The Orchards Golf Course in Washington Township is one heck of a golf course. This course is so highly thought of that it is hosting the 2011 and 2012 Michigan Open's and this course will challenge Michigan's best golfers and will also let you know where you stand as a golfer with your game.
Here is a quote.
“The Detroit metropolitan area is blessed with some of the greatest golf courses in the nation, yet they are limited to play by their members and guests. My goal in designing The Orchards was to create an outstanding public golf course
which would provide golfers with an enjoyable, yet
challenging round that is a true test of golf.â€
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which would provide golfers with an enjoyable, yet
challenging round that is a true test of golf.â€
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Bobby Jones Jr.
| The Orchards is a true test of golf. |
| There is a lot of sand on this course. Be ready! |
The Orchards is the best marked course I have ever played for yardage. There are sticks at the 100-150 and 200 yard intervals. There are sprinkler heads that are marked and the cart paths are also marked and this includes at the 125 and 175 ranges let alone the markings described above. The starter also went over the pin placements and we played the first placement and there are seven overall. Oh, yes, the scorecards also give yardage to sand bunkers, key locations and tell you how far you need to carry.
Now for the course.
The first hole is a 423 yard effort from the Championship tees (7046) total and I played both the Championship and Tournament Tees depending on the holes. I played all of the par threes from the lesser distance as I wanted to air out my irons but played almost all of the par fours and fives from the Championship distance.
The fairway of the first hole is wide and you can see the flag for your iron shot. A signature of this course is the subtle changes of the fairways and your tee and approach shots will catch the slopes quite a bit and you will find yourself playing from the first cut of rough much more than you expect after a good drive. The bunkers on this Robert Trent Jones course are both strategic and diabolical. He tends to cluster the sand traps and how I missed them for the first seven holes is a miracle. My second shot was hit a bit thin and ended up in front of the green and I chipped over the trap. I putted my par putt from 15 feet and hit my putt firmly and I had a good start to my day.
The greens on this course roll true but you do have watch your speed. Many courses in the area have greens that putt slower than the Orchards and I advise you to go to the putting green beforehand as the speed is something you need to negotiate. I am not saying that you are putting on the hood of your car but if you hit firm putts, you have little to worry about. I putted well most of the day and saved several pars but did not hit for any birdies as I was usually 60 feet away when putting and saved par from 4-6' feet.
The third hole is a 577 yard par 5 with a 170 yard carry over the wet lands. This hole is really beautiful. Drive it straight and you will split the fairway. Go left 5-10 yards left of center in the fairway and you will most likely end up in the first cut. I loved my drive but it did roll here. My second shot was sweet but about 130 yards short of the green. This hole has 15 sand traps and I never came close to any of them. The green rolls true and is huge. You can get on in regulation but you could be putting from quite a ways away and that is what I did here. I putted well but saved a 6-8' foot par putt. The well-marked cart path helped me on the third shot and I played a good hole of golf.
The sixth hole is the number one handicapped hole on the course and I can attest that it earned its rating. My drive on this 538 yard par five was good but not great and I clipped a tree and had a playable lie. This is the only time in my round that the neighborhood came close enough to the course to collect a ball from an errant shot. While I was on the course, the neighborhood turnaround can be in play. My second shot is where the fun began. I hit a worm burner about 50 yards and now I decided to go for the green or at least between the green and a wetlands area. My third shot found me hitting a solid but did not a crushed shot and it went into a wetlands area and after a drop I am now playing for par. I did not think the wetlands was more than a ditch from the fairway but it is a good 30-40 yards wide. My next shot went into the sand and then I hit into another sand trap on the opposite side of the green. A chip and a one-putt and I had an eight.
The seventh hole is a hole with a tremendous amount of trouble looking to give you a big number. It is only a 409 yard par four. Repeat after me... do not hit driver here. I hit a 3 wood and this may have been too much but I hit one anyway. I was within ten yards of hitting the wetlands just on the fairway. I drove it left side and actually hit it where I aimed. It was the perfect drive for this hole but next time I will try to take the left side out of play and go left center. If you bomb your drive, you will go into the wetlands. Go too far right and this includes the fairway and you will be unable to get home in two as trees will block you from a short iron approach shot. I skied my seven iron (I had some wind in my face) and I usually play up at least a club and left it short of the green. (RRRrrr!). I then hit a poor chip to the back of the green and two-putt for a six. Remember, the Orchards is as American as apple pie but a bad shot can contribute to you making a big number at any moment.
I am letting the round get away from me and it is mostly my rust and an elite course giving me right jabs to build my score.
The par four ninth is a 441 yard par four and the varying tees give golfers a much different looks depending on where you play your round. I played from the Championship Tees and hooked my drive into a cluster of trees. It was a poor drive all the way around from a lack of shoulder turn to overthinking before striking my shot. My recovery three wood was excellent. Unfortunately I hit it into a very severely sloped sand trap and I skied my birdie out into the opposite rough. I then chipped on and two-putt for a six. A hole that should be a good par can jump out and bite you and this happened three times on this nine.
The back nine starts out with an uphill par four. This 412 hole has wetlands and two ponds that must be carried and really should not come into play. They do not for me as I hit one of my better drives of the day. My approach shot of just under 150 yards was struck well but knocked down by the wind short of the green. I chipped to 4-6' and made yet another putt. I thought this was a good par and the greens have been very good to my putter.
The 11th is a 607 yard par-five. Yes, you heard that right. There are seven sand bunkers here. I crushed my drive here but the wind probably cost me 30-40 yards and I landed about 30 yards past a fairway bunker from the tips. I did mess up my second shot and it rolled about 80-100 yards and I hit a solid third shot from the fairway about 70-80 yards short of the green. I chunked my chip and a hole that is splendid I messed up as I double-bogeyed the hole with a seven. Remember, great drives at this course are helpful but do not make you home-free in any golf sense here.
The 14th hole is the first par three on the back nine. It is 194 from the
Championship tees and 155 from the Tournament tees. I hit it there. I hit a nice drive here but it ended up in a collection bunker to the right side of the green. You cannot see it from the tee box and this sloped grass bunker gives you a good angle to chip from. My chip was about 20 feet passed the hole and my par putt went wide as I ended up with a bogey. After playing the first four holes on this back nine, you will really look forward to this hole. I thought Robert Trent Jones really did a great job on this hole and overall with the course. You really have to earn your pars and birdies on this layout.
Really, the only hole I really did not like on this course happens on 17. Perhaps it was my bad mood from a couple of goofballs that stole my golf ball on 16 that were playing the 17th hole but this hole can really punch you in the nose. A dead oak is very prevalent on this hole about 260-290 yards from the furthest tee boxes and you should aim for it as coming up short but online will give you a great look for an approach shot. I messed up my drive here and ended up in one of four sand bunkers about 230 yards from the tee. Anything less than a rifle shot was being pushed by the wind to the right hard and short. I hit the ball just inside the lip of the sand trap and had both a terrible stance, but no chance to advance the ball out of the bunker. I hit and the ball came right at me. I hit it again just trying to get it out and it went down a second fairway that you cannot see from the tee and is about 20' feet below the fairway to the left and 30' below an area of heather. You have no chance to see the pin from there, and this includes the green or anywhere else to guide you and with golfers starting to pace behind me, I hit a shot and chipped it into yet another sand trap. Then I said this hole is over so I hit a nice seven iron out of the sand and hit it solid but out of bounds about ten feet outside the stakes. (I still cannot see the pin from the second bunker). I then just take a drop and chip and two-putt. I felt like Kevin Na and made probably the biggest number of my life on a hole that has way too much sand. Remember RT Jones, the Sahara needs sand too!
You would think that I could never hit another good shot in this round but heck no, I played 18 beautifully. It is a super par-four that is 413 yards playing downhill. I hit a nice drive about 280 yards and was just on the fairway. I then hit a five-iron hybrid into the wind and put it solidly on the green with a downward stance and was really happy with myself. A pond guards this hole to the right and plenty of heather and sand to the left so this shot is the reason I keep playing this game. I hit a solid putt from about 50 feet a couple of feet from the hole and made par from there.
Here is the skinny!
Customer Service-10 - Great people work here!
Course Markings- 10- The best course I have ever seen. Other courses need to do emulate what they do. Only GPS courses in Florida have anything comparable.
Conditions -9 - Plenty of ropes to keep the carts from tearing up the fairways.
Playability 8- Way too much sand and many bunkers are very deep giving you some very tough lies.
Course Design-8.5- Sometimes a well-struck ball just does not need to go in the rough so much.
Pace of Play 9- The starter said 4 1/2 hours but it was just over five. The guys in front of me kept playing worse as the day went on and they split up. The group in front of me stole my ball on 16 while playing 17. I did not realize it at first until my ball did not turn up.
The bottom line is this course is a 9.5 out of 10. You must practice your sand shots before coming here and they have super practice facilities so if you have time, loosen up by using them. Grading a golf course is subjective. I could have given the Orchards a ten but I think my score is fair.
You must put The Orchards on your to do list this summer.
Here is a link to the site.
Here are the directions
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Practice your sand shots before coming out.
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This should give you an idea of the challenge of the sloping course and the sand that awaits errant shots.
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