Two solid SW Michigan public courses...

[Brian Cenci]

I recently played the Mines Golf Club (Grand Rapids, MI) and Angel's Crossing Golf Club (Vicksburg, MI) this past weekend.  I hadn't played The Mines but had played Angel's 3 years ago I believe (with Jim T.). 

Anyways, for public courses the greens at both these places are top notch (variety, contouring, options) and the holes are pretty good.  The routing at the Mines is very funky and is probably the real sore spot with the course.  The variety of holes at both are great tho, especially Angel's.  I am curious if others have had a chance to play both and what they thought of them and if any other public courses in SW Michigan (Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, St. Joseph, etc.) you think were as good or better.

[Peter Pratt]

Brian, I've played them both and like them both a great deal. I don't have trouble with the Mines' routing--there is some back and forth, but the unevenness of the contours means nothing is repetitive (though the tee shots on the long par 4 13th and 16th are similar). It's interesting that I just played Hideen River Golf and Casting Club up north and found it to be plesant, but not in the same category as Angel's Crossing, tho both are Matthews III courses. Michigan continues to grow as a great place for public golf, though the new building is almost at a standstill, as best I can tell.

[bill_k]

Brian,

Never played The Mines-but Angel's Crossing is a LOT of fun. Not much worthwhile public golf in extreme SW Michigan/St. Joseph area. Lake Michigan Hills (just down the road from Pt. O'Woods) has some fun holes but it can get VERY narrow in places. There is one public course in New Buffalo called Whittaker Woods which is just ok...has only one hole that I can still remember 3 years later so it can't be that great. All the best golf in that area is private...Dunes Club, Pt. O'Woods, etc. Lost Dunes used to allow just about anyone on who could shell out $200 plus the caddie fee-it might be worth a call-worst they can say is no. If you are going to be that far South, though, you might as well drive another 30 min. to South Bend and play the Crenshaw/Coore course at Notre Dame. Almost forgot the old Berrien Hills CC in St. Joe might be public now-it has a handful of decent holes down by the river.

[Peter Pallotta]

Brian

I played the Mines last year, and liked it a great deal... for the reasons that both you and Peter mentioned.  To me, it did everything right, and did it in a very pleasingly understated way, so that the course seemed to hang together from beginning to end with all its variety and contours intact. What a wonderful value that course is...and to me at least it felt like it'd been there a long time...

Peter

[Andy Troeger]

Have played Angels Crossing a couple of times but haven't made it up to the Mines despite a couple of efforts to do so. 

If you consider Big Rapids still SW Michigan then I'd include Tullymore and Pilgrim's Run in any discussion. Tullymore definitely is my favorite of the bunch. After that, Pilgrim's Run and Angels Crossing both are very solid courses that I'd have a tough time choosing between.

There are a lot of other solid courses, some of which have been previously mentioned. Lake Michigan Hills has a cool starting hole and is fun to play, but as mentioned does get narrow in spots. Whittaker Woods is very polarizing, I know people that like it and others that loathe it. I'm somewhere in the middle, I enjoy it once in a while but its not a "home course" type of place because of pretty extreme difficulty. Island Hills in Centreville is probably better than either one, or at least was before they took out a couple of the island holes. Blackberry Patch in Coldwater is nice enough too although maybe a bit behind the others. Bruce Matthews has a new one in South Haven called Beeches GC that is worth a look for its wild greens especially on #9 and 18. Haven't played Hawkshead in South Haven, haven't heard any strong views either way on that course. Gull Lake has five courses; only one I've seen is the Stonehedge South Cse which I enjoyed. Tree-lined parkland style course, but very solid layout with no frills but lots of good solid holes.

[Bart Bradley]

I am surprised noone has mentioned Thousand Oaks in Grand Rapids...I thought it was a solid track.  Anyone play there?

If I can get photobucket to work I've got a pic or two I'll post later.

Bart