Forest Hills Sports Country Club

Middletown sits in the Miami Valley corridor of southwestern Ohio, a working-class industrial city that has long punched above its weight in sports culture. The surrounding terrain is characteristic of the region — gently rolling glaciated land, broad skies, and the kind of mature tree cover that gives older Ohio courses their sense of enclosure and seasonal drama. Winters arrive with purpose here, which makes the warmer months on a course like this genuinely appreciated.

Short in yardage but not in challenge, par 62 golf rewards accuracy off the tee and a sharp short game. Members at Forest Hills play a format where bogeys sting more than they might on a championship layout — every stroke carries honest weight.