Just like up here in Lansing, there isnt much.

UofM's course is technically public but you have to be a student or be playing with a student to get on.

Otherwise its pretty typical Matthews, Hills, Hearn.  There is an RTJJr course down river in Washington I believe (The Orchards?), I have not played it though.

I have heard good things about Shepard's Hollow and Lyon Oaks. Of course Michigan is dominated by great Art Hills courses [like Red Hawk and Bay Harbor]. Enjoy.

Doug

Just like up here in Lansing, there isnt much.

Eagle Eye?

http://www.migolfmagazine.com/features/Top50.html

Ranked awfully high here. I have as yet heard only good things.

Doug

For whatever reason I have yet to play Eagle Eye.  I dont care for Hawk Hollow its sister course so I dont head out that way.

Im curious to read people's opinions of Eagle Eye as I have heard mixed reviews.

I typically play Timber Ridge, a serviceable Matthews design.  A couple good short par 4s, a couple good long ones.  Its got decent routing and they didnt move much dirt to make it happen.

Eagle Eye is top notch.  Eagle Eye doesn't get the respect it deserves.  Best in mid-Michigan in terms of public golf.  I'm not a big fan of Hawk Hollow either.   I am a member at Walnut Hills but I also play Timber Ridge 2/3 times a week and I think it's a good course.  There are some cool par 4's.

-Brian

Quote from: Matt MacKay on August 15, 2007, 10:57:37 AM

I've heard very little discussion from this group regarding public golf around Detroit. Is there little to discuss?

The only intriguing place I've researched is Rackham (bunkering looks decent from the aerial photos).

Can anybody comment on Rackham, or any other decent options?

Thanks

Detroit doesn't have much.  Probably Shephard's Hollow is the best.  Lyon Oaks isn't too bad either and Hunters Ridge is good too.  The Orchards gets a lot of pub, but I'm not huge on that course.  Westwynd is a unique and tough course that is a good play too.  Overall, public golf courses in Detroit is a little lacking.  I'd take Lansing any day.

-Brian

Brian

I think you are the first guy I have heard say good things about Hunters Ridge.  Why do you spose the course is a source of no discussion?  I reckon the same could be said of Faulkwood Shores.  I barely hear it mentioned, but its a lovely track - albeit, it is quite difficult! Even Two Guys Who Golf don't mention FS.  Here is their spiel on Hunters Ridge
http://michigan.twoguyswhogolf.com/reviews/huntersridge.html

Here is a link for loads of little writeups on Michigan golf.
http://michigan.twoguyswhogolf.com/michalpha.html

I also must say that I am stunned at how constant prices are around Detroit.  It doesn't seem as though prices have gone up at all in 5-6, maybe 8-10 years.  How do these joints make any money?

BTW Have you played Calderone Farms in Grass Lake?  This is one course that interests me.

Ciao

First Eagle Eye is a very good golf course and worth a look, but it is in East Lansing and this is a thread about Detroit public golf.  If East Lansing is part of Detroit (Solid hour and half from Detroit w/out traffic) then we can talk about courses in Flint, Battle Creek, Marshall, etc.

Hunter's Ridge is a solid Jerry Mathews course and I enjoyed it alot (one of it not my favorite Mathews course).  It is a solid hour or more out of Detroit (Howell, MI).

Brae Burn is a old golden age course by the same architects that did Indianwood Old (Wilfred Reid and John Connelan).  If you are playing this course, it had best be early or late in the season as there is a landfill DIRECTLY across the street.  If playing in the hottest months of summer, I have heard the smell can be quite bad.

Hilltop does have two orginal holes (circa 1919 that appear to be Reid and Connelan) that are very good and  there are two or three Mathews holes that are good to OK, but after playing the orginal holes, I can not help but urn for the original 9 holes over most of the Mathews replacements and new holes.

Calderone Farms is avery good course, with some geometric Raynor-esque greens.  It is IMO one of William Newcomb's best orginal designs.  It was built on a rolling piece of farmland that has some very good holes and one awfull one (adjacent to Deer Museum).  Good pure golf, as of two years ago they did not have a clubhouse.

Westwynd is a great public course.  Terrific rolling terrain, good layout with alot of varriety.  I would not see a reason to seek out Hunter's Ridge, Calderone Farms, or other courses over an hour away if you are lookin for a solid pulic course in close proximety of downtown Detroit.

Others that have not been mentioned that are solid in the Detroit metro area:

Blackheath GC (mini Lakewood Shores Gailes by Kevin Aldridge)
Rouge Park GC (old 1920's Detroit park course - sporty / old)
Glen Oaks GC (old Reid / Connelan former CC now muni)
Moose Ridge GC (solid newer Ray Hearn design).
Pontiac CC (old 1920's Ernest Way design)
Inkster Valley GC (new Harry Bower's design in Rouge River flood plane - some decent holes)

Chris

First Eagle Eye is a very good golf course and worth a look, but it is in East Lansing and this is a thread about Detroit public golf.  If East Lansing is part of Detroit (Solid hour and half from Detroit w/out traffic) then we can talk about courses in Flint, Battle Creek, Marshall, etc.

Hunter's Ridge is a solid Jerry Mathews course and I enjoyed it alot (one of it not my favorite Mathews course).  It is a solid hour or more out of Detroit (Howell, MI).

Brae Burn is a old golden age course by the same architects that did Indianwood Old (Wilfred Reid and John Connelan).  If you are playing this course, it had best be early or late in the season as there is a landfill DIRECTLY across the street.  If playing in the hottest months of summer, I have heard the smell can be quite bad.

Hilltop does have two orginal holes (circa 1919 that appear to be Reid and Connelan) that are very good and  there are two or three Mathews holes that are good to OK, but after playing the orginal holes, I can not help but urn for the original 9 holes over most of the Mathews replacements and new holes.

Calderone Farms is avery good course, with some geometric Raynor-esque greens.  It is IMO one of William Newcomb's best orginal designs.  It was built on a rolling piece of farmland that has some very good holes and one awfull one (adjacent to Deer Museum).  Good pure golf, as of two years ago they did not have a clubhouse.

Westwynd is a great public course.  Terrific rolling terrain, good layout with alot of varriety.  I would not see a reason to seek out Hunter's Ridge, Calderone Farms, or other courses over an hour away if you are lookin for a solid pulic course in close proximety of downtown Detroit.

Others that have not been mentioned that are solid in the Detroit metro area:

Blackheath GC (mini Lakewood Shores Gailes by Kevin Aldridge)
Rouge Park GC (old 1920's Detroit park course - sporty / old)
Glen Oaks GC (old Reid / Connelan former CC now muni)
Moose Ridge GC (solid newer Ray Hearn design).
Pontiac CC (old 1920's Ernest Way design)
Inkster Valley GC (new Harry Bower's design in Rouge River flood plane - some decent holes)

Chris

Chris

Thanks for the encouragement to see Calderone, maybe one day I'll get out there.  

Its ~80 miles extra round trip to get to Hunters Ridge compared to Westwynd (from Hart Plaza), but HR is about half the price of Westwynd.  I know a lot of folks aren't making $25 an hour so it could well be worth the extra travel for them.  

I have never had a problem with smell at Braeburn, but I expect it has to stink once in while!  JC, its well worth a drive out to see Braeburn.  Its a bit old-fashioned so folks don't talk it up much, but I think it is probably the best deal in the Metro area.  I reckon if they spent some money on the place and made a few changes Braeburn could be a very good course.

Ciao

Hilltop does have two orginal holes (circa 1919 that appear to be Reid and Connelan)

Just out of curiosity, which two holes are the originals?  I played Hilltop nearly every day from August through October for four years in High School, and I'm having trouble picking out the two "originals."  

My personal favorite courses in the Detroit area are Lyon Oaks, Timber Ridge, and Shepherd's Hollow.  

Chris, the hole you are recalling at Brae Burn is known as "The Monster," a double-dogleg 600+ yard par five.  It's more than just a "signature hole" -- they use it to try to sell the whole course.  Unfortunately, the "strategy" is merely hitting the ball from Point A to Point B to Point C without hitting it in the water or the woods, so it's kind of boring for a signature hole.  But it is hard.  Also, if you like Brae Burn, another similar old-style course in the area is Salem Hills.

I grew up across the river from Detroit, in Windsor, Ontario. Of all the courses mentioned above, I'd play Rogell most often. Good call Sean!

Sean -

Westwynd had to end their season a few months early last year after killing all of their greens last year.  They upset a lot of people by charging full rate for a number of weeks before shutting the course down.  This year, they were able to recover 16 of the 18 greens and had two temporary greens in place (holes 5 and 6).  Due to the temp greens, they charged reduced fees for the season and play remained light.  All 18 green are now opened and at $30, the course is easily the best deal in town.

To the initial topic of the thread, I think Shepherd's Hollow is easily the best golf course in town, though play can be painfully slow at times on it.  If you offered me a 4:45 round on the first tee, I'd probably take it - would usually come out ahead.


Mike

Sean,

I too was surprised at Westwynds's cost.  I looked it up b/c I did not feel the desparity in cost between HR and Westwynd was as great as you orginally posted.  However, I did not think at times Westwynd could be cheaper than HR.  They are both quality courses and if time is of the essence, than I would play Westwynd.

I completly forgot to look for the pictures last night.  If I can dig them up, I will email them to you.  I am pretty sure that I know how to post pictures, my problem is taking the time to put them up on a site like photbucket.com.  I take a lot of photos of the courses that I play, but just keep them for my use.

After Salem Hills was mentioned, I decided to look it up on the web and saw that it was Bruce Mathews.  Once I saw that, I am less motivated to seek it out.  Although, I did play a Bruce Mathews course of the same vintage earlier this year right off of US-23 north of Ann Arbor and liked it alot.  Good use of the natural terrain.

Chris