Now you can experience the TPC #17 here in Columbus
By Nate Smith, Columbus Wired Contributor

Tucked away in Lewis Center, just a hop, skip and a jump north of Polaris Fashion Mall, among the hustle and bustle of busy intersections and shopping plazas is a hidden gem with a little something for everyone.

Little Bear Village isn’t just a golf course it’s a golf experience.

Complete with a practice green and on-site club pro Little Bear Village is perfect for the non-traditional golfer who just wants to get out and play.

In fact, that unique crowd is precisely what Little Bear Village is catering to; it would stand to reason, after all, that a course so inherently unique would want a wide range of guests to enjoy it.

Little Bear Village is not your typical golf course. 2007 Donald Ross award winner, the highest honor given by the American Society of Golf Course Architects, Michael Hurdzan designed this picturesque course which features two large lakes, stream, stone waterfall, 22 sand traps and over 600 trees.

Owner, Bill McCorkle, a former professional bowler added his expertise within the realm of bowling to his golf course.

The greens at Little Bear Village are made of synthetic grass, which helps the ball roll truer, and keeps the greens looking nicer, longer.

“A few decades ago, bowling alleys started using a synthetic wood surface on their lanes, which helped the balls roll better and it cut down on expenses, too,” explains McCorkle.

McCorkle is certainly a pioneer in this regard as Little Bear Village is the only course in Central Ohio with synthetic grass on their green. However, this fact doesn’t seem to bother him one bit.

“I guess it took someone from outside the game to see that angle as a possibility,” McCorkle said.

Composed of 10 holes, instead of the standard 18, Little Bear Village is great for those who want to pop in and play a quick round before, after or even during work.

Also, Little Bear Village is perfect for the family of four who may not be welcome on other courses.

“There aren’t many things families can do together anymore,” said McCorkle. “But, that’s really our niche—we welcome a lot of these families that may not be welcome on other courses.”

Adding to the flexibility of play, the 10-hole course has two sides, a front five and a back five.

Of course, players still finish on holes number nine and 18.

“We staggered the five holes on each side, skipping every other number, so players still finish the same way they would on any other course, “McCorkle said. “It just didn’t seem right to me for players not finish on [numbers] nine and 18.”

An added bonus awaits the golfer after the round, too. Upon completion of a full 10-hole round, an additional bonus hole awaits players upon return to the clubhouse. A replica of the 17th hole at TPC at Sawgrass, this bonus hole is called TPC at Little Bear and consists of all of the amenities of the original golf hole, right down to the railroad ties that surround the bunker in front of the green.

“One of our biggest goals was to open up the game of golf to those who couldn’t get in otherwise,” McCorkle said.

Little Bear Village caters to the non-golfer, too. Little Bear Village always has a full bar and grille, a health and fitness room and a 3600 sq. ft. banquet hall available for use during those special occasions.

Little Bear Village truly is a classy addition to northern Columbus and serves a wide range of guests of all ages.

It is this fascinating nuance that sets Little Bear Village apart from most of the other golf courses in the Columbus area. While many other courses may not promote the play of kids, or first-time golfers on the course, Little Bear embraces this curious demographic and ensures that an all around positive experience will be had by all.

Rare is the time when a seasoned pro and an inexperienced novice can go out, play the same course and have fun doing it. However, Little Bear Village is precisely that course. The next time a golf itch needs to be scratched, but time is short, pop in to Little Bear Village.

McCorkle summed up his desire for Little Bear patrons rather succinctly, “We want people smiling, laughing and having a good time.”

http://www.littlebearvillage.com/golfhome.htm