Bel-Wood Country Club Has Been a Quiet Part of Warren County for Generations

MORROW, OH -- Down Ludlum Road outside Morrow sits a place that has been part of the Warren County landscape for more than 75 years.

Bel-Wood Country Club describes itself as “the quiet club in the country,” a fitting description for a private club surrounded by mature trees, rolling fairways and the countryside of eastern Warren County.

Founded in 1950, according to the Ohio Golf Association, Bel-Wood has grown into more than simply a place to play golf. Generations of members have come through its doors to golf, swim, eat, celebrate milestones and spend time with family and friends.

And on Sunday, Oct. 18, from noon until 4 PM, the normally members-only club will open its doors to visitors interested in seeing what is behind the gates.

More Than 75 Years in Morrow

The Ohio Golf Association lists Bel-Wood as a private, 18-hole Warren County club founded in 1950.

That means the club began during a very different era in Warren County, long before much of the residential and commercial development that now characterizes other parts of the county.

Bel-Wood has maintained much of that country setting.

The club today describes its course as featuring mature trees, lakes, water features and peaceful views. Members have access to an 18-hole course, driving range and putting green, along with lessons and golf programming.

For golfers, Bel-Wood can be a place for a full round or simply a quick nine holes after work.

But golf tells only part of its story.

Summers at the Pool

For many families, some of their strongest memories of a country club may have little to do with golf.

Bel-Wood's seasonal swimming pool continues to be among the amenities offered to members, along with outdoor pickleball courts, social activities and dining.

And the pool has been part of Bel-Wood life for decades.

An unlikely historical source provides a snapshot of the club during the 1980s. A 1987 decision from the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals described Bel-Wood as primarily a golf operation but noted that its facilities also included tennis courts, a swimming pool and dining facilities.

At that time, Bel-Wood's membership was limited to 305 members.

For generations of families, the pool has helped make Bel-Wood a place where parents and children could spend an entire summer afternoon rather than somewhere a golfer simply arrived, played 18 holes and went home.

Today, the pool remains part of the club's emphasis on being a family-oriented gathering place.

A Meal After a Round

Inside the clubhouse, another longtime part of Bel-Wood is its dining operation.

The Grille Room serves as the club's restaurant and gathering area. The current menu includes starters, sandwiches, items from the grill, salads, pizzas and daily dinner specials. Members can also make dining reservations through the club.

Dining isn't a new addition.

The same 1987 federal court record documenting the swimming pool also noted Bel-Wood's dining facility and said the club employed seven full-time and seven part-time food-and-drink workers at the time.

Over the years, the clubhouse has become a setting for more than an after-golf meal.

Bel-Wood also has several spaces for gatherings and celebrations. Barbara's Room, located off the Grille Room, accommodates smaller gatherings; Mary's Room offers a fireplace and space for family events and meetings; and the club's ballroom can accommodate larger weddings, receptions, corporate functions and other celebrations.

The ballroom opens onto a deck overlooking the course, and the property also includes a waterfall and pond near the pool house that has been used for ceremonies and outdoor events.

For some Warren County residents, that means their connection to Bel-Wood may have begun not with a golf club in their hands, but at a wedding reception, graduation party, luncheon or family celebration.

A Country Club in the Country

Warren County has changed dramatically during Bel-Wood's more than seven decades.

Population has grown, housing developments have spread and once-rural areas have become increasingly suburban.

Bel-Wood, however, continues to lean into its country setting.

Its official website describes the club as a place where golf, family and friends come together and where members can get away from the pace of everyday life.

That atmosphere may be one reason members have continued returning generation after generation.

The 1987 court record offers another glimpse into how Bel-Wood operated nearly four decades ago. The private club advertised for members in local newspapers and generally required prospective members to have an existing member sponsor them, although applicants were sometimes admitted without one. Local organizations could also arrange to use the golf course on Mondays.

While some things have changed since then, the basic idea behind the club has remained recognizable: golf at the center, surrounded by dining, recreation and social life.

What's in a Name?

One piece of Bel-Wood's early history remains something of a mystery — how the club received its distinctive name.

Golf records trace Bel-Wood Country Club to 1950, and the name has been associated with the Morrow club for generations. But publicly available historical records do not appear to explain who chose the name or what inspired it.

Could “Bel-Wood” have been intended to suggest beautiful woods, perhaps inspired by the wooded country setting surrounding the course? It is an appealing possibility, but so far the Warren County Post has found no documentation confirming that explanation.

So we are turning the question over to longtime members and Warren County residents:  Do you know how Bel-Wood Country Club got its name?

If you remember the story, know one of the club's early members or have old photographs, advertisements or documents connected to Bel-Wood's beginnings, the Warren County Post would love to hear from you.

Sometimes the best pieces of local history are still sitting in a family scrapbook, an old newspaper clipping or simply in someone's memory.

A Chance to Look Inside

Those who have passed the club but never had an opportunity to see the property will have that chance this month.  Bel-Wood Country Club will hold an open house from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, at 5873 Ludlum Road in Morrow.

Visitors will be able to take self-guided tours of the clubhouse, enjoy refreshments and take golf-cart tours of the 18-hole course. Marketing Director Sarah Grimpo will also be available to answer questions about membership.

The event offers the public a rare opportunity to look around a club normally reserved for members and their guests. For some visitors, the attraction may be golf. Others may be interested in the pool, pickleball, dining or social events.

But the open house also provides an opportunity to see something that has become increasingly uncommon in rapidly growing Warren County — a quiet piece of the countryside that has been welcoming generations of members since 1950.

More than 75 years later, Bel-Wood is still living up to the description it has adopted for itself:

“The quiet club in the country.”

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