The Emerald
St. John’s, Michigan

Grade: B+
Teacher’s Comments: Enjoyable, with lots of variety on the holes.

Anyone in Michigan travelling “Up North” along US 127 from Lansing will pass The Emerald on the left hand side just seven miles north of St. John’s. I passed by for years, each time thinking that “one day I’m going to stop and play.” In the end, I made a special trip, and am glad that I did so.

Originally a 9 hole private club, The Emerald reopened in 1996 after expansion and a reworking by Jerry Matthews. Since then, it’s been on several golf publications’ “Best of” lists.

The design offers a great deal of variety. There are doglegs left and right, and a double dogleg; open holes and tree-lined; downhill tee shots and uphill approaches; fairways that skirt water, and others in no danger at all. Add to this five ponds, and forty some sand traps. Some holes require target golf; others are grip-it-and-rip-it runways. The Emerald is generally flat, however, except for the holes that play along and over the creek that runs through much of the property.

If you can’t find a hole (or three) at The Emerald that you like, you’re not looking. I actually enjoyed them all except the par 3 fourth, which I thought excessively long, even from the middle tees at 207 yards. There’s no reason for a par 3 of that length. In my mind, a par 3 should require something of the player other than distance (precision, or distance judgment). The average golfer hits the driver 200 yards. Thus, this is yet another driver hole for the bogey golfer.

Players could potentially punish themselves at The Emerald. From the back tees, it measures 6,599 and plays to a 72.3/142. There’s no need to do this. From the middle, the course measures 5,867 and with a rating and slope of 68.7/128. That’s a much more reasonable length and difficulty level for the bogey golfer. Unless you’re a single digit handicapper, play from the middle tees and you will have a lot of fun at The Emerald.

Conditions on the day I played in late September were very good. Even in the “off-season,” fairways and tee boxes were in good repair. What leaves had fallen were cleared. Greens were excellent—fast and smooth.

After the round, I commented on the nice conditions to the manager, and he lamented that although they spend just as much—if not more—on maintenance during the fall, convention demanded that he lower his prices. I wanted to explain to him that it was a matter of demand, and not necessarily his costs, but ignored the impulse. Still, it was a good sign.

The Emerald offers a good value even at peak.. As of this writing, the price is $35 with cart Monday through Thursday. On weekends, 18 with cart is $55. But don’t take a cart. Walk. I found it to be a very walkable course, with the exception of a couple of holes with will make your thighs scream.

Here’s my suggestion, though. Play The Emerald in the fall to enjoy the color. Then head just a mile further north to Uncle John’s Fruit House and Winery. There, you can get a fresh apple cider (or even better, a hard cider) and donuts or a piece of pie. Uncle John’s is a landmark worth visiting all of its own.

The Gailes
Oscoda, Michigan

Grade: B+
Teacher’s Comments: Icing without the cake.

The Gailes gets a lot of national press for its faux links design, but I’m going to take the contrarian stance and say that I wasn’t that impressed. My thought as I played was that someone had a checklist of links design cliches and just checked them off building proceeded. Double green? Check. Pot bunkers? Check Redan? Check. Putting approaches from the fairway? Check.

Then there the lack of a significant body of water. Cedar Lake is a thousand feet or so away; it is all of a mile or more to the shores of Lake Huron. The course also is surrounded by scrub forest, so I felt no lake breezes to account for. On the day I played, the air was entirely still. After the round, I drove to the shore for some photo-hunting, and noted that there were indeed breezes on that day. They just hadn’t made it to the course.

The result for me was something less than honest. I’ve not played a Scottish or Irish links, but somehow this didn’t feel right. I’ve never been to Morocco either, but I know the Morocco exhibit at Epcot Center isn’t authentic.

In my not-so-humble opinion, inland courses should drop the links pretense and instead embrace their own climate and geography. A wide open, grassy, treeless stretch of land in the interior of the United States is a “prairie.” Designers and course owners should embrace the prairie and make it as much a badge of golf honor as a links. Don’t say that your course is in the style of the great Scottish links; boast instead of unique prairie design. “Up North” golf in Michigan has its own brand cachet.  So too should prairie golf.

The Gailes was built in 1992 from a design by Kevin Aldredge.

“So aside from that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play?”

My skepticism about the links experience aside, the Gailes does offer challenging and often thoughtful golf. At the Gailes, golfers will find amoeba-like fairways that don’t always offer an evident line to the hole. In choosing from the many possible lines, golfers need to be acutely aware of the position of bunkers, many of which are in the middle of the fairways or blocking a direct line to the green.

On holes that are set up for the bump-and-run approach golfers must be able to anticipate the twists and turns of the mounding. Bunkers on other holes prevent that approach entirely.

The sometimes enormous greens offer another challenge. On the second hole, for example, I was unsure which flag on the double green I was supposed to target. The double 11th/14th green is so large that club selection is difficult. There’s probably a two club difference between front and back. Other greens are tiny, crowned things made more difficult by bunkering.

From the back tees, the Gailes extends to 6,954 yards and plays to a 74.0 / 138. The middle tees are at 6,073 and a 70/122. As usual, I recommend that the bogey golfer tee it forward to have fun.

Play on the day I visited was exceptionally slow. It is a difficult course, and too many are playing from the wrong tees. Finding a ball in the shaggy rough can be time consuming. Enormous, mounded greens slow down play as golfers take too much time plumb-bobbing putts that they aren’t going to make anyway.

I honestly don’t know how to rate the conditions. The rough was brown, scrubby and irregularly grown; the fairways and greens were less than lush and somewhat hard. Was that a deliberate move on management’s part to make it more “links-like”? Was it a particularly hard summer? Or was it just lack of care? I want to believe that the conditions were deliberate. However, since I spotted a number of dead or absolutely bare areas in the fairways, I am not entirely sure. It does occur to me, however, that maintaining “links” conditions in a non-links climate must be a delicate task with little margin for error. That’s especially true when the course tries to mow closely enough to allow players to use the links style strategy of running a ball to the hole from the fairway, especially with a putter.

The Gailes always seems to make the list of ten best public courses in Michigan. I have played most of the others that regularly make that list, and think the Gailes is a notch down from that elite company.

I think that there are two reasons the Gailes gets so many rave reviews. First, it is unusual, and the course does make as best an effort as it can to simulate links. Second, Lakewood Shores caters to buddy trips and outings. The resort has three courses, and lodging on site. I know two groups of 30+ who take trips to Lakewood Shores on an annual basis. They all swear that the courses there are the best in the state.

I suppose that if they’re having that much fun, who am I to argue?

Shepherd’s Hollow
Grade: A
Teacher’s Comments: True “Up North” golf in Southeastern Michigan.

Shepherd’s Hollow is on the short list of Southeastern Michigan courses that can legitimately claim to have the fabled “Up North” feel (Moose Ridge is another). With 27 holes carved through 400 acres of hilly forest, the course offers a temporary retreat from the industrious world.

And a retreat is exactly what Shepherd’s Hollow is. The property on which the course sits is leased from Colombiere Center, which serves as a retreat for the Detroit Province of the Jesuits.

Shepherd’s Hollow is a long, difficult course. From the back (black) tees, it stretches to 7,236 and plays to a 76/137. The middle (blue) tees measure 6,518 and play to a 72/137. The more reasonable tees for the bogey golfer are the whites at 6,068, playing at 70.1/131.

Tee it forward at Shepherd’s Hollow.

On my trip to Shepherd’s Hollow, I played holes 1 - 18, but did not get a chance to play the back nine.

Most of the holes at Shepherd’s Hollow are lined by trees, creating one isolated island of fairway and green after another. The fairways are rolling and elevation changes frequent. The course offers 160 feet in elevation changes and contains one of the highest points in Oakland County. Fairway and greenside bunkers spread liberally about the course offer additional challenges.

I would not, however, consider Shepherd’s Hollow particularly “tight.” There is plenty of room on the holes, so long as you are not a wild sprayer of tee shots. The real test is often in how well you hit your second shots off an uneven lie, or in how well you judge club changes on elevation changes.

Water comes into play on just a couple of holes, but spectacularly so on the finishing 18th (above).

The Arthur Hills design, which opened in 2000, apparently was executed without moving a lot of dirt. That’s a luxury architects have when there is a lot of land available. Instead of building holes, they can “find” them.

Shepherd’s Hollow has drawn a lot of raves since it opened. Golf Digest ranks it as the 42nd best public course in the nation. In 2002, Crane’s Detroit Business ranked it as the best in the five county Metro Detroit area.

Conditions on the day I played were very good, but that was in mid October, when the air was cool and the course was not getting much play. I have heard reports that it can get a bit beat up in the summer. On the other hand, a friend who plays this on a regular basis has nothing but good things to say about how well the course is maintained.

Shepherd’s Hollow is on the expensive side for the area, with greens fees at $68 during prime week hours and $80 for prime weekend hours and holidays.

I very much enjoyed my round at Shepherd’s Hollow. It’s not a place I could afford to play on a regular basis, but it is on my short list of places to go back to.

More photos below:

The Links

Bay Harbor Golf Course
Petosky, Michigan

Grade: A
Teachers’ Comments: Perhaps too expensive, even considering the conditioning and sometimes spectacular views.

I simply cannot make up my mind about the Bay Harbor Golf Club. I went expecting a links style course running along Michigan’s inland sea, and was rewarded on about half the holes. The remainder, while always good, mostly interesting and sometimes downright unusual, always fell short when compared to the lakeside.

The holes along Lake Michigan are simply spectacular. On the Links and Quarry nines, there are a total of six holes that I would consider “on the water” (although to be sure, there are only three in which you are in any danger of actually being in the water). Another five offer more distant views. Two are along dunes areas with no view, but retaining the links feel. The remaining seven may as well be in the state’s interior.

The Links

The Links nine I enjoyed immensely. With the exception of the ninth hole, each has a wonderful dunes feel, and you can see the water from six. The par 5 seventh is simply one of the best holes I have ever played. From the tee, it looks like a ball that drifts to the right will drop into the lake; it won’t but the thought got into my head. Mounding and tall grasses left threaten to eat your ball. Your second shot must find fairway that hooks around a large bunker. Finally, the green rises up to a high (and highly exposed) plateau. The wind was howling up there on the day I played.

From the GAM:

Grab Three Friends, Sign up at a local qualifying site for the GAM Scramble, & Have Some Fun

The Golf Association of Michigan and our hosting sponsor, Boyne Resorts, present the 2nd GAM State Scramble Championship.

Teams will be able to select from golf courses in your area based on the four major regions across the state, private and public facilities at the local level.

The Net and Gross winning teams from each local qualifier will advance to one of four Regional Championship sites. Winners from each of the four Regional qualifiers will compete in the State Championship September 19th at Boyne Resorts- Alpine Course.

An added perk to those teams that reach the State Championship, they gain the additional player of a Michigan PGA Section professional of their choice.

A champion will be crowned for the Gross and Net divisions at the tournament

Winning teams of each division will receive a $500 gift certificate for use at Boyne Resorts.  The winning professional’s purse could be up to $5,000, determined by participation.

What is the Scramble’s Format?

Format: A (4) Person Step Aside Scramble. All players tee off on each hole. The player whose ball has been selected for play may not play the next shot on the hole being played.  This “Step Aside” approach applies for all play through the green, in hazards and on the putting green until the ball is holed.

Eligibility:  Each 4-person team must have a total aggregate handicap index of 36.0 or higher with two team members allowed a GAM/USGA Handicap index of less than 10.0 (NEW for 2013).  Teams are then handicapped based on the total team index. This is a Net and Gross competition.  There will be separate tees for Men, Senior Men (50 years old as of May 1, 2013) and Women.

Qualifying Sites below:

Continued...

Moose Ridge, South Lyon, Michigan

Here’s an updated list of Michigan courses I have played and reviewed. As of this point, I’ve done fifty one reviews (perhaps more, but I can’t find them on my own site), with another twenty still to go. I’ve taken notes and photos on every course I’ve played to enable me to write the review at a later date.

Reviews are based on my impressions of the course on the day(s) I played, and it should be noted that conditions and on occasion even the layout may have changed since I played.

All of the Michigan golf course reviews are from the perspective of a bogey golfer, and I place a premium on fun. I love courses that make you think a bit, and that don’t rely solely on length for their defense.  Also important to me is the ability to walk the course. I have found few courses where walking really was not practical. Too often, I believe, courses ban walking to pick up extra profits from the carts. Finally, I look for value. A course that sets a high bar by claiming “championship” status and charging a premium price had better be very good. A course that offers good golf at a bargain price gets good marks for meeting or exceeding their own standards.

Angels Crossing, Vicksburg, Michigan
Ann Arbor Country Club, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Arcadia Bluffs, Arcadia, Michigan
Arbor Hills, Jackson, Michigan
Bay Pointe, West Bloomfield, Michigan
Black Bear, Vanderbilt, Michigan
Black Forest, Gaylord, Michigan
Brae Burn, Plymouth, Michigan
Brookside, Saline, Michigan
Calderone, Grass Lake, Michigan
Carleton Glen, Carleton, Michigan
Cascades, Jackson, Michigan
Concord Hills, Jackson, Michigan
Coyote Preserve, Fenton, Michigan
Dunmaglas, Charlevoix, Michigan
Forest Akers West, East Lansing, Michigan
Forest Dunes, Roscommon, Michigan
Gauss Green Valley, Jackson, Michigan
Green Oaks, Ypsilanti, Michigan
Hartland Glen, Hartland, Michigan
Hawk Meadows, Howell, Michigan
Hickory Creek, Superior Township, Michigan
Hickory Sticks, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Hudson Mills, Dexter, Michigan
Huntmore, Brighton, Michigan
Idyl Wyld, Livonia, Michigan
Lake Forest, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Leslie Park, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Links at Lake Erie, Monroe, Michigan
Lyon Oaks, Wixom, Michigan
Moose Ridge, Souh Lyon, Michigan
New Rogell, Detroit, Michigan
Pierce Lake, Chelsea, Michigan
Pine View, Ypsilanti, Michigan
Raisin Valley, Tecumseh, Michigan
Reddeman Farms, Chelsea, Michigan
Rolling Meadows, Whitmore Lake, Michigan
Rouge Park, Detroit, Michigan
Rush Lake Hills, Pinckney, Michigan
Salem Hills, Northville, Michigan
Sandy Creek, Monroe, Michigan
Stonebridge, Ann Arbor, Michigan
The Fortress, Frankenmuth, Michigan
The Golden Fox, Plymouth, Michigan
The Majestic, Howell, Michigan
The Nightmare, West Branch, Michigan
Treetops Fazio, Gaylord, Michigan
Tullymore, Stanwood, Michigan
Western Golf and Country Club, Redford, Michigan
University of Michigan Golf Course, Ann Arbor, Michigan

and a few not in Michigan:

Indiana University Golf Course, Bloomington, Indiana
Lake Buena Vista, Walt Disney World
Musket Ridge, Marysville, Maryland
Whiskey Creek, Ijamsville, Maryland

Rush Lake Hills Golf Course
Pinckney, Michigan

Grade: C
Teacher’s Comments: A pleasant country course.

I first became aware of Rush Lake Hills when the boy’s golf team I coached was invited there to a multi-school tournament. I was intrigued by its down-home feel, and have since returned to play several times.

Rush Lake Hills is really two courses, and I wouldn’t be surprised if someone told me that the two nines were built at different times. The first nine is relatively flat and long (3,334 yards), with generous fairways. Bombers will love it.

The back nine is shorter (2,861 yards), but much more tight and incorporating some more serious elevation changes. Accuracy is at a premium here.

Interestingly, the course is a par 73 (you don’t see too many of those). Total yardage from the back tees is 6237, while playng to a 69.9/118. From the front tees, it’s at 4,964 and 67.3/114. There are only two sets of tees.

Conditions at the course have been hit or miss for me. On one occasion I noted that it was in great shape. On another, I took a photograph of a relatively shoddy fairway to remind me of the poor conditions.

Truth be told, though, I’ve had a lot of fun at Rush Lake Hills. It’s got a sort of country charm, accentuated by the WW II style quonset hut that serves as the clubhouse. The one nine lets you grip it and rip it, while the other rewards the strategic thinker. You’re not likely to lose any balls, and even the double-bogey golfer will have a good time.

Make no mistake, though. This is not a “championship” course. It’s a basic, no frills, hit a few balls and have some good times kind of course.

You can’t beat the price at Rush Lake Hills. As of May 2013, it’s $20 with a cart on the weekdays; $32 with cart on weekends.

There’s another interesting aspect to Rush Lake Hills. It was built 1961 by Robert Herndon from a Robert Montville design. Herndon ran the course until his death, when ownership was assigned to the Henry Ford Hospital. Today, all of the profits from the course to to the Henry Ford’s Cancer Research Program.

More photos below: