It's never a good idea to pass up the opportunity to play golf courses new to you. At the tail end of my quick trip to the new South Course at Arcadia Bluffs, I was able to add three more courses in Muskegon and Grand Rapids.
Having left Fort Wayne at 4:30 AM on October 16, I covered the 314 miles in just over 4.5 hours and reached the South Course in Arcadia, MI at 9:00 in time for a 9:30 tee time. I am telling you, it was the windiest day of the year with gusts over 40 MPH. You can read my review of the South Course elsewhere on this site.
I want to focus on the three courses I played following the South Course.
Having left Fort Wayne at 4:30 AM on October 16, I covered the 314 miles in just over 4.5 hours and reached the South Course in Arcadia, MI at 9:00 in time for a 9:30 tee time. I am telling you, it was the windiest day of the year with gusts over 40 MPH. You can read my review of the South Course elsewhere on this site.
I want to focus on the three courses I played following the South Course.
Chase Hammond Golf Club
One hundred miles south of Arcadia Bluffs in Muskegon is Chase Hammond Golf Club. Just north of Muskegon, the course is just east of US 31. So it's very easy for travelers to find. I had a 3:00 tee time and arrived a bit early to a course that was almost empty. The strong winds I encountered at the South Course had subsided quite a bit and I enjoyed a two and a half hour round under partly cloudy skies.
Chase Hammond is a flat course that plays through hardwoods and pine trees. It was originally built in 1970 by the city of Muskegon. The course was Mile DeVries' very first design. It is now privately owned.
Included in the price is a Course Guide Book that spells out each hole and is quite helpful to a first time golfer.
Every hole is framed by trees and with the leaves changing color and the sun peaking through the clouds occasionally, it was a peaceful round. $22 well spent!
Chase Hammond has a 27 hole sister course, Winding Creek, in Holland, MI.
Chase Hammond is a flat course that plays through hardwoods and pine trees. It was originally built in 1970 by the city of Muskegon. The course was Mile DeVries' very first design. It is now privately owned.
Included in the price is a Course Guide Book that spells out each hole and is quite helpful to a first time golfer.
Every hole is framed by trees and with the leaves changing color and the sun peaking through the clouds occasionally, it was a peaceful round. $22 well spent!
Chase Hammond has a 27 hole sister course, Winding Creek, in Holland, MI.
I spent the night in Muskegon near many chain restaurants.
The Golf Club at Thornapple Pointe
An hour southeast of Muskegon is the Golf Club at Thornapple Pointe. I had the first tee time and of course, was able to enjoy a leisurely round. It was a calm, overcast day with the temperature in the upper 40's.
The Thornapple River is the backdrop for the course that has bentgrass fairways and tees, gently rolling hills, and hardwood lined fairways.
The carts are equipped with a GPS system much like many of today's upscale courses. I paid a senior rate of $30 to play the track. Of course, this was a fall senior rate and during the high season, the rate will be in the mid-50 dollar range.
Thornapple Pointe was the best of the three courses I played to end my northward excursion.
The Thornapple River is the backdrop for the course that has bentgrass fairways and tees, gently rolling hills, and hardwood lined fairways.
The carts are equipped with a GPS system much like many of today's upscale courses. I paid a senior rate of $30 to play the track. Of course, this was a fall senior rate and during the high season, the rate will be in the mid-50 dollar range.
Thornapple Pointe was the best of the three courses I played to end my northward excursion.
Saskatoon Golf Club
Seven miles south of Thornapple Pointe in Alto, MI was the final course of the trio, Saskatoon Golf Club, a 36 hole complex with four nines cleverly named Red, White, Blue and Gold. This late in the season, course maintenance had closed the White and Blue nines so I played the shorter Red/Gold combination at a little over 6000 yards.
Like the other courses, Saskatoon plays through hardwood and pine trees but is speckled with quite a bit more water. The Red nine opened in 1964 and is the shortest nine at just over 3000 yards. It has gently rolling hills with water in play from holes four to seven. The Gold nine is a traditional European-style links course that plays up to 3300 yards. It opened in 1992. Two of the holes have water. Number two is a fabulous risk/reward hole over water where you decide just how much you want to bite off with your tee shot. Number eight is a short par 4 that plays to a green surrounded by water.
While I did not play the White nine, it is carved out of towering pines and is the longest of the nines at 3440 yards. It is usually paired with the Blue nine which plays a short 2900 yards with water on holes five through eight.
I paid a senior rate of $30 for my round.
The course was virtually empty so I played in just slightly over two hours.
Like the other courses, Saskatoon plays through hardwood and pine trees but is speckled with quite a bit more water. The Red nine opened in 1964 and is the shortest nine at just over 3000 yards. It has gently rolling hills with water in play from holes four to seven. The Gold nine is a traditional European-style links course that plays up to 3300 yards. It opened in 1992. Two of the holes have water. Number two is a fabulous risk/reward hole over water where you decide just how much you want to bite off with your tee shot. Number eight is a short par 4 that plays to a green surrounded by water.
While I did not play the White nine, it is carved out of towering pines and is the longest of the nines at 3440 yards. It is usually paired with the Blue nine which plays a short 2900 yards with water on holes five through eight.
I paid a senior rate of $30 for my round.
The course was virtually empty so I played in just slightly over two hours.
Par 4 Hole 2 on the Gold NIne - Risk/Reward
I was home just 36 hours after I left Fort Wayne having played a course at Arcadia Bluffs that is going to receive many accolades and could even make it onto some of the Top 100 lists followed by three more fine golf courses in midwest Michigan.
I've now played 146 unique courses in the state of Michigan and as I've stated many times on this blog, Michigan remains my favorite state to play golf. I can't wait to sample more of its offerings in 2019.
I've now played 146 unique courses in the state of Michigan and as I've stated many times on this blog, Michigan remains my favorite state to play golf. I can't wait to sample more of its offerings in 2019.
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