club, names like Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Greg Norman and Tom Watson," says Jay Walkinshaw, general manager. "We're excited to now offer non-members the opportunity to play our 54 challenging, scenic holes and enjoy our club's warm, welcoming hospitality."

The South Course has been especially well-liked by the two greatest players of the last 60 years, Nicklaus and Woods. The Golden Bear played in his very first PGA TOUR event at Firestone, the 1958 Rubber City Open, and won seven titles there as a professional, including the 1975 PGA Championship. Woods won the World Golf Championship-Bridgestone Invitational eight times, including a remarkable seven in an 11- year span from 1999-2009.

Firestone is conveniently located only 45 minutes from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and less than 15 from Akron-Canton Airport. It is also within easy driving distance of other major metropolitan areas like Columbus, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Detroit. Recent research from the National Golf Foundation shows some 75% of golfers are willing to drive more than four hours to reach their 2020 golf getaway. Nearby off-course attractions include the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton and the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, making it especially ideal for buddy trips.

To book or for more information, please visit clubcorp.com/Clubs/Firestone-Country-Club/Stay-Play or call 330.245.3280. New national membership options are also available, and non-members are invited to inquire about hosting special events, meetings and weddings.

Revised: 10/13/2020 - Article Viewed 13,361 Times - View Course Profile

About: Brian Weis

Brian Weis is the mastermind behind GolfTrips.com, a vast network of golf travel and directory sites covering everything from the rolling fairways of Wisconsin to the sunbaked desert layouts of Arizona. If there’s a golf destination worth visiting, chances are, Brian has written about it, played it, or at the very least, found a way to justify a "business trip" there.

As a card-carrying member of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA), International Network of Golf (ING), Golf Travel Writers of America (GTWA), International Golf Travel Writers Association (IGTWA), and The Society of Hickory Golfers (SoHG), Brian has the credentials to prove that talking about golf is his full-time job. In 2016, his peers even handed him The Shaheen Cup, a prestigious award in golf travel writing—essentially the Masters green jacket for guys who don’t hit the range but still know where the best 19th holes are.

Brian’s love for golf goes way back. As a kid, he competed in junior and high school golf, only to realize that his dreams of a college golf scholarship had about the same odds as a 30-handicap making a hole-in-one. Instead, he took the more practical route—working on the West Bend Country Club grounds crew to fund his University of Wisconsin education. Little did he know that mowing greens and fixing divots would one day lead to a career writing about the best courses on the planet.

In 2004, Brian turned his golf passion into a business, launching GolfWisconsin.com. Three years later, he expanded his vision, and GolfTrips.com was born—a one-stop shop for golf travel junkies looking for their next tee time. Today, his empire spans all 50 states, and 20+ international destinations.

On the course, Brian is a weekend warrior who oscillates between a 5 and 9 handicap, depending on how much he's been traveling (or how generous he’s feeling with his scorecard). His signature move" A high, soft fade that his playing partners affectionately (or not-so-affectionately) call "The Weis Slice." But when he catches one clean, his 300+ yard drives remind everyone that while he may write about golf for a living, he can still send a ball into the next zip code with the best of them.

Whether he’s hunting down the best public courses, digging up hidden gems, or simply outdriving his buddies, Brian Weis is living proof that golf is more than a game—it’s a way of life.