Boring old person OT - Suggest a golf course I should play
Short preface, COVID and a lower back injury laid me pretty low and one of the things that brought me back was a golf trip to North Carolina with an old friend I hadn’t seen in years. I got a chance to play Tobacco Road (never thought I’d enjoy the work of a Sparty that much) & The Cradle at Pinehurst, and it did what it does to many middle aged men, started an addiction. In my earlier days it was drugs or Jordans and now it is playing different golf courses. This year I have made it my goal to play 52 different courses, today I played 40 (Heathlands @ TPC Toronto).
Being from the Southern Ontario area we aren’t blessed with the variety of world class courses Michigan is. Our best courses are private and while I do alright and was blessed with a great life, it wasn’t exclusive country club great. I’m planning to do a Michigan trip to see how many great courses I can fit in. The obvious ones being the loop and Arcadia bluffs, but I'd love some local suggestions. I think greywalls may be a drive too far for this trip but I’d love to play your quirky local public course. Any and all suggestions are welcome. Like I said I’m a childless 41 year old with no children and a very understanding wife, golf is 90% of my personality now. Don’t live in Michigan, drop your favorite anyways, I’ve set a goal to try and play as many Gil Hanse courses as I can so who knows I may be close to where one of your favorites are.
Try the Gull Lake View courses out in the Battle Creek, Michigan area.
They have 6 courses, 4 of them which are really nice and challenging.
Reasonable rates because they are not in a high population area.
WEST course was the easiest. EAST was my favorite. STONEHENGE SOUTH has many hills.
BEDFORD VALLEY used to host the Michigan Amateur. Front 9 was easy, back nine very challenging.
I have not played the other two courses yet.
https://gulllakeview.com/golf/golf-courses/
Note: This is just my opinion. I am not associated with ownership/management of the course. I just played there many times when I lived/worked out in Kalamazoo.
I have yet to play the new or links course. How is it?
I haven't played the new courses yet. However, being that they are newer, I am guessing that the trees and bushes, used as hazards, are not fully developed. Now would be a good time to learn the course before it matures and becomes a challenge.
If the area is the same, I would think that the hills are many.
Stoatin Brae is by far my favorite of the GL courses. I don’t like Bedford Valley and don’t care much for either the GO east or west courses. The Stonehedge courses are fine, but Stoatin is pretty special. I think it has overtaken Pilgrim’s Run as my favorite course in the area to play.
Diamond Springs in Hamilton is good value. Thousand Oaks is really good if you can get on it. Both Manistee National courses are worth playing, as is Hemlock in Ludington. Belvedere is terrific. I didn’t like The Chief at all, will never play it again. Black Forest was an ass-eater, but they let it go. I don’t care much for the Garland courses but Treetops is the real deal, especially the Fazio course. I used to play Mistwood in Lake Ann and really enjoyed that track, although I’ve heard they’ve let it go some. Don’t like Harbor Shores much.
I played Crystal Downs once. Amazing. One of the best courses I’ve ever played.
If you live in Southern Ontario, you should play Cobble Beach up in Owen Sound.
Went on a 3-day trip there last year and played 5 of the courses. Highly recommend the place for a bunch of great golf in a small area.
great suggestion thank you. I actually had stoatin brae on a tentative list but hadn’t looked into what was around/part of it
Played all but Stoatin as it opened right before I moved from Kalamazoo, where I had lived for 12 years, to Ohio.
I’ll add, if you’re in that area (SW Michigan) a few gems that aren’t super fancy but great courses typically in good shape are Bedford Valley (Battle Creek), Angels Crossing (Vicksburg), Lake Doster (Plainwell; used to be great but fell on hard times, but have rebounded and are putting money back into it), and Cheshire Hills (Allegan).
Moors is also phenomenal but it’s a private course. Been home to a number of Michigan and US Amateurs. Even hosted a US Open qualifier once. Used to play there once a month or so with a friend who was a member
Oh yeah!!!
Lake Doster, with the Little Monster hole!!!!
https://www.lakedostergolf.com/little-monster/
Played The Moors a few times as well.
Only played Lake Doster once, unlikely to go back.
The little monster is just stupid. The tee doesn't get enough air or light, so it was played off a mat. The green was rock hard, so even though you're coming in with a wedge you can't hold it - I hit the front and NOPE, gone over the back.
This is a good suggestion for reasonable priced golf on solid courses. I live in Paw Paw and play the group or Gull Lake courses annually, I especially enjoy Stonehedge North and South.
If you make the trip over to the west side, my first suggestion is Heritage Glenn, it is is tremendous condition for a little known course. I would also suggest Lake Michigan Hills, has hosted many qualifiers to the Western Am., it's out near Coloma Mi. If you want to DM me, we can arrange a day on Point of the Woods and The Dunes Club. These are not public but both are spectacular courses.
I've played Harbor Shores a few times but it's not my favorite. It has some spectacular views but Jack created some very gimmicky greens. Good Luck on your trip, you're going to find some great courses for sure.
I fully agree with you on Lake Michigan Hills. I've only played it once and started out well (well for me, anyway), going par-bogey-par on the first 3 holes. From that point on it was all downhill---not a single par and was only able to escape with bogey maybe twice the remainder of the day.
Lake Michigan Hills and Bedford Valley are great courses.
What an offer. You should take Rubberband up on this offer. Point O Woods and The Dunes Club are great courses I have yet to be able to get on.
I also agree with his suggestion on Heritage Glenn. I also loved playing Stoatin Brae. I like Harbor Shores but I enjoy gimmicky greens. If you like links courses then Hawks Head north of South Haven is a good course.
Good luck on your trip.
I will 2nd jcgary on this you should jump on that offer. I also have not yet gotten the opportunity to get out there myself but we recently bought a business in the area and I drive past them all the time and have heard nothing but great things about both. The most common advice I get is that if I ever get the opportunity to play them I cannot pass it up so I am happy to pass that advice on to you!
I can confirm that Lake Michigan Hills is a great value and that Harbors Shores was fun to play once but I don't feel the need to go back.
I am guessing if you are driving past both often you may be mistaking Lost Dunes for the Dunes Club. Two different private courses. Lost Dunes in Bridgman is amazing. I have been lucky to golf there a few times over the past few years. The Dunes Club is a private course just north of New Buffalo which is not easy to find. Just guessing as I have heard many people confuse the two.
I do also drive past Lost Dunes and that one looks like the nicest of all of them but we do enough work on Marquette Dr and drive past on Red Arrow with some frequency that we drive past The Dunes as well. I have not heard anyone that has played the Lost Dunes yet but it definitely catches the eye along the freeway
Rubberband,
I would love to take you up on the golf offer. I lived in St. Joseph for 10 years, played at Lake Michigan Hills, had the pleasure of being a guest at the Point 'O Woods many times, but never played The Dunes Club. I live in Mattawan now and play at Heritage Glen.
My brother lives in Maine, but has season football tickets and comes back for most of the home games. Getting us on both courses for a Friday or Sunday of fall golf would be awesome. I'm a 7, he's a scratch, and we're both UM grads.
And both are fun poker players.
Lol, don't you need to change your name to MaizeNBlue_Tucson..?
Fair point.
thanks incredibly generous of you. I will absolutely take you up on that.
I have had some mixed luck with Jack courses, usually because they're designed as stadium courses. The one nearest me, Glen Abbey, always struck me as a waste of a good piece of property
Bay Harbor might be my favorite in Northern Michigan
Stunning view!!
Agreed on Bay Harbor. If you're going in that direction, I'll also suggest a course essentially across the street called Crooked Tree. One of my favorites that doesn't seem to get the credit it deserves.
Crooked Tree is a blast. Played a couple weeks ago and is definitely towards the top of the list of my favorites I've played.
This is the best course I've played. Better than Arcadia Bluffs. I'd add The Chief in Bellaire and The Black Forest in Gaylord as two of the tougher courses I've played.
Black Forests is shut down, Played Both and am shocked people perferred Bay Harbor to Arcadia. I personally didn't even think it was close.
I played The Chief last weekend. I honestly have no idea how that course could be a must play. That course was ass. If in that neighborhood, play Cedar River. Agreed on Bay Harbor though. That is the best golfing experience I’ve had in Michigan.
(Edit - I see you wrote the Chief as one of the harder courses. Yeah, I guess it’s that, but only in the sense of not enough land, so completely tricked out).
Totally agree. I hate all the forced carries and nonsensical hole layouts on The Chief. Won't play it anymore. Hawkseye used to be decent, then almost went to seed; reports are that it is improved, but I haven't played recently to know.
Played Hawkseye too. I wasn't impressed. It just felt forced. It was demanding, but it just wasn't fun nor really scenic. Playing it felt like a chore. And yes, conditioning did not impress. For a course like that, you don't expect entire ground-under-repair bunkers and last years aeration divots on the greens.
It was a Shanty Based golf trip. The Shanty courses proper, Cedar, Schush, and Legend were all really interesting, well groomed, demanding but fun.
The Chief(not a Shanty course) and the new addition, Hawkseye, were not up to par.
Not a huge fan of Bay Harbor. You are paying big money for some beautiful views but too many blind shots and not very amateur friendly.
Northern MI:
If you can get on (w member) Crystal Downs and Kingsley do it.
if you can’t (likely) then I recommend Forest Dunes, Arcadia Bluffs, the Belvedere and a few of the courses near Boyne Highlands
Crystal Downs would be a once in a life time experience. I did a stretch of playing some golden age of architecture courses two weeks ago (Leatherstocking, Taconic, George Wright) and the challenge was so very different from what I'm used to
This is certainly not a course that is easy to get on, you're going to need to know somebody to get on the Downs. If you are able to walk-on, I'll trade you a couple of rounds at Point of the Woods for a round.
I played Kingsley a couple times last year. Pretty crazy that there isn’t really a club house. All about the golf.
Huron Hills: A classic muni par 67 covered in goose shit.
My brother and I spent many summer afternoons there when we were undergrads at UM. After 5 it was all you can golf for $9 and with the sun setting after 9, we'd get in 20+ holes. Great memories there and at Leslie Park.
There are probably better courses in NW Michigan, but here's one I enjoyed:
Don't overlook the obvious and miss out on the University of Michigan Golf Course! It's a classic Alistair Mckenzie design (I appreciate it more having finally been to Augusta) that is tough but fair and not overly long. Assuming you're an alum, bring your old student ID and get the alumni discount. On a peak day you can play 18 with a cart for less than $75 I believe. Great views of campus and all of Ann Arbor from various spots on the course, especially the 10th green. Look for the signage warning you of the bee's nest inside a tree trunk next to the (4th?) tee box. You're also likely to run into Shea Patterson.
My college roommates and I have played A-Ga-Ming every year since 1991. The (much) newer "Sundance" 18 is significantly better than the older "Torch" 18.
Also nearby, and part of the same ownership group now, is Antrim Dells, a fun layout on the East Bay.
Pilgrims Run
This course is amazing 👍🏌️⛳
Play one of Trump’s courses because if you’re lucky you might find the nuclear codes while taking a shit.
Pilgrim's Run is a great track and a public course.
Golf digest's top public courses in Michigan.
1. Arcadia Bluffs (Bluffs course) in Arcadia
2. Marquette GC (Greywalls) in Marquette
3. Forest Dunes (The Loop Red & Black) in Roscommon.
4. Forest Dunes (Forest Dunes course) in Roscommon
5. Arcadia Bluffs (South Course) in Arcadia
6. Belvedere in Charlevoix (They said Charlevois, don't think that's a place).
7. Boyne Bay Harbor (Links/Quarry) in Petoskey
8. Gull Lake View Resort (Stoatin Brae) in Augusta
9. Eagle Eye in Bath Township
10 Pilgrims Run in Pierson
Thanks for this. I've been using their top 100 courses you can play list to build out some trips. Managed to knock 4 off this year
Forest Dunes was woodsy, beautiful, and challenging, but I thought The Loop was overrated*. In case you don't know, the Black course is the same track as the Red, only in reverse. They offered caddies the one and only time I played the courses a few years ago. A neat concept, but the caddies (either high school or college students, I can't remember) didn't know how to caddy and didn't seem to care much anyway), and the course was in less than ideal condition. Perhaps it's improved over the last few years.
*I should probably also mention that I forgot how to actually swing a golf club that weekend, so that minor detail may have affected my judgment.
Completely agree, when I went I played Forest Dunes once and the Loop twice. If I did it over again, I'd play Forest Dunes twice.
I am completely the opposite. I thought Forest Dunes proper was immaculately manicured but fairly forgettable. I didn't find the topography very unique or indistinguishable and fairly boring, frankly. There is not one hole that sticks out in my mind about the Dunes course, aside from the first drive which is admittedly memorable.
Conversely, I thought the Loop was a fantastic golf course and very memorable to play. The "gimmick" aside, I thought it was extremely unique and presented a kind of challenge you can't really find anywhere else. It is also just a very hard and challenging golf course while not really feeling like you are on a golf course at all. The "design" of the course is just the land, itself.
If I went back it would be for the Loop. Though, to be honest, I did not find the entire experience worth the remote drive or the outrageous price. I didn't find Dunes to be meaningfully better than Shephard's Hollow nor many other legit courses in SE lower Michigan. Nor did I think the Loop was sufficiently better than other links offerings like Sundance to make me want to cut off a trip up north to play it.
Eagle Eye in East Lansing. They held an NCAA regional there this year. Great course.
two recommendations for the same course back to back means it goes on the list, thank you