Celebrating The Final Season Of Golf At Shawnee Lookout

Shawnee Lookout Golf Course opened 40 years ago this week. This summer is the course's last before it closes.

Guests attend the opening ceremony of Shawnee Lookout Golf Course, June 16, 1979. Seated fifth to the right is none other than the first man on the moon, Neil Armstrong. He was one of the first people to hit a golf ball at the course. Photo courtesy Great Parks of Hamilton County.

(North Bend, Oh.) - Both Shawnee Lookout park and golf course boast significant historical connections to the first person on the moon, two former presidents, and ancient Native American civilizations. With the golf course entering its final year these unique stories from the park’s history are worth remembering once again.

On its first opening day, June 16, 1979, seven dignitaries held the honor of being the first ones to hit a ball off the tee. One of those golfers was Neil Armstrong, an Ohio native and the first person to walk on the moon. News coverage of the course called it a “tough, hilly test,” with one manager hoping that golfers would stick with the course even if they lost a few balls in the process.

Doug Stultz, director of golf for Great Parks, says the course maintained that reputation over the decades.

“It’s a challenging, target-oriented course,” he said. “Better golfers who can be precise with their shots have always enjoyed playing here.”

The hills that make the course challenging also give it some of the most incredible views in the area. From the very high 18th tee, a golfer can see three states, plus both the Ohio and Great Miami Rivers. The course is also close to the Miami Fort Power Station. When the plant’s cooling towers were being cleaned, if the wind was just right, millions of tiny bubbles would float through the air around the course.

As announced in December, Shawnee Lookout Golf Course will close in September 2019. Cart paths will become available to use as trails and the public will still be able to experience the unique cultural and natural resources which are being preserved and protected throughout the rest of the park.

Shawnee Lookout’s Rich Experiences

Shawnee Lookout park will remain open and continue to offer its rich cultural and natural resources that are unique to the area. The history of the park’s land is very significant, and in 1974 it was included in Ohio’s first National Archaeological District.

Luke Ogonek, an education manager for Great Parks, says Shawnee Lookout holds evidence of people living there consistently as early as 14,000 years ago. Earthworks, burial mounds and retention ponds all hint at ancient activity. More recently, this land at the confluence of two major rivers played an important role in American pioneering history.

“The Shawnee Lookout area is rich with the history of relationships that were established between pioneer settlers and the native Americans who lived here,” Ogonek said. An early pioneer fort was located where the two rivers meet. An old schoolhouse from the early 1800s is in the park. It is quite possible that both William Henry Harrison and his son Benjamin Harrison, who both lived in Hamilton County and served as President of the United States in the 1800s, may have walked through the doors of that schoolhouse.

In addition to its history, Shawnee Lookout has fascinating wildlife, including bobcats and zebra tail butterflies. Ogonek says Running Buffalo Clover, a plant on the endangered species list, can be found in the park, as well as several other diverse endangered species that are part of nature recovery plans. With its overlook of the river valley, this is also a great park for bird watching.

Even with the changes coming to Shawnee Lookout, the land itself will continue to be a treasure of history and wildlife for years to come.