True North Golf Club

[Anthony_Nysse]

Looking at aerials this morning, I came across True North GC, a Jim Engh course in north Michigan. It appears the 18th green and surrounding areas were reshaped in 2014, but in viewing it on the website, the bunkers looks completely different that the rest of the course, different than Engh's normal "muscle" bunkers. Anyone have any details? Thanks.

[Dan Herrmann]

A friend played True North and absolutely loved it.  He suggested that I play it too, and I quickly realized that wasn't going to happen - seems to be  very restricted.


To Anthony's question - I can ask my friend.

[mike_beene]

Friend of mine and member at my club built a summer home up there and loves the place. Not sure he will have the detail you are looking for but I can ask.It is golf season again here in Dallas so he should be around.

[Norbert P]

http://truenorthgolf.com/




   (No, I was not captain of the Audio / Visual Team in high school.) 

[Howard Riefs]

A few related threads for those not familiar with the course...


http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,51964.msg1191521.html
 
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,39691.msg832963.html
 
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,38856.msg811119.html
 
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,24537.msg454670.html
 
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,19334.msg343608.html

[Buck Wolter]

The course map on the website looks like a pic mid-construction on 18. I assume it's the reno as everything else looks finished.

http://truenorthgolf.com/course-hole-by-hole/

[George Freeman]

Below is my experience playing the hole in its original form.  Based on the overhead in Buck's post, they appear to be moving the 18th green to the end of the main fairway, which would remove the "goalpost" aspect of the hole (or they're just redoing the green in its original location).

As for the 18th hole:
The landing area on the drive is not to small as Chris had mentioned.  This is because the effective landing area spans from the left fairway island, down across the rough and cart path that splits them, and includes the right landing zone (see pic below).  When I tried to play to the left fairway, I over-cooked a fade (ok...I sliced it) and my ball ended landing on the rough between the fairways and kicking down to the lower fairway. 

The issue with the hole comes on the third shot of players that have taken the long route to the hole.  If you do not get to the very end of the fairway (probably the last 30-50 yds, which can be a long shot if you're not long off the tee), you have trouble with the three or four tall trees acting as multiple sets of goal posts between you and the hole.  Depending on where the trees are in relation to your line of play, you may or may not have a angle into the green (which plays severly uphill from the second shot landing zone).  I ended up having to punch a gap wedge between two trees and up onto the green.  It was a fun shot, but it isn't for everyone...

It's definitely an interesting hole...

Here is an aerial from the website

[George Freeman]

If you click on the 18th hole in the link Buck provided, you will get a drone video tour of the hole.  It appears that they have since modified the hole removing the trees at the end of the central "island" and maybe even shaved down the hill at the end to open up better sight lines for golfers taking the long route.  Interesting.

[Richard Hetzel]

I played True North back in 2008. Beautiful golf course, but for me, it needs more width off the tee on many holes. Tough golf course for a higher handicapper, even from the correct tees. Here is a picture I took of the tee shot from the 18th hole. Definitely a quirky golf hole. On a side note, summer golf in northern Michigan is pretty awesome.