Spruce Ridge Golf Club, Dowagiac, MI / Public / Played 24 July 2014
Overview: Spruce Ridge Golf Club is an 18-hole facility near the downtown area of Dowagiac, Michigan. The course is hidden in a beautiful wooded area and provides the golfer a natural experience, with dirt cart paths and trails, and minimal buildings or noise within the course boundaries. Spruce Ridge, at just over 6,000 yards from the tips, is a very short course in modern golf, but don't be fooled - it still provides a golfer (at any level) a challenge. With a very fair Par of 71 from the tips, Spruce Ridge has some very memorable holes like the 234-yard/Par 3/7th hole (one of the longest par 3s in the State of Michigan). The only caveat (and negative) is that because this course is just over 6,000 yards from the tips, and just 5,592 from the white tees, there is more than the fair share of young golfers and “older” golfers . . . to put it mildly, pace is a problem. We were well over 5-hours for our round. Even with pace as a negative, I would still recommend playing this course because of the great conditions, beautiful scenery, and scoring possibilities for golfers of all levels.
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Date Played: July 24, 2014 | Cost: $17.00
Indian Lake Hills Golf Course, Eau Claire, MI / Public / Played-22 July 2014
Overview: Indian Lake Hills is a 27-hole golf facility in beautiful Southwest Michigan. The course and clubhouse border the course’s namesake, Indian Lake, where boats and fisherman abound, just outside of Eau Claire, Michigan. The three nines on the course: EAST, WEST, and NORTH, all blend in perfectly with the surroundings and each presents its own type of challenge to the golfer. While not overwhelming in length, the course demands tight tee shots and approach shots, all while keeping your ball away from ponds, orchards, and mature wooded areas, which frame the course. This is a very rewarding course to play and in great shape on the day played. Definitely worth a visit for the golfer seeking an enjoyable challenge on a beautiful golf course.
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Date Played: July 22, 2014 | Cost: $26.00
Year Round Golf – Indoor Driving Range, Schoolcraft, MI / Public /
Overview: When the winters in the Michigan cramp your style and golf game, there are very few options to stay in golf shape. Year Round Golf, an Indoor Driving Range in Schoolcraft, MI provides a quality practice facility during the cold weather months to help you shake off the rust. The interior dome features 34 tees with a driving distance (into a net) of 70 yards and 65 feet high, giving you the opportunity to hit all the clubs in your bag, and see your ball flight. As an additional and very attractive option are three simulators offering over 30 of the world’s most famous courses. The range stays busy 7-days a week with decent pricing of $10 half-hour/$17-hour for unlimited balls on a tee station. When your time runs out, a voice will come over the loud speaker with a reminder that “Station X, your time is now over … thank you”. Simulator prices are a bargain but always in demand. Year Round Golf offers “tee times” for the simulators at $35 an hour (which can be split by as many as six golfer per simulator). It’s not the great outdoors but for the golfer in need, and having withdrawal symptoms, Year Round Golf might be the cure.
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Date Played: February 15, 2014 | Cost: $17.00
After driving two miles into a deep Michigan forest you will come to one of the most magnificent club houses in the state. The course is unsurpassed with two strikingly different nines, a forested front and an open back. Everything is superb down to the brick embossed cart paths and the flowered tee boxes. This is a must play
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Date Played: September 18, 2013 | Cost: $50.
Brookwood GC, Buchanan, MI / Public / Played, 25 & 27 Aug 13
Overview: Tree lined and demanding, Brookwood offers a great challenge to any golfer’s game. The course is two completely different 9s with the front 9 tight and heavily tree lined. The back 9 offers some relief through holes 11-17 but then the tree lined and narrow Par 5/18th reminds you of the shot making challenge again. This is the type of course that will make you a better golfer (and may frustrate you) as it forces you through design to shape shots and to think about the clubs off the tee box. For the long hitter, this course will take the driver out your hands on a number of holes. The course is very attractive with rolling hills and scenic views throughout. The greens are medium in size with slopes and undulation and medium speed on the days played. Pins/Flagsticks are NOT marked using a flag color, numbering system, or pin flags. Each flagstick is Red in color and is simply set in the green/moved by the course staff daily. The pins/pin locations are generally easy to see but it would be nice to see the course use a pin flag system to let the golfer know Front/Middle/Back at a minimum. A very nice and challenging course in great shape. Head to Brookwood and test your game!
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Date Played: August 27, 2013 | Cost: $31.00
Hampshire Country Club; Dogwood Course, Dowagiac, MI / Public / Played, 7 Aug 13
Overview: Hampshire Country Club is a 36-hole facility with the Hampshire Course and the Dogwood Course. I played 18 on the Dogwood course taking advantage of the Wednesday’s $20 special with cart. The Dogwood course is a bit tighter and shorter than the Hampshire course but offers a good challenge to all levels of golfers. The Dogwood greens were in great shape and the best aspect of the course. The greens are large with some slope but mainly flat and medium speed on the day played. Pins/Flagsticks are marked with an additional small white flag positioned on the flagstick itself. Small flag at the bottom of the flagstick = (front), Small flag in the middle = (middle), Small flag at the top of the flagstick = (back). Fun and challenging course, tight with shot shaping required on the front 9, a little more open on the back 9.
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Date Played: August 7, 2013 | Cost: $20.00
Four Lakes Country Club, MI / Public / Played: 1 Aug 13
Overview: Nice course in Edwardsburg, MI. Very lush fairways and rough so don’t let the scorecard distance of 6,500+ yards fool you – it plays long. Small to Medium size greens are the challenge on this course. Greens are mounded, so if you miss the greens expect to hit lobs and carrying-type chip shots for your up-and-downs around the greens. Greens are smooth and true to the roll about medium-fast speed. Pins/Flagsticks are Red (front), Yellow (middle), Blue (back). Fun and challenging course to play. Worth a visit.
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Date Played: August 1, 2013 | Cost: $25.00
Plym Park Municipal Golf Course, Niles, MI / Public / Played: 25 July 13
Overview: Nice 9-hole course played on different sets of tees. Good condition but pretty wet the day played. Pretty easy layout with lush fairway and rough so it plays longer than you would expect from the tees. As with any 9-holer, the turn is the tricky part and Plym Park is no different. A bit of a mess at the turn with only politeness to lead the way. Can get pretty backed up because this is a fun course to play but all levels and ages of golfers can flood the course at times, which can make for some long rounds. Greens are medium-slow speed and the greens themselves are medium-small size making hitting them a premium. Pins/Flagsticks are Red (front), White (middle), Blue (back). Fun course to play.
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Date Played: July 25, 2013 | Cost: $28.00
Winter golf a challenge, but this little course was fun. It used to be pretty rustic, but the owners have really cleaned it up. Only nine holes, but the price is right and the course has some interesting holes. Clubhouse is minimal but sufficient.
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Date Played: January 17, 2013 | Cost: $14
