Tyrone Hills in Tyrone Township is a course where you can really enjoy yourself and a mishit shot is usually still in play and leaves you with a second chance of redemption on most holes. Where some courses are a good walk spoiled, Tyrone Hills is a very well laid course that in my eyes is very playable and enjoyable for golfers of all abilities. The course is short (6,408) yards from the blues and if you are a person of even modest abilities, you should play them to be taken seriously as a golfer.
My review starts with the first hole which has a cluster of bunkers on the left side. I have never seen bunkers stacked four in a row on the left side and it is very noticeable from the tee. This 361 yard par four from the blues where I played during the day is a hole where going left is not your best play. So how did I do? I went down the middle and I am very glad that I did. A short iron shot awaits most golfers as you will have a pitching wedge or less to the green. Mishit your driver and you should still have a low iron. Tyrone Hills has one major defense to keep you honest. The greens are crowned and put it in the wrong place and the severe slopes will take your ball back to the rough for a deep grass chip around the green. I did put my second shot on the green but it was about 20 feet away for birdie and I settled for par.
Teeing off on the first hole
The parallel bunkers that line the left side. The also guard the range from the hole.
The picture is hazy after the morning rain on #4.
Woods to the right and a cluster of trees line the opening tee shot to number four
The fourth hole is a very tight 515 par five that is woods lined left and tree lined right from the tee box. A large oak that must have been planted around the same time Adam and Eve walked the earth sits about 200 yards from the tee box. Drive it straight and you have no problems. Drive it right like I did and the oak could come into play. Tyrone Hills doesn’t have a lot of tight driving holes but this one and number 17 which shares some of the same trees will make you roll up your knickers before hitting the ball. My second shot was on the right side of the fairway and I thought the oak would come into play as I walked to my ball. Instead it didn’t but there was some tall wet grass from the rain and my Adams three metal wood was hit well but unspectacular down the rough. My third shot was curling toward a ditch that runs along the right side and I prepared for an out of bounds attempt. It wasn’t and the golfing Gods looked down on me with a smile. My third shot was finally good enough and I went left side of the green about 25 feet from the pin. A two-putt and I felt very lucky to have this one as a longer more unforgiving golf course would have given me a 9-iron to the solar plexus.
# 7 Fron the Tee Box. Trouble is everywhere if you mess up your tee shot. Go short if anything.
The back of the green slopes into the woods from the crowned greens. The dirt from the thick treeline will do you no favors for shots hit too long.
A view from the cart path. It looks tame here.
I really pulled the hacker out of my golf bag on number 8. This 380 yard par four does not have a ton of trouble but I found it on both of my shots. My tee shot went left as I blocked it and went into a cluster of trees that gave me an awkward stance and left me without a good chance to hit the green as my swing was obstructed by tree branches. So I go into more trouble with my 5 wood into some trees about 70 yards short of the green that left me chipping to the green. I messed up my chip and for par I am chipping again. My par attempt which was the chip I referred to was about forty feet short of the green. I then made a bomb for a six. Talk about taking the bad taste of stench out of my mouth from poor play, that would do it. Double-bogey and I am happy due to the flat stick. For those that play this hole better, there is a large fairway collection area to the right of the green that you can chip or putt if you like but it not advisable unless the pin is to the right. The green is large so a lot of golfers will get a GIR(green in regulation) if you play it right.
A look at the 11th green . Check out the crowned green and look back to the tee box.
A view from the top of the hill on 14 does not show you the valley unless you look hard here.
On the back nine number 11 is a dandy. It plays at 175 yards and it is uphill and my advice is to club up one. You cannot see a the green clearly from the tee box due to the slope. The green is very undulated. I hit the green in GIR but then my adventure began. I hit a good putt from about 50 feet (the pin was placed at the back of the green) and thought I made a good stroke but it ended up about 6 feet by and kept curling. My par putt was a slider and slid by and I earned a bogey for my efforts. I was elated on eight but dismayed on 11 and it was due to the most important club in my bag.
A view from the top of the hill on #14.
Fourteen is an excellent adventure. It features a severely sloped fairway that rises and I decided to drive to the top of the hill as I was interested to see what awaited my on the other side and suggest you do to if you have not played the course. My drive was straight but mishit and I had about 170 yards to go on this yard par four. I got out my five hybrid and hit a dandy to the green. I considered it an outstanding shot as a valley awaits those that hit from the short and blind side of the hill. I was about 15 feet from the pin and slide my birdie shot just wide right and I had less than a foot for par and tapped in from there.
It really slopes uphill from the fairway in the valley on 14.
Who's that handsome guy?
A view of #17 from the green back to the fairway.
The seventeenth hole is the hole I referred to earlier as being the twin to number four. It is tight here and driving it off the fairway can be hazardous to your golf game. Trees are definitely in play from the tee box of this 378 yard par four and are a good test of golf. I went left with my drive and hit a tree but did have a chip to the fairway where I had some chance to advance my chip and did about 50 yards. My iron shot was a pitching wedge and I put it on the green and had about twenty feet for par. Well, bogey had my name on it. This hole has trouble with water in front of the tee box, the trees I referenced and sand in front of the green on both sides.
The final hole is a good finishing hole. It measures out at 538 yards and can be played from the 13th with a missed fairway shot and that is where I played it from. My second shot was blocked to the right and I brought a cluster of trees into play and had to either chip or take my chances as there is some opening over there. I did that and made it though all but one tree branch and my third shot was knocked down short of the bunkers. My chip redeemed me and I ended up scrambling for a par on this hole. For those of you who play the hole the way it should be played. A driver and three wood with a wedge or mid-iron shot are the way you should do it and I advise you to do it this way.
Tyrone Hills is a very playable and enjoyable course. I really like how good golf shots reward you and help you with your ego as good golfers will putt for plenty of birdies and outstanding ones will consistently make some putts.
Customer Service- 10 - Staff Friendly and professional. A told a golf course worker that I dropped a golf ball retriever when I saw a ball in a pond and wanted a shag ball. He brought it out to me later.
Course Markings- 8- Very Good. No suggestions on playing the hole or special markings or target signs. Markings at 100, 150, 200 yards and some sprinkler heads. Yardage marked on the tee box to the center of the green was helpful
Conditions -9.5 - Course well taken care of and you can find your ball even in some out of bounds areas. Some areas of the rough could be trimmed back. Number 9 was hard to find your ball.
Playability 9- Anyone can play when you hit them long and straight. Bump and Run on most holes a nice touch. Greens are crowned and your ball will roll off if you mishit your iron or chip shots. When golfers can play with various tactics, it tends to bring out more creativity. Greens are fair and some breaks are not readily apparant. Other than that and I really love this course. My favorite this year from a playability and scoring standpoint.
Course Design- 9- They could make the course longer and tougher as there is room but I am glad they didn't. From a playability standpoint, this is a very friendly course.
Pace of Play- I was the first one off in the morning and played in 2:50 and this includes a 25 minute rain delay. Don't expect the same. Beginner and intermediate golfers can play this course and is a very good scoring course for good golfers and above.
Golfers... make the trek out to this course, the people are nice and it is right off of US-23 in Tyrone Township. Easy on and off and the big Tyrone Township water tower helps you to know you are at Center Road. Here is the tower from # 11
Geese Crossing on #16.
I will put pictures on later.
Denis Husse |
| PGA Professional |
| Tyrone Hills Golf Club |
| (810)629-5011 |
8449 Old US 23
Fenton, Mich. 48430
Call 810-629-5011 for a tee time.
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