Elks 797 Golf Club

For more than half a century, golfers in Southern Ohio have enjoyed countless rounds and built a rich heritage at today's featured course: $14 for 18 Holes with Cart and Range Balls at Elks 797 Golf Club in Wilmington near Cincinnati ($33 Value. Good Any Day, Any Time until August 1, 2014.)

Now known as Elks 797 Golf Club, the original golf course was built by Wayne F. Cox. Mr. Cox, mostly by his own labor, over about 145 acres of his farm. The first nine holes were opened to the public in 1960 and work continued on the other nine holes. The ambitious plan called for the construction of two lakes as well as the transplant of several hundred evergreen trees, mostly spruce and pines. The work gave the course a more mature look and feel than its age indicated.

To save a public golf course for the community and prevent it from being developed, the trustees of the Elks 797 Lodge, located adjacent to the golf course, were able to hold the course until it was purchased by two Elks families, Ernest and Wilda Wilson and Joseph and Naomi Shaw. The purchase included more than 80 acres, a fraction of the upper lake and the driving range.

Notable holes include No. 14, a 189-yard par-3 with a forced carry over water, and No, 16, a huge par-4 of 436 yards that features a sharp dogleg as well as the #1 handicap.

Before your round, tune in your putter on Elks 797's large practice green. The green is well-maintained and built to match the shape and speed of the greens on the course.