Sand Ridge dates to 1992, when Chairman of Fairmount Minerals and avid golfer William Conway approached world-renowned golf course architect Tom Fazio, igniting the designer's creative drive by showing him the beauty of the land: 370 acres of woods, pastures and wetlands located next to the Fairmount Minerals sandstone quarry in Chardon.

When Conway and Fazio teamed up to build Sand Ridge, they envisioned a world-class course for enthusiasts of the undiluted game – pure golf, a traditional caddie program, and  a routing plan that is challenging  yet fair. Fazio’s design made brilliant use of the five natural wetlands present on Sand Ridge's acreage. Not only is the course's beauty enhanced by the wetland's presence; Sand Ridge was the first course in Ohio, and one of a select few in the world, to be designated as a Certified Audubon International Signature Wildlife Sanctuary.

Course construction started in late 1995 and the course opened on May 18, 1998.

Tom Fazio's spectacular course design has lived up to Bill Conway's vision, attracting both local and national acclaim. The club has received numerous awards, and was ranked as high as America’s 52nd best golf course by Golf Digest.  In its brief history, Sand Ridge has hosted numerous qualifiers, including the U.S. Open, the Senior and Junior Amateur, and, most recently, the NCAA Division I Men’s Regional qualifier in 2006.