Fieldstone GC is a True Test for Competitive Golfers

When you think of a municipal golf course that is just over ten years old and is trying to gain a foot hold in the crowded Michigan golf market, it should take a long time to get noticed.

     That is not the case with Fieldstone Golf Course. Like a beautiful girl with a nice shape, this Arthur Hills design made a big splash right away. Hills is known for his design of quite a few golf courses and in Michigan, Lyon Oaks, Stone Bridge in Ann Arbor and countless others bear his signature. His use of the natural habitat as a strategy for golfers to negotiate around the links is a feature that he has hung his designing shingle on. 

The AJGA was there earlier in 2012

Fieldstone has four tee boxes that range from 7,002 to 4,941 yards. Depending on the tee box you play various natural hazards, sand and water will challenge your skills and your club selection will be vital. Gordon Marmion, the PGA professional and manager at the course takes pride in hosting tournaments and the course has served as a qualifier for the Michigan PGA, The Buick Open and virtually every amateur tour that makes a swing through Michigan. Outside of the professionals, only a small cluster of golfers break 75 and few finish under par as the course turns good golfers into pretenders and know that they have played a tough but fair test of golf.

     Marmion said that the tough test of golf occurs right out of the clubhouse on hole number one. I usually play most courses from the back tees but I have struggled with my driver this season and the Gold Tees seemed appropriate and they played at 6,386 yards. The par four first hole is a 405 yard dog leg left that has a wide fairway and a fairway bunker to capture errant tee shots to the right. The rough to the left is playable but really does not cut the hole down much yardage wise. I do recommend the left side as a play due to a huge tree that overhangs to the right side and you will be blocked out if you attack from that line and cannot hit a fairway wood over the limbs. The second shot will be a mid-to high iron for most players and sand surrounds the bunker to the left and errant shots will roll down a collection area. If you do hit the green in regulation, it is no cinch that you will end up with a par. The green is undulated and most iron shots are into a wind and it is no cinch that you will have a decent birdie try. Birdies are possible but par is the likely bet. Take your four and take your chances on the 140 yard par- three second.

     The fifth hole is really a hole that separates the skilled golfer from the weekend hack. From the black tees, it plays as a 467 yard par four over fescues, tight trees and a long carry. Assuming you drive it 250 yards, you will most likely be playing a fairway wood or hybrid club into a tough green. For those golfers that would rather play from the golds, it is only 345 yards and most of the danger is gone. Yes there are trees to the right and left but the fairway is wide and you have a good vantage point of the green. Golfers that play the gold tees will only have a low iron to wedge shot and it is much easier to carry the elevated and undulated green. There is a marsh to the right of the green and most high iron shots will allow golfers to shape their shots. A fairway wood may go offline or roll off the back of the green and good luck earning par if that’s the case.

The 6th green with a view from behind.

The view from the fairway in front of the 6th green.
A second water hazard and layered green make this approach tough.

The slope of the hill that will roll toward the swamp.

The sixth hole is really a textbook study of golf course management. Players will have an innocent view of the hole from the fairway but the elephant on the hole is the high degree slope which will direct golf balls toward a swamp and footing that is not sure to hit a shot of over 200 yards. This 498 yard par-five (524) from the gold’s is just getting started. Assuming that you have put yourself on top of the hill before the slope or have hit a second shot that is a dandy, you will still have to negotiate a second adventure with the water. It is not as dangerous as the first but a penalty stroke is a stroke lost. The green is elevated and will repel golf balls that land on the side of the hill in front of the green. The green is oddly shaped and while carrying the green in two is a bold play, a short pitch over the pond will give you a better chance at earning a birdie. Birdies are possible but managing the hole is key. Going for eagle is for the very accomplished golfer or those that play to their ego instead of the scorecard.  



A birdie from back here should win you a free round of golf.
Right Gordon!

   To me, the real hole of substance is the eighth. This par three dandy is a monster. If Ben Hogan were around he might be proud of saying he brought another monster to its knees.  Most golfers will never see the really brutal side of the eighth. It plays from 119 to 227 but only those playing from the back will understand the difficulty of the hole as the men play from 167 to 197 yards.  

The eighth green from about 150 yards.
Most golfers will play from here.

The hole is difficult for quite a few reasons. There are woods to the right and left of the hole and fescues in front of the elevated two tiered green. For those golfers that do not go into the woods, a bridge makes the hole very tight and going over the green will carry out-of-bounds or  with a very difficult and blind chip to the green. If the flag is in the back left, golfers have a slim chance of landing it. If the flag is in the bottom tier, golf shots hit above the flag will roll most likely roll off the front edge of the green into a collection area. From the shorter yardage, pars are possible and I have seen birdies and earned one myself but not from 227 yards. I have also been to the right and short and I would mark down par every time if that was a possibility.

The Tee Box.

A look in front of the tee box.

The big oak is just off to the left.

     The back nine also has several gut wrenching holes. The par-five tenth hole is one such adventure. Playing at 564 from the Championship tees and 533 from the gold, this hole has a very long carry over the pond and is tight on either side of the landing area of the fairway. A large oak in the fairway is out of the distance of almost all tee shots but driving the ball in a line in front of the tree will give you a super vantage point. For those who hit it poorly off the tee box, this hole will play all day. Plenty of thistle is to the right along the right side and several mature trees will block out golfers who hit it in line of the trees. You could take your chances and go through the trees but the percentage play is pretty low. If you are lucky to play from the fairway for your second shot, this vantage point is one most golfers better take advantage of. For most golfers, the tenth will be a three shot hole. Yes, you could get on in two but once again, the green is elevated, the green is very undulated and the sand acts as a warning for golfers to hit the best shot possible. Par is a good score on this hole and a bogey is not bad. If you come away with a birdie here, hang around the clubhouse for skin money.

I really enjoy the 13^th hole.
    

The swamp along the 13th fairway.
 It does not come into play for most.

The tree lined fairway will reward those that can
hug the tree line.

 This par four plays from 344 to 429 yards and plays as a sweeping dog leg left. Driver is not your friend here  as a fade or blocked tee shot could end up in the trees that divide the 10^th and 13^th holes. If you can hit a draw on this hole you will be golden. I have seen players hit the ball along the tree line to the left and have left themselves a super second shot. Playing it from the gold tees (416 yards) golfers will have a mid-iron into the green. Errant iron shots to the right will leave you with a tough pitch but this green is not as tough as many at Fieldstone.

The sand trap on 14 is a good target. A draw works very well as well.

A view of the green from the bridge.

The 14^th is a punch in the nose no matter how you cut it. It plays as a par five and men will play it from 539 yards and the blacks from 563 but the premium is on the driver. A cluster of trees to the left side will catch errant tee shots and a sand trap right side acts as a guide for hitting your ball but down the middle is the way to go here. Then the hole is one that measures up a golfer’s course strategic abilities. The 14^th has been reworked and a drainage pond is not totally noticeable from the fairway but blocked or mishit fairway woods will be lost to the drainage pond. Yes, the trouble is just starting. There is a bridge to the right and water around 200-230 yards from a golfers second shot. If you can hit over the water and fescues that is super. Most golfers cannot do it and if they do they end up with a tough lie in front of the green, the sand or the elevated green that does not reward golfers who have gotten on in two or three. Once again, par is a good score here. Make a birdie and hang around for skin money after your round.

Jeremy Ball from Brother Rice was part of the championship team and chips on 15.

The tee box gives you a good layout of the hole but the danger
reveals itself from the fairway.

The 16th Green from rhe 15th tee box.

The 16^th hole is a sucker’s play for just about everyone who tees it up the first time. After playing a tough stretch of holes on the back nine, men see a 294 yard par four (326 from the black tees), and you want to come out of your shoes to birdie this short hole. The problem is it’s a sucker’s hole. A pond runs along the hole in front of the tee box around 100 yards out all the way to the green. Players have the sightline that they want to go for the green but a slight wind seems to alter your ball flight and your ball will disappear into the abyss. Most players that want a birdie will hit it to the fat part of the fairway about 25 to 50 yards from the green and hit a lob wedge or pitch-and-run it to the green and take their chances putting for birdie. There are bunkers to the right side and the green is elevated to the pond side so going for the green is no sure thing off the tee box. This green almost fools everyone putting the ball and slopes from back to front and from side to side. The fescues in the back are not easy to find your ball so a driven green is a low percentage play so good luck. 

Here is the Skinny...

Course Markings- 9- Excellent. No GPS but the hole placards,  but stone markers and sprinkler heads and a marked scorecard help you navigate around the course. If you play this course often, invest in a yardage book. It is a worthy investment.

Conditions -10. - The greens are very tough and make you earn your score. The fairways are watered and you have very few if any bad lies. People must pay their bills in the Hills because this course is one city service that shows the taxpayers at work and the public that will drive to play a super track.

Playability 10- This course will adjust your GAM handicap if you just wack the ball around and I am talking for the worse. You must think your way around the golf course and put the ball in the right spots. That takes playing Fieldstone more than a few times to begin to understand how to play the course. I do not recommend beginners to play the course and if you do, choose a shorter route around the links until you see the course a time or two. Hit your putts firm. Those that don't will find their balls drifting all over.

Course Design-9.5 I like how you can use every club in your bag. Golfers that can shape their shots can think their way around the course quite a bit. Plenty of carries and elevated greens will make you think about how to approach the greens.

 Pace of Play 8- Very good. You will keep moving during most of your round. The holes are designed to keep players moving and not standing around waiting to hit shots.  

Junior/Adult Programs and Tournaments- 15/10- Fieldstone hosts pretty much every tournament imaginable. Marmion works with many area golfers including preps and Bob Krause also works out of the course. I cover this golf course for tournaments for the Oakland Press and golfers do not complain about this place. That says a lot.

The bottom line- This course is a 10.0 out of 10. It is a very enjoyable round of golf and play it this season. It is a golf course that lets you know where you are as a player and should be put in your 2012 rotation. 

To find out more information about Fieldstone including playing a round of golf or booking their banquet facilities, the link is below.

http://www.fieldstonegolfclub.com/

Fieldstone Golf Club 1984 Taylor Rd., Auburn Hills, MI 48326 Main: 248.370.9354 Fax: 248.370.9352 Pro Shop: ext. 2 Vista Grille: ext. 3Gordon Marmion: ext. 4Pete Driscoll: ext. 5 email: gordon@fieldstonegolfclub.com DIRECTIONS FROM THE I-75 INTERSTATE Exit 81 to M-24/Lapeer Rd., South. Follow loop and stay in right lane one half mile, just past the overpass. Enter Taylor Rd. on your right, travel 1 mile to clubhouse on your left. For turn-by-turn directions, click: Auburn Hills Chamber of Commerce Click here for: EMPLOYMENT OR VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES