Aerial of the Day #306 - 18 Mar 2003

[Scott_Burroughs]

I'm guessing that the architect here had his cake and ate it,
too, because he must have been given free reign to place
holes wherever he liked on this moderately wacky routing
(not counting any environmental hoops possibly
encountered).

I assume most of you can figure out the discrepency in this routing.

[Scott_Burroughs]

Based on the name of this resort, this place is in the boonies.

One might think this architect popped his cherry with this
design, but this was in fact his 3rd design.

The developer asked to get a tough course, and the architect
said it's the hardest he'll ever build.

[Scott_Burroughs]

Borrowing from Dylan:  The crickets, they are a-chirpin' (not
a clue, just an observation).

Well, I guess the remoteness of this place probably has
crickets chirping at night.

In case you haven't figured it out, the "wacky" routing has
the both 1st tee and 18th green nowhere near the parking
lot!  The 1st tee and the 18th green are about 1000 yards
(~1 kilometer) apart!  

That's the 1st tee in the upper right and the 18th green is
just left of the notch in the middle right.  Either it's carts
mandatory or they give shuttle rides to/from the
clubhouse/parking lot area.  (I really don't see a clubhouse in
what can be seen).

The par 3 in the lower left is a Biarritz, with the swale large
enough to be pinnable.

Are there charred trees here?

[RJ_Daley]

It looks like we collectively need to get out more and see more courses, since no one has a guess on this one.
  I don't either.  It looks like some good hole designs apart from the routing that I am still a bit confused on.
  With the elaborate bunkering and varied green size andd angles, I can't imagine this was a
one trick pony golf designer.  I hope there is a good story about why it is routed as it is.

[SPDB]

Does this course have a significant footprint on the land?

[Dan Grossman]

Oh - I think I have seen
this golf course now and I
know others have as well.

Doesn't this place have 36
holes?  This 18 is NOTHING
like the other 18?

If it is the course I think it is,
The greens are a bit overdone
and have to be kept fairly long
or else they would become unplayable.
This is the only course I have seen
by the architect where it would
be unwalkable.  It is a good 10 - 15
minute cart ride to the first tee.

[Scott_Burroughs]

Sean,

You have the right idea, but it's not Giants Ridge, as that is
not available (too new).


This architect, known for his minimalist designs, moved
almost a half-million cubic yards on his 2nd design, right
before this one.  But that was part of what the developer
wanted - flat land moved into a replica-type course.

Woud Grizzly Adams be at home here?

This is the 2nd course done at a 2-course complex.

It turns out the first tee is farily close to the clubhouse, but
18 is a half-mile away.

Cake and cherry were previous clues.  Add chocolate to those two.

[Dan Grossman]

Scott,

I just read the same description
that you did, I believe, on the
architects website.  The first
tee is NOT close to the clubhouse.
I think the clubhouse is near the
top center of the picture (where
the v cuts down)  It is a long
ride out to the first tee.  My playing
partner and I thought we were lost
and were about ready to turn around when
we found the first tee.

[Scott_Burroughs]

Dan,

We crossed paths with your first post.  I sit corrected (based
on misinformation   ).

[Dan Grossman]

The routing is pretty easy to
figure out once you know that
#1 is in the top right portion of
the picture and that #3 is in the
center of the picture and a dogleg
left headed south (down).  From there
you can follow the paths around
the course to each hole.  

As I remember
the land around the course is REALLY hilly too.  
Look at the cart path leading
from #2 to #3.  The reason that
the path does the S - curve is
because it is a switchback headed
up the hill.  The holes themselves, however,
are not too severely uphill or downhill.

It is a really neat golf course and
the bunkering is awesome.  Just bring
your A game and take a cart.

[Mike Benham]

It is a really neat golf course and
the bunkering is awesome.  Just bring
your A game and take a cart.

What about a six-pack?  Are there cart girls?

Dan - from what little I heard, are you becoming
legned on the course?

[Dan Grossman]

Only, I hope, for my poor putting.   :-/

[Scott_Burroughs]

This is the Black Forest course at Wilderness Valley Resort, in
Gaylord, MI, designed by Tom Doak.  BF was Doak's 3rd solo
design, after High Pointe and Legends-Heathland.  WV's
owner wanted a difficult 2nd course to go with the easier first
course and Doak claims this is the toughest course he'll ever
build.


Here is the layout:



and pics:

http://www.blackforestgolf.com/gallery.htm

from the web site:

http://www.blackforestgolf.com/home.htm


Additional pics can be seen at Doak's web site here:

http://www.doakgolf.com/courses/blackforest.html


other clues include:

"boonies", "Grizzly Adams at home here" = "Wilderness"

"3rd design", "minimalist architect" = Doak and BF.  "moved
almost a half-million cubic yards on his 2nd design, right
before this one.  But that was part of what the developer
wanted - flat land moved into a replica-type course" refers to
Doak's 2nd effort, Heathland.

"The par 3 in the lower left is a Biarritz, with the swale large
enough to be pinnable" = Doak mentioned this in the "When
was the last time you played one" thread

"charred trees" = black forest

2nd course done at a 2-course complex.

"Cake","cherry", and "chocolate" = Black Forest cake.

[Tom_Doak]

I hadn't looked at one of these aerials for months but for some reason today I decided to.

Why is the routing the way it is?

When we started, we were given a map that started by #2 tee (at the top of a steep hill).  The owner figured he would have to build a separate pro shop and everything for this course.  However, when we started to lay it out I kept looking at the land for the first hole along the road we had to drive out to the site, and I suggested that if we could use that land we wouldn't need to build a separate pro shop.

When we got near the present routing, the owner asked if we could bring #17 and 18 back up the hill from below, but it's almost 100 feet from the (now) 18th green up to the ridge top and I just didn't want to break up the golf course that late in the round.  Also, the land to the left of the first hole was nothing special at all.  We chose this routing because we thought it was walkable -- as long as you shuttled players out to the first tee and back in from the 18th green.  The climb on #5 is very difficult, but other than that, the course is actually quite walkable with this caveat.

[Will E]

I wonder if I like this course more because it doesn't get the attention it deserves. The bunkering here is among the best I've ever seen. If I only had two rounds to play in Northern Michigan one of them would be here. Obviously, this is one of my favorite places to play. 1,8,10,11 and 17 are all world. How does this course not make the Golfweek list?