Links of Novi is short and sweet

     All golf courses have a personality.  Lots of fescues, water, tough greens, long carries or their length to name so of their differences. At the Links of Novi, it is fair to say that some of those items are on the list. The Links' sits on 10 mile road adjacent from South Lyon East High School. At the Links of Novi, the first thing you look at when seeing the scorecard is how short the three nines are. Combined from the tips, they barely total to 9,300 yards. For crying out loud, some PGA events are totaling over 7,400 yards from the tips for 18 holes to offset how the titanium drivers and space aged wedges are making clubs hit balls into places that golf course designers did not intend. Another feature that Novi is taking care of (see the interview on my website www.michigangolfscene.co to see the interview with PGA Professional Ken Johnston) is how slow the greens are playing. The course is otherwise in tremendous shape and that is a testament to the super and the owner who makes it a priority.

   Saying that, the course is in immaculate shape and you will notice what seems to be a brigade of maintenance workers mowing, manicuring and taking care of the nuances of the property.

     The west course plays only 3,209 yards from the tips and what you notice is wide fairways and a lack of a lot of water give golfers a chance to score on this layout. The first plays downhill at 325 yards. Your well hit drive will end up a wedge to the green and with the lack of trouble in front, you can pitch it on running it on a few fat hops. This is a definite birdie hole and a bogey will put you in a bad frame of mind. 

The fairway of the second hole       The tee sign for the third

The second fairway approaching the green

   The third hole has some water trouble with a marsh jutting out before the landing area of this 310 yard par four. The green is not easy to see from the tee box but makes sense as you proceed after your tee shot. The landing area is generous but the woods are not as they are on both sides of the hole. The green is large and it is better to approach from below the hole. Once again, birdie this sucker as like hole number one, you can pitch and run the ball or put it in the air with a wedge. It will be tough to drive this hole as the green is hidden and will require a draw from right handers to have a chance.

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The eighth hole

My favorite hole on this nine is the par three 5th. I will admit I hit from the white tee box on this hole as it plays only 175 yards instead of the 205 from the blues on a very elevated tee box. This hole is truly a lot of fun as there is a valley with fescues and a very small green and landing area. My tee shot was hit with a five hybrid off the side of the hill missing the green by 6-8' and kicked toward the green with a sideways lie. It is tough to get a chip from there close but I did manage about a six footer for par and earned the three.

The par three eighth has trouble left and in front of the green

 The finishing hole on the east course is a dandy as it plays as a 413 yard par four. It plays as a classic dog leg left and you can try to shoot over a fairway bunker that will give you a 30 yard head start for your second shot if you make it. Most golfers should simply aim for the 150 marker in the center of the fairway. I did block my drive and hit it in the sand and did hit it cleanly out of the well manicured sand which make outs something that can be done in a stroke with a well played shot. Being about 40 yards out, my pitch was my birdie shot and I put it on and two-putt for a five.

It was nice to play an enjoyable round of golf going through the woods, having openings and not getting too beat up except for the 90 degree heat.

The first green on the South course

   The west nine certainly plays much different than the east. The course plays much tighter in spots but at 2,800 yards, hitting it in the right spots and preferably straight is paramount in the tight places. The key to the very long 464 par four is to keep it left of the pond that runs along the right side of the hole. As the elevated tee box gives you a great vantage point, you can see the fairway funnels from left to right in places and trees will help you from going to far from the water. Still, there is ample room. Go left side here. You will see the green which is guarded by bunkers but you will most likely have a hybrid or fairway wood going to the green if you hit it around 240 off the tee. The green does have woods left side and bunkers surrounding it. A par is certainly a good score here.

   Both the second and third holes on the west are extremely tight. Fairway woods are in order on the second as it is only 336 yards but you can easily hit the trees either side and if you go right, you will be chipping out to the fairway or you will be on the third hole. Birdies are once again possible but you must hit a good tee shot or you will be scrambling the rest of the hole.

Over driving the 3rd can turn a good tee shot into a pitch real quick

One tight hole

The fourth is short but uphill with four bunkers 

and pond to protect errant tee shots

The very next hole is tight city. Playing as a nearly 90 degree dog leg right par five, the hole demands you hit a three wood off the tee to avoid going into the woods straight away. You really just want to hit a solid tee shot. You can cut yardage by cutting the tree line but if your ball is in the tree line, you might have just wasted a good tee shot with tree trouble. The key is what to do on the second shot of this 521 yard hole. You can go for it and with woods on both sides, little rough and a narrow fairway, you have fescues, an elevated green and little room for error. Long hitters that place it right can go for it. For me.

Be left of the treeline

I simply hit a mid iron down the right side of the fairway and the slope took me left side. I had about 90 yards to the hole and hit a pitching wedge. It was too much club but I took about half a swing and put it even with the pin about 25 feet away with a twister lie at my feet. It was a two-putt from there and I escaped one tough hole. Par is a good score but birdies can be had.

The ninth from the fairway

   Ken told me that the fifth hole on the west is a dandy and I have pictures to prove it. The hole is certainly much more wide open than the second and third but playing as a 450 yard par four makes it one tough hole. With water running down the right side including dissecting the hole in two, golfers have no chance to drive over the water which is about 350 yards out. The key to this hole is your angle approaching the dog leg right. Too far left and you have made this a 500 yard hole going into the bunker or having a less than desirable lie. Going to short and the trees will make you pitch back to the fairway with a long shot for your birdie. The green is a beast. It is big, sloping and has sand all around it. This is one bad hombre. I had a par on day one and a bogey on day two and trust me, I was glad to get out of there. My drive down the middle earned par so you get the idea.

   The south course is pretty different in its layout. It is a par 34 for starters and all of the par threes (there are three) will challenge you in different ways.

The very first hole runs downhill and at 389 yards, your tee shot could do any one of several things depending on where it lands and where your ball funnels to.

The first from the tee box

A great tee shot can get funneled to a flat spot with barely 100 yards to go, back into the second cut in front or to the side. Shorter shots will stay at the top of the hill. The fairly large green has sand guarding it so anywhere from a wedge to a mid-iron will await you. Hit your putt firm on this hole as it played slow for me.

The green does run behind the left bunker on 3 South

   The par three third is a classic par three. It plays from 122 to 158 from the blues and the green looks inviting with the exception of sand traps on both sides. I hit my drive right over the left trap and was not sure if I was in it or in the grass bunker that might have kicked my shot just about anywhere. Low and behold, my ball was sitting pretty on the green with a 30 foot putt for par. I just missed making it by a few inches and a tapper was not a bad way to go.

The 6th from the fairway

The 7th green

The eighth is a very short par three

Moving to the fifth, this crazy hole cut through the woods is a par four that the number one handicapped hole on the course. A tight fairway, with a good look at the flag will make you consider hitting three wood off the tee. This par four plays at only 328 yards and your tee shot is definitely the most important shot. A 250 yard drive will leave you with a wedge and even a mid-iron shot will not hurt you. This is a par hole but birdies are very possible with a smart tee shot, so hit one.

     
The finishing hole on the south course is a worthy place to end your round. This hole really takes local knowledge the first time or two out and my advice is drive out and take a look. It plays as an elongated dog leg right with trees to the right side. An errant tee shot will either go in the woods to the right or on an adjacent fairway. I hooked my tee shot into the rough between the two fairways and had a second shot sitting nice and fluffy in the rough which I promptly walloped to about 30 yards from the green. The hole does play up hill with plenty of budding trees between the holes. That recommended drive is something I advise.

Here's the skinny (Out of 10)

Course conditions Nine-  Excellent sand, well taken care of course- the greens are very slow but as Ken Johnston will tell you in the interview, they are taking care of it and when that happens, you can bump them up to the ten. The rough will allow you to find your ball.

Service- Nine- Plenty of carts coming around with beverages, rangers come out and make sure play is moving and they are nice in the clubhouse as well. Some of the maintenance workers will work right through your shots without any stoppage and you must get used to that.

Practice facilities- eight- Super driving area and two putting greens. I did not see much for the short game. Still, a very good facility.

Pace of play- NA- I teed off first both days so I cannot say. I will say they have plenty of outings and leagues so that could make it slow as the shorter holes will put people on top of each other. Many average golfers, seniors will enjoy their game of golf as you can shave strokes without having to constantly finding your ball.

The bottom line is to check them out. Plenty of Metro Detroiters The Links of Novi is an asset to Metro Detroit Golf and Ken Johnston will tell you why in www.michigangolfscene.co   Go to course reviews at the top