Champion Hill GC (Beulah,MI) Photo tour and thoughts

[BCowan]

I had the great pleasure of playing Champion Hills earlier this summer and was really impressed.  This was designed by a real Arm Chair Architect, a retired high school band teacher.  This is his 2nd course with Pinecroft being the first course.  A true field of dreams feeling.  When I was waiting on the 18th tee I thought Sarazen and Ted Ray were going to emerge from the fescue and join me.  , Maybe it was dehydration kicking in.  If it wasn't through this site, I would never of known about CH.  Boyne, Treetops, Forest Dunes, Lakewood Shores, and Arcadia dominate the airwaves.  I often ponder how ma and pa courses can cost effectively advertise what most I love about them.  Possibly as I get older I've sought out different courses then in my younger days.  I'm curious to what DeVries and Doak think of the routing on this bold property and if they think it is disjointed at times, since they live rather close by.  Is this the poor man's Crystal Downs?  I hear some CD members are fond of the course. 

    The courses tree management is outstanding.  The Fescue is maintained near perfectly as well!  50-70 yard fairways!  One has to question why Arble hasn't visited this fine track.?.?.? 

#2.  Really solid shorter par 4.  The small tree gives an aiming point of the proper angle into the green.  Fun tee shot.


Approach


#3 tee shot, My favorite tee shot on the whole course.  Had no idea where to go.  Left side is preferred angle I found out. 


#3 Approach


#4, Nice elevated tee shot to a generous size fairway


#4 approach, This green has nice ground game options.  I spent the my time on this hole in the left fescue 


#5 tee shot, Par 5 (short) The tee is probably 60-70 feet above of the driving zone and is slightly blind. Walking up to this tee was a workout to say the least.


#5 approach, from right side of fairway you have more of blind approach, looks as though it is
tough to keep ball in the left portion of the fairway off the tee. 


#7 tee shot, Solid down hill tee shot to and uphill green.  Left side is preferable angle into the hole.


#8 tee shot, Very nice downhill par 3


#10 tee shot, from back tee you need to hit more of soft fade


#12 tee shot, Very nice hole.  Pin placement dictates preferred angle into the green.  Typically left side to center is best.


#12 approach, Bold slope off the left side of the green intimidates the 2nd shot


#13 tee shot, Favorite par 3 on the course. Very nice green contours. refreshing to see keeper doing manual work 

#14 tee shot, Nice blind tee shot leaving first time player guessing


#15 tee shot, Another downhill tee shot, fun short hole.  I'd remove trees to the right.  Small tree in front of the green would make for a nice discussion. 


#15 approach from the left, why didn't I aim left of the tree from the fescue lie? 


#15 looking back from the green, The tree?


#16 tee shot, Blind shot

 

[Chris_Blakely]

Both are worth a play if in the area.  They are both on wonderful terrain, strategic bunkering and Pinecroft has good views of Crystal Lake.

Chris

[Steve Lang]

  There was a thread on Champion Hill, that I seem to remember had pics…  we enjoyed playing there one afternoon. Mainly due to the topography up and over along and down the hills…  wasn't fast or firm when we played it.  Par threes were somewhat redundant,,,  Some guys at the Golf center on Secor Road near Boones' SW of TC recommended it over Pinecroft...

[Brian_Sleeman]

Pinecroft has some of the wildest greens you'll play, though that doesn't always work out.  The views of Crystal Lake are very, very nice at the top end of the property.  Champion Hill probably gets the edge in the 10 Round contest, but both are worth playing.

I've only played nine holes at Crystal Lake Golf Club but I know that they have done some in-house work well-received by the local golfing public.

[Richard Hetzel]

I played BOTH a few years back. Pinecroft was pretty soft and was so-so. I really liked Champion Hill (the front 9 anyway, as that is all I had time for) as it played fast and firm, Let me see if I can find the pics from both.

[Richard Hetzel]

Here are my pics from the front 9 of Champion Hill.

[Richard Hetzel]

[Richard Hetzel]

[BCowan]

Richard

    Thanks a lot, looks like a fun track.  It looks like a tough walk, is it walkable?  Do they have any fescue in the fairways?

[Richard Hetzel]

Here are a few pics from my round at Pinecroft. Sorry for the dark pics, the weather was not cooperating that day.

[Richard Hetzel]

[Richard Hetzel]

Although a bit hilly, it is walkable IMO. No bent grass fairways and possibly no irrigation either, but don't hold me to that. I do know that I liked the fairways once I got accustomed to them and their scruffiness. The ball ran out nicely. I really liked Champion Hill. Worth a play if nearby.

[BCowan]

Richard

   Champion Hill looks good, has better tree management than most courses.  Pinecroft greens do look good.  Thanks again for all the photos

[Richard Hetzel]

I played the back 9 at Chrystal Lake as well, and it was just a normal, run of the mill GC IMO. I have pics of that 9 as well.

[BCowan]

Has anyone else played Champion Hills?  Land looks perfect and the design isn't all that bad either.  I hope to make it up North this summer! 

[Bill Crane]

Played Pinecroft about four years ago with my son when we were vacationing in Frankfort, MI.  The course was surprisingly good despite the cost and moderate slope rating.  Comment on greens was dead on – some like the 9th had some serious slope.  But, this is a real golf course with some well designed holes, and a mixture of types of holes, some tight, some open, flat, sloped etc.  Walkable but fairly hilly in places, and some really wonderful views vistas of the lake and area.

We also trekked down to the Heathlands in Onekama – about 35 minutes south.  Also, a real golf course for little money.  They let me have a Jr. deal for my son and with the twilight discount and the cost was barely over $40 for both greens fees and a trolley for me.   Also a nice mix of holes, a few blah holes, but real golf.  A few steep hills on the back otherwise walkable as well.   Loads of wildlife, and hardly anyone there.

I think that this area of Michigan has incredible value golf.  Maybe not all highly rated courses, but if you played the game with twilight or coupons you could play a ton of solid golf for not much $.  Heathlands yearly membership $800 single, and $1,050 for a couple!   Not much of a clubhouse, but you can get a beer for the deck overlooking the course. Pinecroft - unlimited family membership purchased before March 1 - $1,125!  Good at both Pinecroft and Champion Hill.  Summer green fees - Mid-day walking $31, or Twilight in the summer walking - $22!  Quess I should note this on the affordable golf post.

The comment that I heard in Frankfort area was area farmers where not making enough money and are now farming grass instead of crops.

Arcadia Bluffs is beautiful, although the golf is a tad contrived, and seriously overpriced.

Crystal Downs blew them all away!!

WmFlynnfan

[Nick_Christopher]

BCowan - I grew up in Frankfort and recall that the Benzie Central High School Band Director retired and built both Pinecroft and Champion Hill by himself.   Pinecroft is a few years older - probably was built in the early 90s with Champion Hill being completed in the mid to late 90s.  Pinecroft looks directly over the Crystal Lake Golf Club which is the weakest of the three which are all very close together.  Champion Hill is my favorite and has some all-world views out over Platte Bay in the distance.  Some really good land movement and fun holes.  I recall #17 (I think) having a 90 degree turn in it for the third shot of a three shotter - pretty unique!.  Pinecroft plays a bit easier and has less drama overall.  Both are really fun courses and great values!

Two other great value courses in the area are Chestnut Hills in Arcadia - very tucked away just east of town on Glover's Lake Road.  And up in Leelanau - Bahle Farms is a great local gem playing thru orchards with great topography.

Can't beat northern Michigan in the summer!

Also check out Bear Lake golf club down in Manistee County (probably 15 miles south of Beulah) - another gem!

[Richard Hetzel]

Totally agree on Leelanlau Bahle Farms, I liked that course very much. Thee are quite a few value bargains in that part of the state if you look a little.

[BCowan]

Rich

Any photos of Leelanlau Bahle Farms?

[Chris_Blakely]

Another course to think about in that area is the 9 hole Northport Point Club in Northport, MI.  Course was orginally designed by Tom Bendelow and Tom Doak came in a couple of years ago and redid the bunkering.  The 6th hole (I believe) is a drop shot par 3 looking out onto Grand Traverse Bay.

Chris

[SBendelow]

Chris,
Can you give me the year that Tom Bendelow designed Northport Golf Course?
Stuart Bendelow

[Sven Nilsen]

Stuart:

I have the course opening in 1913, so assuming TB did the original work, that would be the date.  That being said, I haven't seen anything that confirms when he was there.

Do you have Nyack CC on your list for him?

Sven

[Chris_Blakely]

Chris,
Can you give me the year that Tom Bendelow designed Northport Golf Course?
Stuart Bendelow

1913 was the year that I had.  I talked with the pro and he mentioned Bendelow.  All of the bunkering was redone by Tom Doak several years ago.

Chris

[SBendelow]

Chris,
No, I do not have Nyack CC on Tom Bendelow's listing.  I have been able to document some 550 original designs by Tom Bendelow to date.  I have a couple of dozen other courses or locations that I think he may have had a hand in, especially layouts that he may have done in the late 1890s and early 1900s.  Records on who designed many of there early layouts is unfortunately very scare.  I believe he was responsible for many early courses in the NY & NJ area during his early days with A.G.Spalding & Bros.

I would appreciate any information you come across on Tom Bendelow's work.

Best regards.
Stuart

[Sven Nilsen]

Stuart:

Here's the Nyack reference (buried at the end of this June 5, 1897 Boston Evening Post article):