Hartland Glen North is a Classic Golf Course






The weeping willows are everywhere on the north course and are beautiful.

      One of the most impressive things about Hartland Glen is driving up to the clubhouse and seeing all of the very mature Weeping Willow trees that adorn the North course. Hartland Glen is a well-managed golf course where it is very well taken care of and the North course especially is in very good shape. The course has plenty of oversized bunkers that are strategically placed near the greens, in the landing areas of tee shots and also help to keep golfers safe from the holes where errant shots could have players playing from the fairways of adjacent holes.



View of green back toward the fairway



   I have played this course as much as anywhere else over the years and can tell you that it is worth the drive on M-59 (Highland Road) about 2 miles east of US-23 and a few miles west of the Oakland/Livingston County border.  The course is short at under 6,300 yards from the blues and plays at under 6,100 yards from the white’s and the ladies play it at 5,100. I mention Weeping Willow trees because I love looking at them and they look friendly but  playing a ball hit under one is pretty fruitless as the spindly branches knock down your best shots. Like the back which plays shorter yardage wise, golfers are advised that playing the blue tees is a good bet and the difference between the blues and whites is only 11 yards.

   I love the work on the clubhouse, the landscaping and the signs on both courses which help you navigate the course better. The first hole is a good measurement for what the course is like.  It plays at 370 yards and there is a slight valley in front of the tee box (10 feet) that lasts for a good couple of hundred yards.  It than quickly elevates on this very slight dog leg right. Golfers that hit a solid tee shot should not be in the valley and will give you a good look at the green. There is trouble on this hole. There are loosely clustered trees to the right side and being tangled up in some of them will leave you pitching well short of the green. While the green is good sized the sand bunkers on either side are also huge but fair to play out of. Hartland Glen does move the pins around quite a bit and how you play your sand shots will depend on if the pin is tight. On this day I went to the left green side bunker and I had the advantage of the pin being tucked to the rear of the green slightly right of center. The greens largely roll true at this course and you can feel free to go for it.

The Second Tee box overlooks plenty of trouble. Go left center/center here if possible.

This is where you want to be although you can drive it further toward the trap left and trees right.



Pond on the right side for shanked shots.





The catch bunker that seperates the second and 7th holes.

     The second hole is the number one handicapped hole on the course and a premium drive is demanded on this 450 yard par four. You do have to think about where you want to hit your tee shot. Skulling it short and to the right is a huge no-no. There is a pond, then beyond that some trees, a sand trap and a line of trees for a solid offline tee shot. Well, am I encouraging you to drive left? Yes but there is a huge sand bunker for a drive that is nutted left side and the rolling fairway could push your ball toward the bunker for a drive or second shot if you goofed up off the tee. The green will be a fairway metal wood for average hitters and a mid-to high iron for golfers that hit the long ball. The green is large and has bunkers guarding it but you will get a good look at the pin as the sand sits not in front of the green but in the corners and a solid shot will roll on the green and give you a look at a birdie. Survive this hole and the third hole will seem pretty easy as it plays only 350 yards with a down slope toward the green.

   Saying that, the fourth hole is one where your best could still leave you wondering if being in the rough is better than the fairway. The landing area of the fairway slopes toward the left and can be soggy if you leave it near the pond that goes along the left side of the hole. The right side has a bunker and some rough that is short and playable and if you play a fade, you will be all right whether you mishit your tee shot or leave it there.

View from the tee box on four

Fourth green and view back to the fairway.

Drives can be carried towrad the pond with an uneven lie.

Go in the bunker and depending on your lie, you could still go for the green. There is sand on this hole like many hole at HGN but it is fair and the lips of the bunkers are not terribly deep compared to other courses so you should be alright. As for me, I hit a solid drive that hit the slope of the fairway and carried a few feet into the left side rough. You will have a good look at the green but the lie will be most likely above your feet. The green is undulated here and you should read your putt here and even look at the other side as it will break even though you looked at it and swears it goes straight.

The seventh hole is the only par five on the front nine and playing at 500 yards, the longest hitters can hit it on the green in flight or by bouncing it on. I have only done it a few times and not this year. It is a dog leg left and there are plenty of targets for you to shape your drive. Don’t go right as the second and  sixth holes could come into play if you shank it. A huge tree sits to the left side for those golfers who really want to cut the corner. If you are a righty with a draw, this is the hole for you. If you cream your drive left, you can hit it to the slope of the hill almost out of sight from the tee box and you will be licking your chops. Most average to good hitters will hit a good drive to a cluster of trees through the fairway and if you hit a very good drive offline, there is a fairway bunker on the second hole that will catch your ball and that is no fun on a par five but it does protect your ball from going on the second hole where it can get crazy for you. Your second shot can be ripped here and if you have at least 220+ yards you should be able to take a good rip at the ball. If you hit an awesome drive, you can go for it in two but there is a bunker protecting the green and some sparse trees both sides.

The green does roll true and you could earn a birdie if you make it in three or putt for eagle if you hit two superb shots.  As for me, I got on in three with two good shots. My second was pretty sweet but where you drive the ball is as important as how far you hit it.

What makes HGN so unique is that of the four nines on the two courses, three of them have a par three finishing hole. Playing from the blues is only 135 yards and there is a slight valley which leads to a pond and then a green that plays at roughly the same elevation as the tee box. Hitting it right or left as in snap hook will leave you with tears as trees and the pond will ruin this hole.

Rough in the 8th Fairway

Beautiful golf hole and this view of the pond is really something.

Beautiful View of the Trees along the Cart Path.

Behind the green is a long bunker that slopes downward and so does the green as the green slopes from back to front toward the pond. I usually play this hole very well I hit it a touch too solid and went into the bunker. I chipped it very well out of the sand and below the pin and then just missed my putt for a bogey where I was hoping for a sand save.   

The back nine has the same character as the front where drive placement is more important than distance.

The eleventh hole is a 510 yard par five where like the 7^th hole, two very well struck shots will reach the green but leaves golfers with plenty of wiggle room for a shanked tee or second or even third shot. A tree line exists on the left side that is sparse but balls caught up in them could leave you with a pitch out to the fairway. To the right side it nearly mirrors the right with various trees. For golfers that hit it down the middle, the slight dog leg right comes into focus and a well struck fairway metal wood will be around the green. There are bunkers protecting the green and where there isn’t sand it is slightly elevated and some of the grass is sparse so having a good lie is not a sure thing. If you shank your second shot, there is a bailout area where you can recover so I wouldn’t be afraid to crank it up here. Putting here it is important to watch your speed. I have had a few putts that did tail off but hit it solid and you should be money.



14 from the tee box on this 135 yard par three that seems to play in the wind most of the time.

 Thirteen is an unlucky number but on this par four, you can be pretty wild here and not pay the price. The distance is not easy. It plays at 392 yards and there are fairway bunkers but with the lack of rain, the rough is fairly open and unless you really pull the ball left, you can take the woods out of play by playing the left side of the fairway. Hit it on the fairway and good for you. You will have a bunker that shields the pin and you will not know exactly where the placement is. The green is large and depending on where you play your drive, you should have a low to high iron into the green. If you hook it off the tee to the right, you will have an encounter with the trees and I already told you that going left will not punish you. That is coming at 17. I nearly birdied this sucker and barely missed my tweeter after being about 15 feet to the left of the pin. My ball went around the world and spun out a couple of feet and I had to settle for par here.

Number 15 played downwind and in the summer heat it was welcomed for me and made my driver very thankful. The hole is tricky as there are trees to the left side  that are wicked if you hit over there looking to cut the slight dog left par five hole and the woods that separates the North course from the South will collect fades or hooks to the right side. Survive that trauma and this 510 yard hole is a ripper away from either being on or for most of us a short to mid-iron away from the green. The green is large and being on in two or three does not guarantee anything.






View from the 17th green. The tree branches are on the right from the green.



Hole looks pretty tight. There is more room than it looks but the ground can be soggy and a fairway shot could be blocked out left side by overhanging tree branches.



You will want to hit a solid putt because if you are twenty plus feet away you could surprise yourself with a three-putt and turn a birdie into a bogey right away.

The second lowest handicapped hole on the course is tough for a variety of reasons. Seventeen has plenty of trouble and your tee shot must be struck well or you have little chance at par let alone birdie. A cluster of trees is located on the left side and from the tee box it looks like you have very little landing area on the hole. As you navigate the hole you will find that there is more landing area on the left side but the ground is soggy in places and your tee shot can plug on days after rain. Speaking of rain, your ball could splash on a solid drive that goes toward the hidden pond on the right side. A ball hit fairway right side could trickle into the pond or go in on the fly. There is an opening to the right of the pond but there are plenty of trees or branches and you most certainly will pitch toward the hole as the pond is not a high percentage shot to pitch over back toward the fairway. The woods on the left does have a few trees that have branches that jut out and it is possible to hit your iron shot into one and that pretty much cooks the hole. Get through all of that and chips to the green have good cushion under it and I have never birdied this hole but I am sure some people have. Just not this people.

Number 18 is what I call the horseshoe hole. Water surrounds this hole on three sides of this par three and really circles the hole all but the front side of the green. The hole plays from 128 to 145 yards and the back tee box is struggling to grow grass is spots. I admit I played the white’s from this hole only and hit my shot on the green  about even with the hole with a nine iron that I floated up to the green. Some trees behind the green help shield the hole from the wind but looking into the water, plenty of people like the horseshoes. I parred this hole and once again, just missed birdie here. 

Nice look at the horseshoe hole. My name for the 18th.

Here's the Skinny...

 Customer Service- 10.0- They have a friendly staff and this includes the clubhouse, bar and the people on the course.   

Course Markings- 8.5 - Very Good. No suggestions on playing the course as for individual holes but the holes are for the most part self explanatory.

Conditions -8.5 - Course in Very Good shape.    

Playability 9.5- This is a good scoring track. The course is short. The bunkers on the North are huge but you can hit out of them. The course is not tricked up and that is refreshing. Greens are very straightforward and roll true. Almost no spike marks and this helps.  The practice green and facilities will  will help you and check it out as it is outstanding to improve your game.  

Course Design- 9 - Course laid out with the average to above average golfer in mind. For you to go in the water here, you must hit a pretty poor shot.

The bottom line. I give it a 9.0/10.0. I like the course and it is a very good value for the money. There are a lot of outings and leagues so call ahead for a tee time.

 

 Hartland Glen is an outstanding value for the money. Fairway Friday's are only $20 with a coupon from the Oakland Press.

http://www.hartlandglen.com/index.php

Is the PGA Tour Really a World Game?

    I read an article from the Golf Channel and they talked about former champions reviving the Irish Open. Well, as my editor would say, the tease of the headline drew me in to a golf subject I thought was being covered wasn’t. I’m thinking that some golf heavy weights are playing the Irish Open to revitalize the involvement of American’s playing for an extended time overseas and what the headline really meant is...  Major Championship winners like European’s like Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke are playing this week and are scoring well. Did you notice that I did not mention any American’s at the top of the leader board? Well most American’s leave the plane running after completing the Open Championship quicker than you can say Great Brittian. My take is tennis has some warm-ups before Wimbledon and the French Open as well as the US Open in September. In golf, the PGA Tour actually has their own tournament (The John Deere Classic) that runs concurrent with the British Open. Why is that? Shouldn’t the PGA let the entire world’s stage focus on the British Open? How about 2-3 events where the PGA Tour shuts down and lets the birthplace of golf shine on the world’s stage?  How about the PGA Tour take some time off during the summer and play 2-4 events in Europe each year during the month of July? Perhaps it is time for golf to have one of the majors overseas and now I am calling for a fifth major which is not new talk but could be new when you consider that there are places that could really grow the game of golf. China, Japan, Australia or Indonesia that have been researched by those in the golf know could host a Major Championship. This year there are four events being held in Australia or Asia and it is happening during what most Americans would call it the no man's land of the NFL season.  The points that are accumulated on the world phase of the tour could count for more points than regular events and sponsors could bonus stars that perform and finish with excellent results in these events. Over here, there has been some sponsor consolidation on the American side of the tour and since the recession started in 2008 at times the hill seems to be tilted toward sponsor driven exodus quicker than new sponsors coming in. I am sure there are more Asian sponsors that would love to sponsor an event and the purses would be huge with more wanting to see PGA stars than there would be dates available. We have exported American jobs for generations with no payback for you and me. Perhaps our stars could bring some YUAN, pounds or some other currency back our way.

Hartland Glen South is a Unique Course

   

       When you make the drive out to Livingston County, Hartland Glen is one of several golf courses that are located within a few miles of the Oakland border right on Highland Road. A couple of them are upscale and the rest are daily fee courses and this includes the 36 hole two course layout known as Hartland Glen. The first review is of the south course and I am very familiar with it as I worked there over a decade ago and enjoyed playing it. With the perspective of playing The Sharf, Katke Cousins and Fieldstone over the last week, how would Hartland Glenn’s South Course stack up?

   This course is less popular than the North as it is tighter and a little quirkier than the North but in my mind quirky is good. The course only plays 6287 yards from the tips and the men’s tees play at 6,087 yards. Unless there is something physically keeping you from playing the additional 200 yards or (11 yards per hole) you should be playing the blue tees. I mention that this course is quirky and it starts with a par 37 front nine and continues with a par 34 back.



#1 Tee Box



View from the fairway. The marsh/swamp is to the right.

View ot the green and back toward # 1 fairway

The 350 yard par four first hole is a dog leg right and long hitters will hit a three wood. There are slightly scattered trees in the first cut of rough and you can cut the hole here but the problem is a couple of the trees are maturing and a mishit will give you a pitch out and your birdie try will be from 100 yards or more. Short of the green are fescues and a pond left of the green for you to consider. There is a bailout area to the left of the green. The grass is spongy but it beats losing a stroke. The greens at HGS are largely true and you can go right after the hole but like any course, you must read the greens and hit it firm. The ball will not trickle away forever like some courses reviewed this year.

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Very tight hole. I meam very tight.

Look at the green and the narrow shoot that lines this fairway.

     While I enjoy playing the South course, holes four and five are very tight and I think most golfers would say too tight. The current owners have made some improvements and have expanded a fairway where a pond jutted out into a landing area. The hole plays to 400 yards from the blues and woods cut both sides of the hole and you have to drive it through the eye of a needle to put the ball in play. The pond that was trimmed back will catch longer drives hit right but you will have to hit it around 280 to bring it into play. Bunkers surround the hole but you will have to seriously mishit it to bring them into play. I bogeyed this hole and it was not my drive that hurt my score but my second shot was off the green left side and my pitch shot was ten feet from the hole and I pushed my par effort.

View of the fifth hole from the tee box. Severe dog leg left.

More of the 5th fairway.

   The fifth hole is really something. It plays only 324 yards but has one of the most unique layouts you will ever play. The tee box is within feet of the woods and if you hit a draw here I suggest you pull it out of your bag of tricks. Anyone who hits it left to right will leave a short pitch shot to the green. This includes a pitching wedge or short iron. If you draw it, you may have a lob wedge over the bunkers that guard the slightly elevated green. The woods to the rights side of the hole are in play and I have to admit that I have been there a time or two. When I first started playing this hole ten plus years ago, the trees were not quite as mature and the tree line was not so formidable. This might just be a hole for those that are shaky with the big stick to hit an iron or three wood.

View of the hole from the tee box. The massive sand trap is to the right.

View from behind the 8th green.

The third of three par fives on this front side plays at 463 yards and certainly plays longer than it looks. This was my stupid hole. A sand huge bunker actually serves its purpose dividing both the 8^th and 17^th holes but will only catch drives of 210 yards. This bunker is deep, 70-80 yards long and only comes in play if you do not hit it down the middle. I hit a bad hook that was not good enough to hit the trap. I then bombed my three wood to within 40 yards of the green setting up an eagle with a short pitch shot. I then skulled my third shot, chipped my fourth shot to 20 feet and just missed my par putt as I slid it by about 18 inches. There are woods going up the left side and the woods closes in from the right as the hole continues to its conclusion.

      The final hole on this side is the 138 yard par three. Hartland Glen certainly has its sense of humor. Three of the four nines finish with par threes and the south back is a short par four. This hole is very tight and has woods both left and right and a pond submerges any short tee shot. The green is very long and narrow. The bunkers on the right side could leave you with a touch chip right next to the hole when the placement is to the front side of the bunker. You could also have a better chance at chipping your putt (you heard that right) if you put it on the front right side of the green and the flag is way in the back. You might need to do some P90 X as you could have a 100 foot putt if you misjudge your distance off the tee.

   The back side of the South course is my favorite of the four nines although after playing the North course a few days prior, I have a newfound appreciation of playing golf on this property.

      Number eleven has changes a little over the past decade. The tree line that stood like a stone wall around 200 yards from the tee box has been trimmed back. Your ball can still pinball off the trees but there are less trees to redirect your tee shot. You will want to be left to right center on your tee shot. Right is out of bounds as the woods await you and left will leave you a blind shot to the green. Surprisingly this is only the 14^th rated handicapped hole on the course. Perhaps this is why.  You have plenty of room around the green to chip your missed iron or metal wood shots to the pin. The ball will move around a little on this green and a par is a good score here and a birdie will help you gain a shot against the field.

 



Hole number 13 is certainly not an unlucky one and if you drive the ball relatively straight, you have only 331 yards to pad your scorecard. There are woods right but it opens up and a tree that might be the first cousin to the Joshua sits in the rough to the right side. If you tangle with this piece of wood you will most likely have to deal with this the hard way. Woods to run along the left side of the hole but they are not in play unless you block your tee shot badly. In my mind, this hole has been landscaped and is much more open than it used to be. The green is slightly elevated and has bunkers guarding it. The putt can be tricky here. Hit it firm and you will be rewarded with no worse than a two-putt unless you shoot your putt out of a cannon. 

It's tight from the tee box but fans out quite a bit



The Joshua Tree. You must be left of this tree. There is more room than it appears here. Go right and you can see the rough stuff.





Number 15 used to be my all-time favorite hole on this course and there are several holes that are really a treat to play. Over time this hole has been made over and I think the tee box has been moved to the right but perhaps I am mistaken. A parallel line of trees can be shot over but growth has made this shot much tougher over the last decade. What made this hole so fun is that you could shoot over the tree line and the first cut of rough is almost as easy to play from then have a short second shot from this 305 hole. Most bombers that hit it long and straight will have a short pitch and shorter hitters will have a short iron. Unfortunately, the fun rough I spoke of is now ROUGH. I wouldn’t advise someone to try this shot now as the payoff will not be worth it unless you go just off the fairway to the left side. I sure miss the old rough.



Check Out the Tree Line. A Very narrow shute is down the middle. You cn fly the trees left side but it is rough.



17 is a Dog Leg Right. Woods waits you on the right side.

Number seventeen is a hole where I almost always play great on and I rarely say that. That really long bunker I spoke of on the eighth hole comes out here on 17 but really does not come into play unless you play a draw. The 353 yard par four has a woods/wetlands area right side and some trees if you hit it way left. This slight dogleg right can be attacked best from the center to the left side of the fairway. A crowned grass bunker will throw shorter shots toward the woods or if you hit it on the side facing the pin, you will get a kick that way as well. The green is large and the pin is usually in the front or center of the green. My wedge shot landed 12-15’ from the pin and I achieved a birdie here.

The final hole is a driver’s delight. It is only 280 yards from the tips and there is trouble just about everywhere but straight. The woods frame both sides of the hole and sand guards tee shots that trickle right. I drove it to the doghair of the green just missing the bunker by feet. I was salivating at a sure birdie opportunity if I can chip it to the flag that is tucked into the back of the green. My chip was fat however and I left myself about 20 feet to the pin for a birdie. I then left my birdie putt short by less than a foot and tapped in. Boy, back to back birdies would have been great but a tap in par wasn’t so bad.    

Here's the Skinny...

 Customer Service- 10.0. This course models how to take care of customers. Perry, Jeremy, and the rest do a great job to let you know that they appreciate your business. It is a nice touch to have a 1/2 liter of water placed in your cart and that small gesture is big for golfers who need to wet their whistle on a hot day. 
  

Course Markings- 8.5 - Very Good. No suggestions on playing the course. Plenty of places from stakes

Conditions -7.5 - Course in Very Good shape. There are some rough areas but it could be due to the lack of rain.   

   

Playability 9.0- This is a good scoring track. The course is short. The front nine is a par 37 and the eighth could be a very tough par four instead of a five.  Greens are very straightforward and roll true. Almost no spike marks and this helps.  The practice green and facilities will  will help you and check it out as it is outstanding to improve your game.  

Course Design- 7 Course very narrow in some spots and you literally have to shoot the  400 yard par four 4th with an iron.  

The bottom line. I give it a 8.5/10.0. I like the course and know some people avoid tight layouts but you will play most of the clubs in your bag.  This is really a fun track to play and you really should give them a call to book a tee time.