Great Lakes Loops

This is Plym Park in Niles, not far from the decent downtown area they’ve got there. Most of those trees weren’t there in the 50s, so certainly not when the course was built. Seems like it could be a nice little town golf course with some effort.

#migolfcourseaerialoftheday First time feature #603 and a muni alert

The course dates back to 1922, not bad for a 9-hole muni. I think it might occasionally get some water from the nearby river, but otherwise it doesn’t look like a bad park.

📸: Google 2017

I’m looking forward to seeing it again next summer for the US Open!

This is Shinnecock, of course. My mind always goes straight to the 1931 William Flynn layout, but I had forgotten the winding history of this design. First routed in 1891 by either William Davis or Willie Dunn - there is some confusion there. And then by C.B. McDonald and Seth Raynor in 1917.

#migolfcourseaerialoftheday National Edition

This place is way way up there on the list of national destinations that I am enamored with. Visually it’s great, of course, but it’s the subtle and challenging angles that I think is what does it the most for me.

📸: Apple

Correction, PGA 2k3. Servers are no longer up for 2k21, and the course hasn’t been ported to 2k25, so 23 is the only current way to play Yarrow.

This was Yarrow GC in Augusta, designed in 2003 by Ray Hearn, closed in 2015. The clubhouse now functions as an addiction treatment center while the holes remain undeveloped. There is an acceptable version of the course in PGA 2k21 if you are looking to see (or remember) what it was like.

#migolfcourseaerialoftheday

Of the No Longer Existing Courses I’ve featured over the years, I think this one may have had the shortest life span, yet is one of the more dearly missed tracks in the state.

📸: Google 2012

📸: Google

Formerly Indian Hills, this is now 906 Golf Course in Stephenson. Useful for repping the area code, as well as jumping to the front of the alphanumerical list of courses in the state. This par 33 executive course dates back to 1978.

The Pistons won again…

#migolfcourseaerialoftheday First time feature #602

Here is a list of MI courses with Indian in the name:
Hills (x2)
Lake
Lake Hills
River
Run
Springs
Trails
-wood (New & Old)

You can take today’s course off of this list after a name change.

This is St. Ives at Tullymore in Stanwood, a 1995 Jerry Matthews design. I liked the Tullymore course despite an abysmal pace of play experience. Don’t think this looks good, but I’d be more willing to let your positive reviews talk me into it without that price tag & previous poor experience.

#migolfcourseaerialoftheday First time feature #601

The tight trees and constant marsh hopping have me wondering what I would be willing to pay to see this course for the first time. I can tell you for sure that it won’t be the $150 peak rate that they are asking for.

📸: Apple

I don’t like watching this team. Each week they look less and less prepared.

This is Saskatoon in Alto. Opened in 1964 with the Red nine, by Bill Howard, most recently updated in 2022 with the addition of the Silver nine, by Paul Albanese and Jerry Matthews. I haven’t seen it mentioned, but based on the timing, could that have been the last work completed by Jerry Matthews?

#migolfcourseaerialoftheday

You will not be surprised, given the sheer amount of holes to work with, that the phrases “Scottish-links style” and “up-north” both appear on the website. For one, I doubt there are many 45-hole facilities in Scotland.

📸: Apple

📸: Google

This is North Star in Ithaca. Adrian Cook designed 9 holes in 1965, and then came back in 1971 to finish the job. Peaks at $38. I assume I’ve been to Ithaca more times than I probably have, because between golf and bball it always felt like that was the regional site.

#migolfcourseaerialoftheday This is the 600th course in Michigan that I’ve featured!

It’s another one of those whose name sounds familiar, but I can’t remember if I played a HS match here or not. I do know that about 10 more years of mowing and those fairways will probably vanish into thin air.

I’m not sure of the proper terminology, but this is the Old course at Musselburgh. The earliest documentation of golf being played here is 1672, meaning they celebrated 350 years in 2022. Insane. It was a 7-hole course until holes were added in 1832 and 1870 to get to 9.

#migolfcourseaerialoftheday International request

Two different aerials here just to try and show off the landforms. This club lays claim to having the oldest golf course in the world (in the world Craig!).

📸: Google 2022 & 2023

📸: Google

This is Brookshire Inn in Williamson. 9 holes were built by Bruce Matthews in 1958, 9 more by Jerry Matthews in 1986. Given how different the 9s look, the northernmost holes seem to be Jerry’s. Dynamic rates mean you’ll have to check back next summer to see what peak rates are.

#migolfcourseaerialoftheday First time feature 599

This place has to be in the Group Golfer hall of fame with the number of times I’ve seen it there. Head to the website where they seem to prioritize their amenities in this order: wedding receptions, banquets, restaurant, and then golf.

This is the former Iron River CC, now known as Miners’ 9. I know a few folks who will have trouble with that apostrophe placement 😆. Peaks at $45. It dates back to 1932 and William Langford. I’ve seen differing accounts of whether his buddy Theodore Moreau was involved.

#migolfcourseaerialoftheday

There seems to have been a name change here since the last time I featured it. It’s definitely going for more of a “of and for the people” vibe with the new choice.

📸: Apple

This is Bent Pine in Whitehall, which dates back to 1968. Peaks at $36. Sounds like the bent pine itself is no longer. Early aerials show not only a grass runway diagonally through the middle, but it was mostly just fields. Those trees came up out of everywhere those last 60 years!

#migolfcourseaerialoftheday First time feature 598

Those narrow hole corridors 😱. Somebody please introduce this property to the 12 hole concept.

📸: Google

This is Pilgrim’s Run, a 1998 design by Mike DeVries that peaks at $99. For a course that is known for how isolated each hole feels, the short green to tee transitions for most of the holes makes it look like it’s not a bad walk. Looks like a much more connected routing than I’ve heard discussed.

#migolfcourseaerialoftheday Request

I don’t usually feature a course twice in a calendar year, but there are a few in the state that deserve it. Here’s a slightly different view of this course with fewer leaves on the trees.

📸: Apple

This is Dunham Hills in Hartland, slated to become Proving Ground GC after a Mike DeVries renovation. This 1967 design by August Kranites is still fun right now due to great land movement. With a peak rate of $70, I’d recommend checking the place out.

#migolfcourseaerialoftheday

The most recent imagery still doesn’t show many of the changes that have occurred here. This was one of the better first time visits I made in 2025, and it should only keep getting better each year.

📸: Apple