Cherry Ridge Golf Club donated to Lorain County Metro Parks

ELYRIA — Cherry Ridge Golf Club has changed hands but will continue to be an option for those who want to hit the links in Lorain County for at least several years to come, its new operator said Monday. The nearly 82-acre property at 1211 West River Road North recently was donated by owners Herman "Bucky" and Joanne Kopf of Avon Lake to the Lorain County Metro Parks and will continue to be operated as a golf course for at least the next two years. Surrounded on three sides by the Black River, the public course is a nine-hole par 35 built in the 1930s in an oxbow bend of the river. It is located just east of Midway Mall and just south of its larger neighbor, the Nicklaus Design-built Valley of the Eagles Golf Club. Lorain County Metro Parks Director James Ziemnik said the Kopfs previously offered to sell Cherry Ridge to the park district. Then, several months ago, Bucky Kopf approached the parks and offered to donate the property outright. The donation "came about pretty quickly, and we accepted it," Ziemnik said. The Kopfs also own the Sweetbriar and Legacy golf courses in Avon Lake. They could not immediately be reached for comment. The park district is committed to keeping Cherry Ridge open as a golf course for up to the next three years before re-evaluating its options, Ziemnik said. Because they are open-air and outdoors, golf courses were primed for success even during the COVID-19 pandemic. Courses were packed throughout March and April, the Chronicle-Telegram reported at the time. Golf courses were "high in demand with COVID," Ziemnik said. The summer weather proved optimal for players, and the park district's Forest Hills Golf Club in Carlisle Township saw "a high level of activity" this past year, he said. "We anticipate the market is still really good for that," Ziemnik said. "We're committed to a minimum of two years, probably three years, then we'll sit back and say 'Is this something we want to continue?' If at any point we get a feeling this isn't financially viable we'll probably have a second look at it, and whether there are any other uses for it." With its low level of technicality and only nine holes, Cherry Ridge will remain a place for recreational leagues and could be marketed as a place for youth golfers to learn the game and high school golf squads to practice. Cherry Ridge is in "wonderful condition," Ziemnik said. "I'm totally blown away by how well they've taken care of it," he said. "I can't say enough nice things about the Kopfs and their staff" — many of whom will remain employed with the Kopfs at their golf course properties in Avon Lake, Ziemnik said. "They're leaving us a magnificent piece of property," he added. Lorain County has been losing golf courses in the past several years, with Dragon Ranch Golf Club on state Route 58 in New Russia/Amherst townships now permanently closed and Emerald Woods golf course in Columbia Township closed and primed for residential development, Ziemnik noted. Cherry Ridge also won't replace or compete with Forest Hills as the park district's number-one destination for golf in Lorain County. Cherry Ridge is "not Elyria Country Club or Oberlin Country Club but it's surely a nice play to play if you want to learn the game," he said. Ziemnik said Forest Hills is a "well-kept secret" that has been gaining popularity with golfers from Cuyahoga County for its playability and reasonable rates. "People love playing there," Ziemnik said. "We're certainly very cautious and wary of not taking Cherry Ridge head-to-head with Forest Hills. We want those to work in tandem and definitely make sure Forest Hills is our premier 18 holes." Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com. Follow him at @daveobrienCT on Twitter.