Barton Hills CC Ann Arbor, Mi Pics

[Steve Salmen]

A few months ago I played Barton Hills CC in Ann Arbor Mi.  The course was built by Donald Ross and has been undergoing work by Ron Prichard over the last few years.  The golf course is a wonderful layout, a great walk, and kept in fantastic condition.  Many thanks to Doug White for his hospitality.

The golf course:

Hole 1 452 yds  (from about 80 yds from green)

Hole 2 543 yds  (from 3rd tee)

Hole 3 479 yds (from the kink in the dogleg)

Hole 3 (from short of the green)

Hole 4 348 yds (from tee)

Hole 5 185 yds

Hole 6 383 yds (from tee)

Hole 6 (from fairway)  Don't drive too close to the pond

Hole 7  443 yds (from the fairway)

Hole 8 219 yds (from tee)

Hole 8 (green)

Hole 9 568 yds (from tee)

Hole 9 (from fairway)

Hole 10  480 yds I can't find any pictures of it so I will tell you about it instead.  It's interesting off the tee. Bottlenecks around 230 off the tee to a very narrow neck with bunkers on both sides.  Second shot is either a lay up or forced carry over water.  I played the hole with a 2 iron followed by another 2 iron.
Hole 11 238 yds (from tee)

Hole 12 348 yds (from fairway)

Hole 13 452 yds (from Fairway)

Hole 14 402 yds (from forward tee)

Hole 15 425 yds (from behind the green looking back toward the tee)

Hole 16 197 yds (from tee)

Hole 17 497 yds (from tee)

Hole 17 (from Fairway)

Hole 18 404 yds (from fairway)

Hole 18 (near green. I wish the picture captured the real depth of the bunker.)


My wife and I had a very enjoyable walk around Barton Hills.  There were very few players and we were able to walk around easily under 3 hours.

[PCCraig]

Thanks for the pictures Steve. It looks like a really fun, low key golf course with some neat bunkering and nice greensites.

[Brent Carlson]

Great pictures Steve.  Years ago I used to work there and it appears to me that some holes were lengthened.  Is that the case?

Overall it was a very nice track and from what I understand a very well preserved Ross.

[JWL]

Steve
Nice to see some pics of BH again.   They brought back some fond memories.
I was kinda confused with the pic you had on the second hole however.   Could you explain from where that pic was taken from?
Also, so you know, I was part of a design team that redesigned the second green back in the mid 70's, along with several other things like tees, bunkers etc.   I am not sure what the parking lot looks like these days, but I also designed their parking lot....kinda a multi level lot....at the same time....mid 70's.   We had to do whatever design work we could get in those days......sort of like what designers are facing today.
Nice golf course and fun to play.   Thanks

[Mark McKeever]

Looks like another one where Pritchard has really brought it back!  Neat looking course!

Mark

[Deucie Bies]

JWL, the picture of the second hole threw me off as well.  I think it is from the third tee box. 

I just played there a few weeks ago and they were making the 15th and 16th greens bigger.  Ron Pritchard is doing a nice job there, but of course it is controversial.  I have played there from time to time since I was in high school and I appreciate the course a lot more now and I think it will get better if they continue with some of the plans that they have.

[Joe Hancock]

Duecie,

Having done the work on #'s 15 and 16, I'm interested in:

a) How the work looks finished, and

b) How the new bunkers play on those two holes, if you had the chance to try anything out.

I have a strong opinion on a couple of the newly added bunkers, and the difficulty they will provide if encountered.

Thanks for the feedback, in advance,

Joe

[Deucie Bies]

Duecie,

Having done the work on #'s 15 and 16, I'm interested in:

a) How the work looks finished, and

b) How the new bunkers play on those two holes, if you had the chance to try anything out.

I have a strong opinion on a couple of the newly added bunkers, and the difficulty they will provide if encountered.

Thanks for the feedback, in advance,

Joe

Joe,

Are you talking about the work done around the greens on 15 and 16?  When I played there (I guess it was 2 weeks ago), the outer edges of #15 were still dirt and if you missed the green long or left (not sure about right), it was ground under repair.  The work on 16 was roped off, but I can't remember if it was all grassed in or not (I was probably a bit more focused on my match against my sandbagging father in law!).  I actually hit good shots on both 15 and 16 so I was able to avoid any bunkers.  From memory, if you miss those two greens anywhere but below the hole, it is very difficult to get the ball anywhere near the hole with a chip shot.  I imagine the bunker shots will be extremely difficult as well.  I apologize that I can't answer your questions better.  Are you involved with all of the work there?

Deucie

[Joe Hancock]

Deucie,

Don Mahaffey and I were there building the two new fairway bunkers on #15, the front right greenside bunker on #15 and the two new fronting bunkers on #16. I followed up a few weeks later by doing the green expansion work(along with the crew @BHCC) and the rebuilt back bunker on #15 as well as the rebuilt bunkers right front, and behind #16.

The two bunkers I'm particularly interested in how they will actually function is the new front right greenside bunker on #15 and the lower left front bunker on #16.

On #15, the green(now expanded, thankfully) is a tilted plane for most of the green, and quite steep at that. My thinking is that if you are in the new, deep bunker short and right, the bunker shot, having to be a lofted, spinning shot, will be as likely to spin right off the green as any other result.

The bunker on the lower left of #16 is problematic in every way. It will only be in play for the bad golfer/ really bad shot. It will be a long, uphill bunker shot...almost impossible for the golfers who are most likely to be in it. Building this bunker(there was one here on original plans and old aerials) was difficult to build and have it work well visually and functionally(keeping uphill surface water out).

I will call the Superintendent and see if he can get some pictures to me. If he does, I will post them.

Joe

[Deucie Bies]

Thanks Joe.  The bunker front right on 15 will be interesting.  I can see how a ball with spin could roll off the green, as the green is very sloped.  A putt from the back of that green to a middle or front hole location is almost impossible.  It is strange, but I don't remember seeing the bunker behind 15.  Like I said, the whole back area was ground under repair when I played.  As for 16, how far from the green is the bunker that is front left?  If I remember correctly, the green slopes from left to right.  Are you going to be involved in more of the renovations going forward?   

[Deucie Bies]

Any luck on the pictures Joe?

[Joe Hancock]

Duecie,

Still waiting for Tim to call back. He buggers off to Montana on a regular schedule, so that may be why I've not heard back yet.

I'll let you know when I hear from him, or maybe I'll make a road trip with camera in hand.

Joe

[Mark Saltzman]

Any luck on the pictures Joe?

Approach to 15 w/ nasty front-right bunker:




Tee shot on 16:




View from just short of bunker on 16:




Barton Hills is spectacular.  Congratulations to all that worked on the restoration.

[Niall Hay]

Has anyone see the course post Ron Prichard’s work? The "top hat" om 9 green that was part of the Donald Ross design was restored?

How is the new bunkering?   Was there tree removal?

[Mark McKeever]

The bunker work and green expansions look great!  I imagine there used to be a lot more trees?

Mark