Background:Milham Park Municipal Course is located in Kalamazoo, MI and is owned and operated by the Kalamazoo Golf Association. The property is only 80 acres but contains a 6600 yd championship caliber golf course along with a very accommodating club house/pro shop and an exceptional practice facility. The only thing lacking on this small piece of land is adequate parking for weekend play! How is the land utilized? The club house sits at the highest point on the property, on the outskirts of the original park where there was originally a petting zoo, playground, and recreation area. Since it's conception the zoo has been removed but the
park remains near and dear to the hearts of many Kalamazoo residences.
Milham Park has upwards of 1000 members! The original nine holes (front nine) was built in 1931 and the following nine was constructed in 1936 with the assistance of Robert Millar, the original golf professional at Milham.
What is significant about Robert Millar? He was an advocate of allowing black players as members and thus Jessie Owens was a member at Milham Park. Robert Millar began his career as a playing professional in North Berwick before being appointed to Kalamazoo after emigration at age 23.
Course StuffMost courses built on 80 acres would seem to have very little character or have a simple parallel fairway design to conserve space. At Milham, no two consecutive holes on the front nine run parallel to each other and on the back only three holes are consecutively parallel - however, each has their own flavor.
Milham has challenging greenside bunkering and wavy greens sloped primarily from back to front. A great example of this is the challenging par 4 6th hole, a slightly downhill 460 yd gem that requires a tee shot over a valley onto a landing area sloping towards a large fairway bunker and tall oak tree. The long approach requires a running uphill shot through a narrow corridor guarded by bunkers. This is the number one handicapped hole.
There are several elevation changes on Milham's 80 acre layout. The highest points on the course are all uphill approach shots; the 3rd green, 5th green, and 16th green are all examples of this. I wish I had a picture of the 16th hole - a fantastic 316 yd par 4 that requires a precise tee shot over scattered fairway bunkers and greenside bunkers. Several low-handicappers are tempted to go for it in one. But a shot out of any of the bunkers requires low trajectory under tall trees. This could be the difference between a respectable round and a disastrous one.
Holes of NoteMilham inspired my architectural interest and sparked an obsession in golf course photography. I am sorry that I don't have more pictures but these are what I found from my college years.
3rd Hole - Par 4 - 360 yds
A perfect tee shot here will leave you roughly 30 yards infront of the man on the left side of the fairway. This is a downhill tee shot to a fairway sloping heavily towards the collection area on the left side of the fairway 50 yards short of the middle greenside bunker (off the man's right shoulder). The approach is 20 ft uphill towards a green sloping back-to-front. A perfect tee shot and an approach into the rear bunker will undoubtedly lead to a double bogey.
The purpose of the greenside bunkers is not to protect the flag from approach shots but to catch ego driven men from pounding 330 yd drives. This green, while inviting looking from the tee is actually near impossible to catch off the tee.
4th Hole - Par 3 - 170 Yards
Two sets of tee boxes (pictures show green from both) make this Milham's signature hole, wrapped around a small pond. On the other side of the pond families gather to have picnics and watch tee shots. Over the years the superintendent has had problems with this green dying and the course has lost it completely over the last 50 years. Last season the course implemented a tree removal program behind the green to allow for more sunlight to reach the green - one of the fastest on the course. When the flag is hidden behind the bunker it is the most difficult up and down on the course.
The beauty of this hole is undeniable from both sets of tees. One is a forced carry between tall trees and over the bunker, the other a 150 yd carry over the pond wedged between the tree line and bunker.
Hole 7 - Par 3 - 200 yds
The 2nd of Milham's fantastic par 3's is this 200 yarder entirely up-hill and again flanked on all sides by greenside bunkers. Contrary to the first several holes, the apex of this green is near the middle. The golfer wont realize though that being short and left here is the most beneficial place to be. This hole requires a slight fade, but anything started too far left will catch a huge willow tree.
Hole 9 - Par 4 - 370 yds
At this point on the front nine, golfers will undoubtedly remember the 3rd hole in both style and demand. What wont they expect? A similar tee shot left will be left dead in the water. The shading here hides the fact that a fairway bunker is hidden below the towering oak. Any tee shot left into the collection area will require a draw around the tree or a low line drive uphill to the pin. The American flag always flies in the background here - a wonderful way to end the front nine.
Hole 13 - Par 3 - 118 yds
The last par 3 at Milham is deception at it's best. The tee shot MUST be long here - but a novice to Milham will not be able to see the ample landing area behind the pin. To the naked eye, it appears as though the pin (no matter where it's location) is actually sticking out of the bunker on the left or right! This green funnels everything to the center but is hidden by the small apple tree on the left and sweeping bunker faces.
I wish I had the rest of the pictures from Milham. The 10th, 16th, 17th and 18th are all incredible holes as well.
Questions?