Boy oh boy did I survery a lot of golf courses in 2012. My reviews are sprinkled in this blog and and some of them worked out as stories for the Oakland Press. Many were in the coverage of high school and junior golf.
What makes a course birdie friendly? Being short for one thing makes a course easy. A lack of natural hazards or water is another. Perhaps the biggest thing is the putting surface. With a par three, no matter how long the distance, you only have to hit one shot. There are four courses in 2012 that stand out.
4 and 5. Hartland Glen in Hartland comes in at number four on the 2012 list.
As a matter of fact... 27 of the 36 holes have plenty of birdie opportunities.
Number five on the list is the north course. Hartland Glen is scenic, filled with wildlife and is a great bang for the buck when you get out your wallet. It also is plays at 6,030 yards from the tips and ten of the 18 holes should be opportunities if you put your driver in play. Three or four holes including the 450 yard second are exceptions but starting with the first hole which plays as a two-tiered 370 yard par four, you can get your scorecard off with a three if you warmup properly to start off your round. The par five 15th plays at only 515 yards and if you hit a super tee shot down the middle, your fairway wood can land you on in two. Both the ninth and 18th holes are short par threes surrounded by water but at distances under 150 yards, you should hit at least one if not both of those greens.
Number four on the list is the South course at HG. The back nine in particular leaves even average golfers shooting at birdies on nearly every hole. Measuring at only 2718 yards from the blues, literally every hole on the back is a birdie hole. The greens largely roll true and there are no par fives on the course. A couple of holes are tricky, the 312 yard par four 15th has a tree line that golfers need to shoot over and the 16th is a 190 yard par three that requires a solid shot but the green is long and deep. The finishing hole is only 282 yards off the tee. The course is only a par 34 on the back. Now for the south front, that course really has some teeth in it. For a link to those reviews, click here.
http://oaklandgolfscene.blogspot.com/2011/07/hartland-glen-north-is-classic-golf.html
Tyrone Hills is located about eight miles from Hartland Glen and located in Fenton, this barely 6,400 yard layout from the tips is a course where birdies by the bushel are possible. There are no par fours that are measured at 400 yards and without a lot of water, your tee shot being in play will allow you to shoot for the pins on many of the holes. There is a lot more trouble here in spots than the courses listed at five and four as trees really shape your shots on the tee shot at number four and again coming back on hole 17, but with barely a dozen sand traps on the entire course, you can pitch- and run your missed iron shots. This course is extremely fun to play and is always on my list to play each summer.
http://oaklandgolfscene.blogspot.com/2011/06/tyrone-hills-is-very-playable-course.html
Two Oakland County courses rate at courses one and two. Heck, I probably could fit three on the list.
2. The second easiest course surveyed in 2012 was Glen Oaks in Farmington Hills. Not having a played round at the course in 20 years I remember the course being short but at 6,051 yards, you will be playing for birdies on most holes. The front nine starts off challenging as a par four 385 yard effort awaits you. Then you have short par fours of 334 and 299 yards and a well struck shot can give you a pitch and putt or a short chip. The third is drivable with a fade . The sixth, seventh and ninth play over a ridge with a pond rolling through it and hitting it in in any shot will give you an unplayable lie. Block it out of your mind and it should be all good. There are about 6-8 birdie holes on this par 70 course. Glen Oaks gets wilder on the back as you start off with a 230 yard par three. There is tree trouble on the course but the fairways are wide, the greens are large and the putts roll true. http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4934418607097853356#editor/target=post;postID=3259760840868451032
1. Coming in first place is White Lake Oaks in White Lake. Measuring at only 5,700 yards for the men, virtually every hole gives you a chance at a birdie. Saying that, there are some holes that are pretty tough such as number 17 where trees, a fence and an uphill lie make your approach shot tough. The third hole plays at only 280 yards and while the pin is blind from the tee box, a well placed tee shot has longer hitters playing for birdie. The lone par five plays at only 471 yards from the tips and putting for eagle is something golfers that regularly play the course should be able to achieve. The par threes range from 142 to 202 yards and while the woods will require you to hit solid shots, no water exists to guard the holes.
Are there easier or more birdie friendly holes that were surveyed? Yes. Did I play them. No. Maybe it will happen in 2013.
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