Little Turtle
Weddings At Little Turtle
Tucked along the banks of Big Walnut Creek on a 200-acre Pete Dye-designed golf course property in Westerville, The Golf Club at Little Turtle has been hosting celebrations for over fifty years — and it shows in the best possible way. This is a venue that knows how to run a wedding. The combination of a genuinely beautiful natural setting, a warm and elegant ballroom, and a team with decades of event experience gives Little Turtle the kind of effortless, well-oiled quality that brides notice immediately when they tour.
The Golf Club At Little Turtle
5400 Little Turtle WayWesterville, Ohio 43081
614.212.4000
Venue Website
Maximum Wedding Size
150 Guests
Ceremony Sites
Inside and outside
Parking
Free & Plentiful
Outside Caterers
No
Wedding Receptions at Little Turtle
The Hawthorne Ballroom is the heart of the Little Turtle wedding experience. It's a warm, elegant space featuring high ceilings, a large stone fireplace, stunning chandeliers, and floor-to-ceiling windows that look out over the golf course grounds. The combination of the fireplace and the window views gives the room a character that feels simultaneously refined and welcoming — neither too formal nor too casual.
The ballroom accommodates up to 315 guests for a reception, with round table seating, floor-length linens, and chiavari chairs all included. A built-in dance floor and bar space mean the room is set up intelligently for a reception flow rather than requiring significant reconfiguration.
Adjoining the ballroom is the Hawthorne Patio — a brick-lined outdoor space that extends the venue seamlessly for cocktail hour, outdoor ceremonies, or additional reception space. When the weather cooperates, it's a beautiful and natural extension of the indoor space.
For smaller, more intimate gatherings, The Studio accommodates up to 30 guests and provides access to the outdoor patio. Many couples use it as a bridal suite during the day before transitioning it for a small rehearsal dinner or family gathering.
The venue also offers inclusive bridal and groom suites — a detail that reviewers consistently appreciate, noting the spaces are spacious and well-appointed for the getting-ready experience.
In-house catering is provided by the club's executive chef, and food quality comes up repeatedly in reviews. One couple's parent specifically noted the bar setup and food as things their guests praised throughout the evening.
Preferred Wedding Vendors At Little Turtle
Wedding Ceremonies At Little Turtle
Little Turtle's outdoor ceremony space is one of its strongest selling points. The brick-lined area overlooks the golf course grounds and Lake Turtle, and the combination of the manicured landscape, mature trees, and water feature creates a genuinely picturesque ceremony backdrop. The setting feels secluded and private despite being conveniently located — guests appreciate that it doesn't feel like a venue parking lot dressed up with flowers, but a real natural space that happens to be perfectly configured for a ceremony.
For indoor ceremonies, the Hawthorne Ballroom provides a warm and elegant alternative, with the stone fireplace serving as a natural focal point behind the couple. After the ceremony, guests move to the patio for cocktail hour while the room is reset for the reception — a standard country club flow that the Little Turtle team executes smoothly.
The venue has hosted events for over fifty years and has refined its ceremony-to-reception transition to the point where couples consistently describe the day as feeling effortless and well-orchestrated.
More Great Insights For Columbus Wedding Venues
Wedding Pictures At Little Turtle
Little Turtle's 200 acres of Pete Dye-designed golf course provide wedding photographers with an exceptional canvas — far more variety than most country club venues in the Columbus area.
The most popular photo spots include the lakeside areas along Big Walnut Creek and around Lake Turtle, where the water provides beautiful reflection shots and a naturally romantic framing. The fountain feature on the property is another consistent favorite, and the manicured fairways and mature trees throughout the course give you the kind of lush, green backdrops that make outdoor wedding portraits look exceptional.
The club allows access to the golf course for bride and groom photos, which means your photographer can take you well beyond the clubhouse to find the best light and scenery. The grounds across 200 acres offer significant variety — open fairways, wooded areas, water features, and manicured landscapes all in close proximity.
The Hawthorne Patio also makes for beautiful ceremony and portrait photography, particularly in golden hour when the warm light catches the brick and the surrounding greenery.
Insider Tips For Your Little Turtle Wedding
A few things worth knowing:
The venue has a reputation for strong value relative to other Columbus-area wedding venues at a similar quality level. Multiple couples specifically mentioned being pleasantly surprised by what they got for their investment.
The staff handles setup and teardown as part of the package — couples note this is a meaningful convenience that reduces stress considerably on the wedding day.
The Studio is a great use of space if you want a comfortable, private getting-ready area for a smaller group or a separate space for the groom's party.
Little Turtle is located in Westerville at Little Turtle Way W, which puts it in a convenient northeast Columbus location close to I-270 and with easy access to several hotel options for out-of-town guests.
The venue is across the street from Blendon Woods Metro Park — a beautiful natural area that your photographer may want to explore for additional portrait locations.
The 50+ years of event experience at this venue is reflected in how smoothly the day tends to run. Couples who've had experiences at less-experienced venues particularly notice the difference.