Stonelick Hills offers one of the Cincinnati area’s most enjoyable public rounds—a hilly, wooded layout where shot-making, not sheer length, rules the day. You’ll enjoy pure golf off the map of real estate, with fast greens and smartly routed holes laying out risk and reward.
Course DNA
Difficulty82
Scenery86
Conditioning93
Shot Variety88
Walkability70
Green Complexity79
Architectural Interest73
At a glance
Quick facts
Location
Batavia, Ohio (near Cincinnati)
Opened
2004
Designer
Jeff Osterfeld
Par
72
Yardage
7,145 yds (back tees)
Slope / Rating
133 / 73.9 (tips)
Access
Public
Green Fee
$110
The lore
How it came to be
2004
Stonelick Hills opens, conceived as a pure golf-only project
2004
Founder Jeff Osterfeld (of Penn Station East Coast Subs) designs every hole and bunker
2008
Rapidly develops strong regional reputation for conditioning and layout
2012
Local newspapers call it "the best in the county"
2018
Course guide and strategy resources expanded online
Stories & legends
What makes it special
Origins
From Subs to Subtle Doglegs
Stonelick Hills is the passion project of Jeff Osterfeld, a sandwich shop entrepreneur who poured his resources into creating a pure golf experience. Forgoing the real estate trend, he designed every hole himself – and still personally tweaks the course to this day.
Wildlife
Buffalo on the Back Nine
Reviewers are charmed by the sight of live buffalo just outside the property—a quirky touch that adds to the authentic, local feel. A glimpse of these gentle beasts reminds you this is Ohio, not just any golf corridor.
Philosophy
No Houses, Just Tee Boxes
Unlike most modern courses, Stonelick Hills has no homes ringing its fairways. Its founder rejected real estate plans, devoting the entire property to pure, uninterrupted golf.
The design
The architecture
Stonelick Hills is a labor of love, conceived by Jeff Osterfeld to strip away distractions and deliver authentic, pure golf. The routing cleverly exploits the rolling, wooded terrain, winding between ponds, lakes, and elevation changes to keep every hole distinctive. Osterfeld’s course, while not professionally pedigreed, surprises with strategic nuance—balancing risk and reward, especially on the back nine and in the five-par-5, five-par-3 arrangement. Conditioning is excellent, greens are fast and honest, and each hole feels thought-out for maximum enjoyment.
Jeff Osterfeld personally designed every hole, making Stonelick Hills his golf magnum opus.
Defining features
Heavily wooded corridors
Numerous ponds and lakes
Balanced mix: five par 3s and five par 5s
Climactic closing stretch
Fast, pristine greens
Strategic landing areas and risk/reward options
Hole by hole
Signature holes
Hole 9
The Risk/Reward Pinnacle
PAR
5
YARDAGE
510–559 yds
This dramatic par 5 marks the front nine’s crescendo: your tee shot skirts water on the right, with a bold chance to go for the green in two over a lake. It's no accident—the risk is exhilarating, and the reward is real.
Play it smart
Aggressive drives can set up a bold second, but smart players lay back for a safe wedge.
Where it bites
Miss right off the tee or overcook your second, and you’re wet—layups are never wrong here.
Course management
Shots to think about
Attacking the 9th green in two
Only go for it if you have a perfect angle and no wind—otherwise, lay up short of the lake.
Short par 4s (7 and 16)
Trust your wedge play unless you’re absolutely confident in your driver accuracy.
Long par 3s (6 & 17)
Club up, play to the fat of the green, and walk away content with par.
Par 5 second shots
Smart layups beat forced heroics—don’t let eagerness cost you a lost ball.
Downhill tee shots
Adjust yardage for elevation—shots can carry further than you expect.
Wind swirling by the lakes
Double-check the flag and treetops before picking your club.
On the day
What to expect
Conditions
Exceptional conditioning—firm fairways and fast greens
Pace
Fast for a public course; usually under 4.5 hours
Vibe
Golf-forward, welcoming, not stuffy
Build the trip
Building a Cincinnati golf trip around Stonelick
CourseAccessWhy it's on the listTrip
Shaker Run Golf Club
Public
A strong public companion with destination-caliber variety and a fun, playable routing.
Camargo Club
Private
The area's preeminent classic private architecture for a bucket-list round—if you can secure an invite.
Kenwood Country Club
Private
Longtime local favorite with a championship pedigree.
Walden Ponds Golf Club
Public
Friendly layout and public-accessible, good for a lower-stress encore round.
Milford or northeast Cincinnati for quickest access to both Stonelick Hills and the region’s best clubs
Before you tee off
Your game plan
01
Study the Course Guide
Use Stonelick’s online guide to plan your start and highlight risk/reward holes in advance.
02
Bring Your A-Game Wedges
Short par 4s and reachable par 5s mean wedge play swings scoring.
03
Prep for Elevation Changes
Practice clubbing and shaping shots up- and downhill; the hills matter.