Elyria (Ohio) Plotting a New Course


Ohio native Jack Nicklaus has signed on to design a new 18-hole golf course in Elyria. The county seat of Lorain County has a population of 54,000.

On April 20, representatives from Nicklaus Design gave city council members and residents an overview of the project, named Valley of the Eagles.

In addition to the new golf course, the 145-acre site of the former Spring Valley Golf Club has plans to include a 200-unit duplex-type residential community, two restaurants, a brewery and beer garden, and an indoor practice facility with eight golf simulators.

The project is being backed by developer Robert Corna. If all goes well with final permits, work will commence on the course in 2015, with a projected opening of next year or in 2017.

City officials are excited about the development, which has seen various versions of a new project on the property over the past eight years. It now appears Corna has assembled a team that can bring Valley of the Eagles to fruition.

"I want to thank the new team in place for Valley of the Eagles," Elyria Mayor Holly Brinda told reporter Adriana Adkins of the local Morning Journal. "We have a strong desire for this project to move forward and are very excited with the project at this point. By next year this time, hopefully, we'll be sitting in the beer garden."

"We expect it to be a landmark project, not just for people who come to golf but people seeking great food and craft beers," David Wall, clubhouse and housing development manager, told Lisa Robertson of the Chronicle-Telegram.

Council President Mike Lotko, D-at large, remarked to Robertson, "We have been worried for a while, but I'm excited, and I can't want to see it all done."

The current project involves re-purposing Spring Valley's old swimming pool into the beer garden. That component, along and the golf course, are in the initial phase of the development, with the housing component having to go through a separate public-review and permitting process.

Columbus native Nicklaus, an 18-time major winner and arguably the greatest golfer in history, has ties to the former Spring Valley club. The Golden Bear's annual Lorain County Community College/Jack Nicklaus Scholarship Golf Benefit was first played there.

Nicklaus Design has created nearly 380 courses worldwide, with the firm's namesake responsible for 290 of those.

For Robertson’s full article, visit http://chronicle.northcoastnow.com/2015/04/21/elyria-council-gets-update-eagle-valley-project.