NCR South Course
In Kettering, just south of Dayton, the South Course at NCR Country Club is one of the most decorated tournament venues in Ohio. Designed by Dick Wilson and opened in 1954 as a corporate club for the National Cash Register company, it is a par 71 of around 7,055 yards, a heavily wooded, doglegged test where accuracy beats power. It has hosted five USGA and PGA championships, including the 1969 PGA, the 1986 US Women's Open and the 2005 US Senior Open. It is a private club.
Photograph: NCR Country Club, via Google
The verdict
NCR South is a championship course in the classic American mold, where the round is decided off the tee. Dick Wilson, one of the great mid-century architects, laid it out in 1954 for the National Cash Register company, and it remains a heavily wooded, cleverly bunkered and frequently doglegged layout that the players have long called a thinking man's course. There is little brute about it at a shade over 7,000 yards; instead it demands position, shape and discipline, the ability to fit a tee shot into a turning corridor and then strike a precise approach into a well-defended green.
For the traveling golfer, NCR South offers the chance to play a genuine major championship venue away from the crowds and the price of the more famous names. It crowned Raymond Floyd at the 1969 PGA Championship, hosted the 1986 US Women's Open and the 2005 US Senior Open, and has held five USGA and PGA championships in all. Although it is private, it stands as the championship landmark of the Dayton area, a fine pairing with the major history of Inverness and the Columbus duo of Scioto and Muirfield Village for a tour of championship Ohio.
NCR South at a glance
- Opened
- 1954
- Designer
- Dick Wilson
- Type
- Wooded parkland
- Par
- 71
- Yardage
- Around 7,055 yds
- Access
- Private member club
Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026 from club, tournament and course-database sources. The South Course plays as a par 71 of around 7,055 yards, a Dick Wilson design of 1954. It is a private member club with no public access and no published green fee; a round comes only as a member's guest, so always confirm directly.
The holes worth the trip
NCR South earns its thinking man's reputation honestly. The fairways thread between mature trees and turn at the dogleg, so the tee shot is a question of both line and shape rather than raw distance, and the player who can move the ball to fit the hole is rewarded while the one who simply bombs it is often blocked out. Dick Wilson's bunkering is placed to catch the shot that ignores the angle, and the greens, true to his style, are firm and demanding, asking for a controlled approach from the correct side of the fairway.
The course holds up to the modern game not through length but through precision, which is exactly why it has hosted so many national championships at par 71. The closing holes in particular reward nerve and accuracy, the kind of stretch where a tournament can be won or lost, and where Raymond Floyd held on in 1969. It is a course that flatters the straight, shaped tee ball and the crisp iron, and frustrates the wild, and it plays differently and more interestingly than its yardage suggests.
What makes NCR South special is its championship pedigree paired with its understated, members-first character, a serious tournament course without the fanfare. It is an accuracy player's parkland, demanding off the tee and exacting around the greens, and a rewarding day for any handicap willing to think their way around. For the golfer building a championship tour of Ohio, it is the Dayton-area landmark to set alongside Inverness and Scioto.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Private; play is for members and their guests, with no public tee sheet or daily fee |
| Green fee | No published green fee, as the course is not open to public play; a round comes only as a member's guest, so always confirm access directly |
| Booking | Through a member; a concierge can advise on the realistic alternatives around Dayton for a wider trip |
| As a spectator | A five-time USGA and PGA championship venue; major events have brought the public to the South Course over the decades |
| Best months | Late spring to early autumn, when southwest Ohio is at its best and the course runs firm |
| Getting there | In Kettering, just south of Dayton and its airport, around an hour west of Columbus |
Access verified June 2026 from club and tournament sources; the course is private with no public play, so always confirm access directly. Ask about a Dayton golf trip.
Where to stay nearby
The natural base is Dayton, where downtown and the southern suburbs around Kettering offer hotels within easy reach of the club, and the city's airport keeps the wider region in range. Staying near Dayton keeps NCR close for a member's invitation and puts the rest of southwest Ohio within a comfortable drive for a multi day golf trip.
Because NCR is private, most golfers fold it into a wider Ohio championship tour built around what they can play. Pair the idea with the major history of Inverness in Toledo, the Columbus pairing of Scioto Country Club and Muirfield Village, or Seth Raynor's classic Camargo near Cincinnati to the south.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts around Dayton and southwest Ohio.
Build an Ohio golf trip
NCR South is the championship landmark of the Dayton area, best enjoyed as part of a trip built around the courses you can play. We plan trips through Ohio and the Midwest, arrange the tee times, hotels and order of play, and handle the logistics end to end. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
NCR South questions
Can visitors play NCR South Course?
NCR is a private member club and is not open to public play; a round comes only as a member's guest, and there is no published green fee. A concierge can advise on the realistic alternatives around Dayton, but always confirm any access directly with the club.
Who designed NCR South Course?
The South Course was designed by Dick Wilson and opened in 1954, built as a corporate club for the National Cash Register company. It is a heavily wooded, cleverly bunkered and frequently doglegged layout known as a thinking man's course.
What is the par and yardage at NCR South?
The South Course plays as a par 71 of around 7,055 yards. Accuracy matters more than length on this tree-lined, doglegged Dick Wilson design, where finding the fairway from the tee is the key to a good score.
What championships has NCR South hosted?
The South Course has hosted five USGA and PGA championships, including the 1969 PGA Championship won by Raymond Floyd, the 1986 US Women's Open and the 2005 US Senior Open. It is one of the most decorated tournament courses in Ohio.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, par, yardage, championship history and access verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.