History Of Wilkshire Golf Club... New Links Readied for Spring Play - The Times Reporter - 10/22/69 In recent months the sound of 'big cats' have knifed the serenity of the rolling hills of north eastern Tuscarawas County. The sound of the heavy equipment chugging its way across the terrain signals the birth of an extravagant plan to enhance an already beautiful area. The fairways are seeded and the greens and tees are going in at a good pace and Wilkshire Hills Golf Course should be ready for its initial test come spring. Under the critical and experienced eye of owner J.M. Easterday of Canton the newest of county golf courses is being molded into the general landscape along Route 212 between Bolivar and Zoarville. The 18-hole layout consumes 140 acres of what eventually will be Wilkshire Hills community. Easterday, who has developed golf courses for other people since 1945 says, "I decided it's about time to do one for myself." A golfer himself, (he wouldn't divulge his handicap) Easterday will operate the public course with his son John. Nine holes will definitely be open for play by spring or early summer of 1970 with the "back nine" to be ready shortly thereafter. The front nine will measure 3050 yards and the back nine, 3170 for a total of 6220 yards. Par is 33-36. All greens will be 5000 square feet or more. A driving range and practice green are in the place as well as a lake on the back nine near holes 13 and 14. The lake will provide irrigation for the fairways as well as a water hazard for aspiring linksmen. A pitch and putt course is in the mind of the developer but no definite plans for this are in the immediate future. There will be trees and sand traps, doglegs and knolls but the natural lay out of the land will be untarnished. The "rough," bordering fairways, should not be too difficult. Easterday and Harry Burkhart of Cleveland laid out the course. Work began the last week of August. The land was purchased from Roger Wilkin, head of Rog-Win Inc., a resident of North Canton who will develop the surrounding 2700 acres of community property. A clubhouse will go up along 212 with construction to be completed by the time the course opens. A new 4-lane access route is under construction. The general layout and decor will follow a rustic or early American style. The clubhouse will house a snack bar and pro shop. A club pro has yet to be contracted. Memberships will be offered as well as opportunity for league play. Motorized carts will also be available, although the course does not appear too difficult to walk for the hail and hardy. A quick look at what golfers will face when all 18 holes are open shows 7 doglegs, 2 water holes and a abundance of sand, ditches and trees just to make it "more interesting." The challenge begins as one leaves the clubhouse to tee up on a 510-yard, par 5 opener. Number 2 is a "breather" at 175 yards, par 3 then its back to the long ball on Number 3 for 500 yards and a par 5. This is a dogleg as is Number one. Number 4 is a 315-yard par 4 with a 5 a 175-yard par 3. Six doglegs for 400 yards and a tough par 4 while 7 has a shorter bend and a par 4 at 345 yards. The eighth hole is 350 yards, par 4 with 9 the same par but 20 yards shorter. The back nine opens with a long par 4 of 450 yards and a dogleg. Eleven is 475 but a par 5 is the prize. It's 310 yards to number 13, a par 4. Thirteen and 14 may be considered the "monster holes." The first is a 515-yard, par 5 with a dogleg that opens up to water. The latter is only 185 yards and a par 3 but those floating balls may again be the order of the day. It should take 4 strokes on the 290-yard number 15 while 16 will be an interesting par 3 at 220 yards into the bank of trees. Another lengthy par 4 with a dogleg is found off the seventeenth tee and the clubhouse hole is 410 yards, par 4. Both "nines" begin and end at the clubhouse. Along the way a 50-foot-wide stretch separates the "hackers" from the Tuscarawas River. A bridal path for horseback riding enthusiasts is planned.

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