Having been privledged to play Shoreacres multiple times, I can defenitly say it is one of my favorite courses hands down.
SA has a very unique feel to it right when you turn down the drive, you see slight glimpses of what is to come but not much, as well as maybe 150 yard practive area
You really feel a great sense of history on these grounds, while everything is very nice, it is very understated as well, you are here to play golf. While you get a slight look at Lake Michigan you wont see it until after your round is complete.
While I think there are some very interesting holes on the front, #2 for example is a tremendous appraoch, with obvious trouble on the left, this is where the ravines start to come into play.
The 5th hole green is one of the toughest and is folowed by one of the most massive greens that I have encountered. The swail in the middle can cause much frustration as I have seen 4 and even 5 putts from opposites of the pin location.
As everyone has stated here and as most say the course really shows itself from the 10th-15th holes. The 10th hole can be a real roller coaster, very true to the road hole, where right is jail.
The 11th in my opinion is one of the most intimidating tee shots on the course. If you play safe to avoid right you can have a very long approach over the ravine again to a very shallow green, and go too far right and almost hope you dont find your ball as the approcah is almost 100 feet uphill and completly blind.(Over the ravine again!)
12 is a great one shot hole. Put it on the green and make your par. Put it off and chances are better than not of making bogey.
The tee shot on 13 is very intimidating as it is almost complety bnlind and up hill over the ravine. While it is not a long hole yyou really need to place your tee shot in the correct position. With the treess butting out on the left one wants to go futrther right which does little help for the second shot
14 is a very classic looking redan hole with a mound behind the green that can spit your ball almost anywhere, and most times right back down to the bunkering in front. This is a very special hole.
As many have stated here 15 is a great par 5. While the drive is not the threating part of the hole, the next two shot decisions defenitly are. If you lay up a bit off you can find yourself with a very ackward lie which is actauly unusual for this relativily flat course
while 16, 17 and 18 are somewhat overshadowed by the previous stretch this is an oppoortunity to to breathe a bit and have a good round in, finishing with a terrific and accessable par 5, provided you hit a good drive
The ravines are what make much of this course what it is , while they dont all come into play they do give the player a sense of where you don't want to put the ball. The green complexes are very different from hole to hole, and while many are not very undulating, they can run fast.
To play Shoreacres on a crisp Fall afternoon with the sun coming off of Lake Michigan has been of the true highlights in my life and I would be honored to play it anytime.
Regards,