Beacon Hill is a Neighborly Golf Course

Beacon Hill in Commerce Township is an upscale playing facility that

along with its brother course adjacent to it in Brentwood is a really nice place to play where the golf and the community are downright neighborly.

    Beacon Hill Clubhouse from the 18th fairway.

 The clubhouse above is a multi-purpose facility and elegant weddings receptions depending on the time of year are both outside and held within the walls of the clubhouse. 

Beacon Hill is a 6849 yard course and the four tee boxes play the course much different from vertical to or stacked or from different angles to the fairway and will give you different strategies in which to play. I played the course from a combination of the green and white tees with the whites coming on some par fours as I like to hit the various clubs in my bag.

The first hole is a 379 downhill par four with twin bunkers to catch your tee shots right and left and a well hit tee shot can go longer than your usual. I hit my drove just over 315 yards and was a short distance from a sprinkler head that was well marked. You do not want to dub your drive as there is a wetlands area at the bottom of the hill and the asphalt cart path is the dividing line to the homes that are on top of the course on several holes and the neighbors have plenty of signs like these.

 

These signs are everywhere and the first hole let me know that Elmer Fudd might come out and chase me off their property. My drive was just a few feet in the rough from the fairway and I hit a sand wedge to about 15 feet of the pin on the front of the green on the dog hair. I took two strokes and earned a par. I have played this front side twice this year and the pin has been up front. The back of the green is within 10 feet of this sign and it is smart to take this option out of play. I would put up a fence here and remove all doubt. Funny thing is a children's party was going on and they were having fun and this bounce house was about 20 feet from the corner of the green. A child chased a toy onto the cart path and I thought about saying "stay off this golf course" with a smile but some things are better off unsaid and I thought it was cool to see kids on the edge of the course. I wonder if the neighbors with the signs tell the kids the same thing. Anyways, the bounce house bunch were sure having fun.

   The second hole is a treat to play. It plays from between 107 yards to 216 and I decided to play it from the white box of 186 and hit a five hybrid and put it on the green. Going short is death as it is guarded by fescews and right is also there as well. The green is undulated and huge. There is a collection area in front of the green but I wouldn't count on bouncing your ball to the green. It is soft. Putts tend to slide by on this green and your lag putt should be aggressive enough to get to the hole but do not blow it by as it might curl. I had another par here but bogeyed it the first time and used my knowledge to hit my putt to an area where par would be my score at worst.

 Woods to the Right of the 3rd Green

      The third hole is a 500 yard par five from the green that will leave you buzzing and it is not just from the first mosquitoes I have felt this year. The power lines run over your head all the way down the hole and if you hold your club up in the air, what do you know you just might get your insurance policy paid off but you will not be around to collect. Jokes aside it is a fun golf hole. There is a ridge left side and you want to go right side as it dog legs to the left and if you cannot see the pin, you will be guessing where to hit the ball or laying up on this hole. and I played it from there. A pond guards the green short and a shallow green awaits you. You can go for this green in two if you hit a very solid drive and have confidence in your three wood. Woods will collect your ball to the right and the pond has a spongy feel around it and going in is not an option. If you go for the green in three you will have a short pitching wedge or iron to the green. The green will slide on you but largely rolls true. This is one pretty golf hole. Homes bunch up on this hole around the green but do not come into play like the first hole.

Skipping ahead to the 5th hole, this is a hole where the tee boxes are dispursed and give you a much different look at the hole and how to play it. Sometimes playing forward is not the way to go. This is the case with the 411 yard par four where there are wetlands in front of the tee box and line both sides of the hole including the landing area of this hole. Playing a shorter distance and you should get out there with a long iron or 3/5 wood. You can hit driver on this hole but ball placement is everything as a second pond guards this green. I have hit two good tee shots this year, but have messed up my iron shot both times. It wasn't nerves but a lack of execution. The green is a slider and you should study your putt before hitting it. Remember, it is a slight dogleg left and placement is crucial. The neighbors homes are adjacent to the green but are out of bounds.

Here is a garden from one of the homes below. VVV

Skipping to the back nine, a couple of trees could come into your drive short on this hole and bunkers are to be found left side and in front of the green on this 398 yard par four. The green is shallow and iron placement is important. If your ball rolls off the green it is headed to the wetlands and you are not supposed to go in there. I am not a big sand guy but a trap on the backside of the green would be helpful as it is preferable to a lost ball and a penalty stroke. I bogeyed this hole as I hit a couple of shots that were not well executed.

The 12th hole is a 541 yard effort where it is a arching par five that goes right. Homes run the right side but do not come into play here. Ball placement is somewhat important but a small mistake will not kill you. What will is the water/ditch to the right side of the hole where my ball was headed on a well struck but blocked shot. It did take the huge pond guarding the green out of play and my wedge was put pin high but about 10 feet away. My putt just missed and I earned a par on this number two handicapped hole on the course.

Skipping ahead to the 14th hole, it was party on as people in the neighborhood were simply enjoying life and watching me golf. (Hey mom, I have a gallery). They were pitching horseshoes, cooking out and the smell of MEATA and brats were making me hungry and the cold beers were making me powerfully thirsty. They did not offer me any though as I had to settle for the birthright of cooking meat and washing it down with suds.

 The geese wanted some beer too!

The homes on the 14th had a par-tay going on!

The hole called 14 is an ego booster. It plays from 298 to 420 but the tee boxes were up and it played to 320 yards on this day. I hit an excellent tee shot and was about 25 yards short of the green. There is water to the right side and sand bunkers to guard short approach shots. The putts roll fairly true. My pitch was to the right of the pin and short. My twenty-five foot' putt was wide and I had a par and this was stupid as my fairway drive was wasted as a good chip would have been a birdie attempt.

The seventeenth hole is one where my head is still scratching and I just played the sucker. It plays to over 530 yards and is an s shaped hole. You should bomb your drive and I decided to go elementary school and hit a poor tee shot of 100 yards within a few feet of the neighbors which are on both sides of the tee box. I hit it into a cluster of trees and had to chip it out onto the fairway. I then crushed a three wood into a direction the hole does not travel and thought I would be ok. I wasn't and the ball went out of bounds right side. Now I am shooting for par and am on a cliff where you cannot see how the hole plays (Trust me I played this hole like a 40 handicapper. I drove up to see where the green was and it was at the bottom of a steep ridge. I drove my cart to the closest yardage marker and then back to my ball and hit a 8 iron and it was a dandy or maybe it wasn't as I caught it flush and it was never seen again. I looked for it hard but it went across a road with no drop area and a stone wall guards the green from the street. The hole itself for those playing it right should be done with a driver. The second shot can go for the green but it would be a blind one by that steep hill I told you about. If you hit it to where the fairway ends, you will then turn right and 40 ards away is the green. I like this course but I do wonder what the logic was for the course architect?

The 18th hole is quite a finishing hole and is both beautiful and scorable for those who play two good shots from the tee box. This 458 yard par four has homes to the right and they are in play for shanks. A pond guards the hole left side and trees guard the fairway right side. A series of bunkers are spead out in front and in back of the green. The hole looks intimidating from the box but a solid shot centered or hit left or right center is your best bet. The trees in front of the wetlands will knock you tee shot down and the homes you do not see can collect your golf ball. I hit a solid tee shot and had a five hybrid left. Some golfers behind me caught me as I was caught in traffic that day. They played with me and I hit an incredible shot. I hit a draw from the fairway that actually was slightly mishit and went right to left and landed at an angle on the green and traveled right at the pin. It landed about eight feet away and I earned a birdie from there. They were so impressed. Golf is a funny game.

 

is the Skinny. 

Customer Service- 10 - Staff Friendly and professional. The pro shop help was helpful and provided answers. There were no cart/beer people that day 

Course Markings- 9.0 - Very good.  Markings at 100, 150, 200 yards and sprinkler heads. Some suggestions on playing the holes also helped.  

Conditions -10 - Course in outstanding shape and the greenskeeper should be commended. 
   

Playability 8- The course has plenty of challenge to it and it is fun. The greens must be studied as they have their own mind. Fairways are wide in most places and the different tee shots will help you navigate the couse. It is well taken cared of and is commendable.

Course Design- 8- The course allows you to play most of the clubs in your bag. Errant shots will possibly be lost balls and you will not find most of them as they now belowng to Beacon Hill.

Pace of Play-  9- Players move along and this is helpful.

The bottom line. I give it a 8.0/10 This is a nice track to play and you really should give them a call to book a tee time. It is upscale, a super golf course for intermediate to serious golfers and it is a good experience. Just stay out of the neighbors proberty and you will have the beginning of a beautiful friendship with a pretty nice golf course.

Professional Banquet Staff
• Banquet/Conference Center
  (capacity 250)
• Outdoor Ceremony Site
• PGA Professional Staff
• PGA Professional Golf Instruction
• Bag Drop Service
• Top Line Pro-Shop
• Teaching and Practice Facility
• Golf Outing Specials
• 300 Yard Aqua Driving Range
• Grill Room Overlooking 18th Hole

Congrats to Barry Pearce and the gang at both courses.

I have DJ'd weddings in the past and the food and atmosphere is top notch.

Westwynd is a Tough Test of Golf Where Local Knowledge is Huge

A View of 18 from the patio.

Westwynd Golf Staff
Jason Tignanelli		(248) 608-7820 JasonTig@westwyndgolf.com

The clubhouse is pretty elegant.

     Westwynd Golf and Country Club is a test if golf that requires a tremendous amount of local course knowledge in order for you to score your best. The 7032 yard layout from the golds requires excellent placement of your tee shot and a little luck in order for you to play your level best. This course located on Adams Road in Rochester Hills is located five miles north of Walton Boulevard.

     Westwynd is an upscale public course with a beautiful club house and a staff that is eager to please. Its brick cart paths, tennis and swimming pool help make members feel right at home and having a very nice golf course does not hurt either.

     The first hole is a 375 yard par four from the golds where I played most of the day until I realized my driver was not coming around. Looking into the morning sun rising above the trees made it hard to find my tee shot that was leaking right into the first cut of rough and I hit only about 235 yards including the roll as it was not my best effort. There are multiple sand traps along the driving area to the right side with woods looking to collect seriously errant shots. To the left is a hill and heather and while you can find your ball, it is deep and will require some poking around with your club as I saw someone doing with his group when I played 18 later in the day. My second shot was put on the green but was about 40 feet away and the putt slide by the hole by a foot to the right and kept going. Speaking of keeping on going, this green also serves as a double green (one of two on the course) to 17 and overplaying your iron into the hole will bring you a sure three or four putt. Yes you heard that right as it plays way below by about 20-30 feet below the #1 tee placement and requires a hit it as hard as you can effort to get it back to the first greens pin placement. I had a bogey here and did not feel that great about my start.

The third hole is a 574 yard par five where fairway bunkers guard the fairway right and left and require you to hit between them for longer hitters. I played the gold here and the bunkers were about 235-270 yards out and I do not carry the ball like I used to and looking into the sun, I could not find my ball no matter what I did going back and forth in my cart.  The golf course workers were preparing the course and they basically followed me around during the round. There were two crews and the one crew made me wait multiple times for several minutes instead of waiving me though. Then they would move to the hole in front of me and it happened again and that was frustrating.  They knew I was there but kept running their mowers and raking the bunkers and this happened over and over and finally I stumbled on the second crew and they were much better to work with and I waited for a few minutes for them to finish or they idled their motors while I hit my shot and played on. I did dub a few shots on this hole and went into the heather. My fourth shot was an iron shot that hit the side of the hill to the right side of the green and it caromed onto the cart path and kept rolling. I dropped as it rested on the bricks and with the brush that was not easy. There is plenty of sand on this hole and most of it is to the left side of the green. Don’t go there unless you plan on adding a couple of extra shots to your scorecard.

     The sixth hole is an uphill par three that plays from 70 to 185 yards and is all up hill. Three sand traps guard it right and the woods guards the hole to the right. The slope of the fairway makes it impossible to see most of the green from either the tee box or if you go short where I did to see how deep the green is without taking a look at it. The green is 34’ deep and is bigger than you think but it is quite undulated and I chipped a high and soft sand wedge to about 15 feet and have no idea how it rolled as I could not see it. The hole is pretty. Westwynd prides itself on leaving a lions mane on many of the traps. They mow the traps except for a few inches around the perimeter of the traps giving it an added beauty but diabolical twist to chipping out of the trap as some of it will knock your ball back into the trap.

     While I did not drive it well on this day, I surely did on the 637 yard par five 7^th. The other lawn mower crew was out here and I waited a minute and they spotted me and idled their mower. Thank you and I appreciate it. I rewarded them with a drive that split the middle of the fairway from the elevated tee box. I thought this was the beginning of a beautiful friendship with my driver but it wasn’t. The second shot was a Adams rescue three wood and I hit it very solid but not crushed. That left me about 120 yards from the green. Now the fun begins. There is a deep fescue area surrounding the green and a cluster of trees right side that appeared to open up. Instead it was not to be as I mishit my wedge but thought I would be right side with a short chip to the green. How wrong I was as local knowledge is paramount here. My ball was in the brush and now I have a penalty stroke and a lost ball. I took a drop although the proper rule would be to go back and play my shot from a drop area where my ball appeared to go in. Now I am chipping for par instead of putting for birdie and leave it above the hole and two-putt from there. I have a seven when I had dreams of four or five. If I had known about the crazy area to the right side of the green I would never have played that shot and after two fine strokes to begin the hole boy did I screw up.

Tee box from the tips on #10. The big sand bunker is in play from the whites which are about 100 yards shorter.

     Moving onto the back nine, number ten is really a douzy.  It is a 626 yard par five and I played the blues and today the tee was really moved up to where the white tee box and that is around 520 according to the scorecard.  It is shaped like a boomerang  dog leg left and wetlands guard it left side and a 70-80 yard crevasse awaits anyone looking to go for this green in two. My driver was all over and I thought the wetlands, woods and trees on both sides of the tee box would probably add to their golf collection the way I was driving. Instead I found that I hit a solid drive to the right of a fairway bunker where uneven lies and where the real fun on this hole begins. Frankly, if I knew about this course, I would have driven from the gold tees which are nearly 630 yards away and placed it around the corner. I did not have to worry about this as I dubbed my second shot and knew I had to layup for my third shot and left if 50 yards short of the crevasse. I then put my iron onto the green but two-putt for a six and it could have been worse. This hole is a beast and playing the course a few times will help you to navigate this shot.

A long and tough shot awaits you here for an approach shot with fescews.

The 13 hole is a 222 yard par three but I will be honest and let you know I moved into the blue tees which played about 188 according to GAM. Two sand bunkers guard this hole and the green is obscured by a slope where you can only see about half of the pin tops. The slope also runs right side of the green and is no picnic to deal with either.  I aimed for the center of the green and darned it I did not do just that.  The put was tricky and many of them are at WestWynds. I missed my 40 footer going left to right and leaving the putt about four feet past. I did make my putt but was kind of nervous as I did not want to three-putt this tough test of golf.

The fifteenth hole is one crazy place to play golf. It plays to 339 yards from the gold and 320 from the white so there is no advantage to anyone. It is drivable for those of you who have a huge power hook and since most of you that hook the ball do it much sooner than this, the best play is to put it out on the fairway with a 4-5 iron and you will have a second shot with perhaps the same club unless you bite some yardage off this dogleg right par four. I hit a solid shot here but the ball decided to bounce up in the fairway like a golf ball on asphalt and went off the fairway into the woods. I hit a good shot but have no idea what in the Hades happened. I had to drop and instead of hitting my second shot, I hit my third. My second shot also was hit well, this time with a seven iron and was solid but somehow ended up short and into a bog that collects golf balls. I never found my ball but the creek did. I did find a ball that must have been gathering rot from the persimmons days of golf. I took a drop from behind the creek and since this hole is now basically an X. Two good shots and no golf luck here. Local knowledge would have been very important on this hole and instead I left it to play 16 shaking my head.

     A real dandy is the par three 16^th. The tee box goes over wetlands and a sand bunker looks to collect your tee shot on this undulated green. There is also trouble left side and a chip will be very tough for golfers as it is way above the green. I recovered my senses and put it on the green here and barely missed a 10-12’ birdie by a foot and tapped in. A birdie would have been nice.

While I will not review 17 due to space, there is a funny story. I was finishing out my hole when the group playing the number one  green which shares this double green hit and one golfer put it past the lag stick on his side of the green but then trickled down.  First a little and then alot.  The ball ended up near my ball about 70-80 feet past his pin and up that 20’ hill I spoke of earlier. I should have stayed and watched but didn’t. I really feel sorry for the guy.

The number two green overlooking #18   The ball on the left side of the picture is going to the flag up two levels about        80-90' of the pin.

The 18^th is a fitting finishing hole. It is a 442 yard par four and you have to carry a creek and wetlands and your carry must be just under 200 yards. A lake guards the right side of the hole and heather guards it left and this is where I found golfers looking for their golf balls. My second shot was a five hybrid and I could go for the pin over the water or go right side into a series of bunkers that lined up three abreast below the clubhouse patio or in a bunker if I missed. I landed it on the green but went into the trap. I wanted to take the water out of play so I clubbed up one of this double green hole. (It is shared with number two) but did not factor into play on this day. I then chipped out to about 10-12’ past the hole and while putts did not go in on this day, I had a great time making a sand save as I rolled in the putt playing it perfectly leaving a no doubter from the time it left my club.  Do you see why golfers keep coming back? It is great shots like that where I had four good to excellent shots and even though it did not result in birdie I executed and did what I set out to do.

Number two has a double green shared with number 18

Here is the Skinny. 

Customer Service- 8 - Staff Friendly and professional. Golf Course crew # 1 flat out would not move. The rest of the staff including Jason, Blake and the cart person were awesome.

Course Markings- 9.5 - Very good. Some suggestions on playing the course but I would have liked more as this is a huge local knowledge course and you need to play it several times in one season to get a good understanding of where to hit it. Markings at 100, 150, 200 yards and sprinkler heads. Some suggestions on playing the holes also helped.  

Conditions -10 - Course in outstanding shape and the greenskeeper should be commended. 
   

Playability 7- You need to be playing very well and hope to get some good bounces to score here. This is a huge local knowledge course and you need to play it several times to really understand the various ways to best play it.  Greens are tough and not always readable and this is part of local knowledge. Many breaks are not readily apparant. Other than that this is a course that you must put on your to do list as much as possible.

Course Design- 8- The King caters to the better golfer and it is near perfect in design. The homes on the course do not come into play and that works out for everyone.

Pace of Play- N/A I was the first one off and played in 2:40 including some extrended wait times.

The bottom line. I give it a 9.0/10 This is really quite a track to play and you really should give them a call to book a tee time. It is upscale, a super golf course for serious golfers and a memorable time.

Go to WestWynd's facebook page

Call 248-608-7820

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Westwynd Golf Staff
Jason Tignanelli		(248) 608-7820 JasonTig@westwyndgolf.com

4161 N. Adams Rd.
Oakland Township, MI 48306

 Homes are seen but not heard from

Green with hidden pin

His ball is way below the hole. Remember, he is putting uphill to the flag on the upper level.

Rory May Need a Nemesis to Realize Full Potential

     Like everyone else, I was blown away by Rory McElroy’s performance at the US Open over the

weekend.

     Anytime you can lap the field and I consider lapping when your winning score of (-16) doubles the second place finishers margin of (-8). McElroy was very impressive during his comments following the Masters in April and I figured if he lived up to learning from it like he promised he would bounce back at some point this year but he quickly counterpunched and the golf world noticed.

Golf is a very difficult sport to play at an elite level but McElroy’s practically flawless swing leads many to believe he will be around for a long time. I hope for his sake that a rival rises up to walk between the ropes side by side with him in the final group on a consistent basis. Phil is on the north side of 40 and Tiger Woods is an old 35. One of the young bucks needs to step up and stand alongside McElroy. Could it be Charl Swartzel, Zach Johnson or one of the tours young bucks? My theory is Palmer had Nicklaus, Hogan had Snead and Tiger had no one to challenge him and golf hit a speed bump when Woods was just too good and intimidated his contemporaries for a decade. What could provide to be a drama of irony is if Woods regains most of his game and provides spoiler to McElroy.

Can you imagine an American wearing the black hat in his own country and plays second fiddle to McElroy the Irishman?

Coyote Preserve is Breathtaking and Requires Your Best

The Coyote Golf Preserve in Tyrone Township is the twin brother of the Coyote Golf Club in Wixom and is a very difficult course where you can score but you better play your level best in order to do so.

Clubhouse view from 18th fairway

The Coyote Golf Preserve was designed by the King of golf and no I am not talking Elvis. Like Elvis you will be ‘All Shook Up’ if you hit errant shots and playing solid golf for all 18 holes is a challenge for skilled golfers but he does not design golf courses but Arnold Palmer does and the King designed a dandy here. This course plays from 5563 to 6912 yards but seems to play longer as its rolling hills, long carries and undulated greens challenge your vision and keeps you to the edge of your abilities. The topography features rolling terrain with elevation changes and incredible views. Carries over wetlands, ravines, depressions and water hazards are plentiful and reasonable.

My review starts on the brilliant second hole. This is a true strategy hole. It plays only 324 from the blues (where myself and my partner played) and many of the holes give the course a much different look depending on where you decide to challenge yourself. The second hole has sand traps dab smack in the middle of the landing area but the fairways fan out both right and left around them. The left side gives you a better place to work your ball into the green but slopes more than the right. The right side has less slope but a large tree will block out some approach shots if you do not place your driver. Trees do guard the hole on both sides but only come into play for poor shots. There is sand to the left of the flag and the greens are very tricky at this course. My drive was excellent but not bombed and my chip was short left. Still, I putted for par from six feet and I missed as was the theme for the day. I am very disappointed to not have a picture of the second hole but will if I play it again.

Third Hole

     The third hole is a severe dog leg right with a pond, a huge tree guarding the fairway following your carry and woods if you try to cut the hole too much. I went long and down the middle and my playing partners tried to cut the hole of this 380 yard par four. My second shot went left to a grass collection area to the left of the green and my outstanding playing partner hit it to within four feet of the pin from about 130 yards. He made birdie, I chipped to within a foot and parred out. The other fella is still playing the hole.

     The fourth hole is a golfing adventure. It has a long carry over wetlands and no way you are retrieving an errant golf shot here. It says it is 380 yards but the tees were placed back and it played more to 420. The carry is about 200 yards give or take a few and slopes uphill. My second shot was hit to the front side of the green and my chip was above the hole about 15 feet. The putt made me a believer to how difficult this hole is. It subtly slopes downhill and I barely touched my putt and blew by the hole a good ten feet. Yes I barely touched it. RRRrrrr. My comebacker was uphill and still three feet away. I finally holed out but not before I put my nerves aside to hit the ball. For the rest of this round I was never sure what to do on putts and I will be sure to use the practice greens before I play here again.

     The fifth hole is truly a golf shot placement hole. It slopes downhill from the tee box of this 447 yard hole and there are bunkers left to collect your tee shot and woods to the right and the fairway slopes from left to right and then down the hill into a pond that guards the green. All three of us played the hole within ten yards of each other on our drives and and darned if all of us did not club down one and put it on the green. That is not an easy thing to do. Two of us two-putt and we just missed birdies but the third guy Lou who works there had a birdie. Well done.

 Fifth Hole

     We move to the eighth hole. How this hole is not on the best list for tough holes in Detroit is a crime. This devilish par three (214 to 148 yards) has a valley in front of the tee box and has a series of very deep and tall bunkers guarding the green. It is very steep to to all sides and driving it left of the green is certain to be a bogey as you have to chip blindly to the pin. I pulled the pin out of its placement to help out a fellow golfer to put the pin within some semblance of a target for him. The other fellow Jack went into a bunker and it too all of his strength to blast it out of the sand. Oh, I did not tell you about the right side of the green. Go there and its woods time and I’m not talking about Tiger. By the way, its not just woods but about a 50 foot drop that goes straight down and is not noticeable unless you walk over there and I did when I parked my cart. I putted my 15 footer and blasted it by the hole barely striking it. It went 3 feet  by and as putting adventures continued, I achieved a par and feel fortunate. I want my certificate the next time I come.

     The back side is just as interesting and perhaps more. The 11^th hole is a 417 yard dandy from the blues and has several traps guarding the fairway and I thought I could drive over them. I just missed doing so as my driving was accurate but short this day. My ball was not in the sand but I had a poor lie as it was in a side slope and my second shot was not much more than a pitch unless I struck it accurately. I didn’t and hit it right side of the green. My playing partner told me to not go right on this hole as it slopes severely to the right and all balls hit short will feed there and he is right. His drive was perfect and down the middle but the slope did kick it right some. His play was great and he just missed birdie while I had to settle for bogey.

The Coyote Preserve will come out and hit you with a baseball bat and perhaps a couple of times if you do not play your best golf.

       Tee box from blues on 15                                                                 15 Green from about 120 yards

     The final three holes are very tough finishing holes and if you are not careful, your scorecard will be finished after playing these three holes of golf. Playing 16 is a very tough hole. First there is the carry. It is 150-170 yards but should not come into play if you hit your driver the way you should. The landing area is wide and slopes slightly downward so you can feel like a pro if you crush it. Short tee shots or those hit right will go into the wetland/woods where my partner went. We caught the group in front of us about three holes previous to this and they were slow but nothing like the group in front of them. After hitting our tee shots we waited and waited and waited and (well you get the idea) and it took us 45 minutes to play this hole. I hit the fairway and was not sure how to play it as it is shaped like the letter C. Only big bird wasn’t there to guide us so I drove up to see where the trouble was. There was plenty. It sloped plenty on this 575 yard par five and there were fescues and sand guarding it short. The yardage stakes were not a huge help and this course is largely well marked but the blind and difficult shots on this hole kind of neutralized them. I will make an excuse here. We waited so long to play this shot that I lost my rythem and dubbed my shot about 75 yards. That brought the fescues into play and it was not a good percentage play so I laid up with my third shot to take my fourth from about 130 yards away. My fourth shot might have been my best shot of the year as the green is two tiered with a tough slope the right side. My shot hit that slope and rolled back to the pin crawling down and to the left and even from 130 yards away it looked like it might go in. It rested an inch from the hole and I tapped in for a par. What craziness this is and what keeps golfers addicted to this crazy game.

After that and I was out of gas.

Trouble everywhere. The Coyote Preserve plays like an upnorth course but this one classic hole.

     The 17^th hole is ranked by the Detroit Free Press as one of the toughest holes in the Metropolitan Detroit area. It is a par three and is a tree-lined left side with a pond that carries the length to the right side of the hole. Sand guards anything left and the fairway approaches the green the left side and anybody looking to fade it in will have to carry the bunkers but is the play unless you go right at the stick. I advise you to fade it in or go right at it. Miss your shot and a sand bunker guards any fades from reaching the green both short and long. I hit my shot into the water and then another. I was just worn out as we waited a good deal longer and my back told me “no mas.”

Here is the Skinny. 

Customer Service- 8 - Staff Friendly and professional. I am nitpicking but a ranger would have helped push golfers along. The beer cart girls were nice and so was the staff.

Course Markings- 9- Very good. Some suggestions on playing the course but I would have liked more as this is a huge local knowledge course and you need to play it several times in one season to get a good understanding of where to hit it. Markings at 100, 150, 200 yards and sprinkler heads. 

Conditions -10 - Course in outstanding shape and the greenskeeper should be commended and so should the course pro Nicolas Thompson. He is a hands on golf pro that takes pride in a top of the line facility.   

Playability 8- You need to be playing extremely well to score here. This is a huge local knowledge course and you need to play it several times to really understand the various ways to best play it.  Greens are tough and not always readable and this is part of local knowledge. Many breaks are not readily apparant. Other than that this is a course that you must put on your to do list as much as possible.

Course Design- 10- The King caters to the better golfer and it is near perfect in design. The homes on the course do not come into play and that works out for everyone.

Pace of Play- 6

Rangers would help out at this course. There is too much difficulty on this course to not have them out there. Playing a hole in 45-minutes multiplied by 18..... and you get the idea. We did move well most of the round though. I did play in just under five hours but it took an hour and a half to play the last three holes.

The bottom line. I give it a 9.5/10 This is really quite a track to play and you really should give them a call to book a tee time. It is upscale, a super golf course for serious golfers and a memorable time.

Coyote Preserve Golf Club
9218 Preserve Drive
Fenton  Michigan  48430
810.714.3206 ~ Fax:  810.714.3207
email Coyote Preserve Golf Club

Tyrone Hills is a Very Playable Course

Tyrone Hills in Tyrone Township is a course where you can really enjoy yourself and a mishit shot is usually still in play and leaves you with a second chance of redemption on most holes. Where some courses are a good walk spoiled, Tyrone Hills is a very well laid course that in my eyes is very playable and enjoyable for golfers of all abilities. The course is short (6,408) yards from the blues and if you are a person of even modest abilities, you should play them to be taken seriously as a golfer.

     My review starts with the first hole which has a cluster of bunkers on the left side. I have never seen bunkers stacked four in a row on the left side and it is very noticeable from the tee. This 361 yard par four from the blues where I played during the day is a hole where going left is not your best play. So how did I do? I went down the middle and I am very glad that I did. A short iron shot awaits most golfers as you will have a pitching wedge or less to the green. Mishit your driver and you should still have a low iron. Tyrone Hills has one major defense to keep you honest. The greens are crowned and put it in the wrong place and the severe slopes will take your ball back to the rough for a deep grass chip around the green. I did put my second shot on the green but it was about 20 feet away for birdie and I settled for par.

Teeing off on the first hole

The parallel bunkers that line the left side. The also guard the range from the hole. 

The picture is hazy after the morning rain on #4.

Woods to the right and a cluster of trees line the opening tee shot to number four

     

The fourth hole is a very tight 515 par five that is woods lined left and tree lined right from the tee box. A large oak that must have been planted around the same time Adam and Eve walked the earth sits about 200 yards from the tee box. Drive it straight and you have no problems. Drive it right like I did and the oak could come into play. Tyrone Hills doesn’t have a lot of tight driving holes but this one and number 17 which shares some of the same trees will make you roll up your knickers before hitting the ball. My second shot was on the right side of the fairway and I thought the oak would come into play as I walked to my ball. Instead it didn’t but there was some tall wet grass from the rain and my  Adams  three metal wood was hit well but unspectacular down the rough. My third shot was curling toward a ditch that runs along the right side and I prepared for an out of bounds attempt. It wasn’t and the golfing Gods looked down on me with a smile. My third shot was finally good enough and I went left side of the green about 25 feet from the pin. A two-putt and I felt very lucky to have this one as a longer more unforgiving golf course would have given me a 9-iron to the solar plexus.

# 7 Fron the Tee Box. Trouble is everywhere if you mess up your tee shot. Go short if anything.

 

The back of the green slopes into the woods from the crowned greens. The dirt from the thick treeline will do you no favors for shots hit too long.

A view from the cart path. It looks tame here.

     The seventh hole has a lot of playable trouble and you can hit the green or you can pick your poison. It looks innocent enough. The 166 yard hole is a mid-iron for most golfers and I hit the green and was thankful for doing it. I covered the KLAA golf championships in May and saw some prep golfers get into trouble. You go short to the right and a pond guards the hole. You go long and you are playing out of the devil’s toothpicks which are a cluster of trees where a combination of tough grass, dirt and a sloping green from back to front could carry a decent chip off the front side of the green and the tees could knock down your attempt. If you go right, you will have dirt to chip off of. The dirt is from a cluster of trees so tight that grass cannot grow there. If you have ever chipped from hard dirt, you might prefer chipping off the hood of your car. Once again I two-putt from below the pin placement and while making birdie is the most fun, I will take my par and play on.

     
I really pulled the hacker out of my golf bag on number 8. This 380 yard par four does not have a ton of trouble but I found it on both of my shots. My tee shot went left as I blocked it and went into a cluster of trees that gave me an awkward stance and left me without a good chance to hit the green as my swing was obstructed by tree branches. So I go into more trouble with my 5 wood into some trees about 70 yards short of the green that left me chipping to the green. I messed up my chip and for par I am chipping again. My par attempt which was the chip I referred to was about forty feet short of the green. I then made a bomb for a six. Talk about taking the bad taste of stench out of my mouth from poor play, that would do it. Double-bogey and I am happy due to the flat stick. For those that play this hole better, there is a large fairway collection area to the right of the green that you can chip or putt if you like but it not advisable unless the pin is to the right. The green is large so a lot of golfers will get a GIR(green in regulation) if you play it right.

     View from the tee box does not capture the slope. There are plenty of areas to come in from misplaced shots.

A look at the 11th green . Check out the crowned green and look back to the tee box.

A view from the top of the hill on 14 does not show you the valley unless you look hard here.

On the back nine number 11 is a dandy. It plays at 175 yards and it is uphill and my advice is to club up one. You cannot see a the green clearly from the tee box due to the slope. The green is very undulated. I hit the green in GIR but then my adventure began. I hit a good putt from about 50 feet (the pin was placed at the back of the green) and thought I made a good stroke but it ended up about 6 feet by and kept curling. My par putt was a slider and slid by and I earned a bogey for my efforts. I was elated on eight but dismayed on 11 and it was due to the most important club in my bag.

     

A view from the top of the hill on #14.

Fourteen is an excellent adventure. It features a severely sloped fairway that rises and I decided to drive to the top of the hill as I was interested to see what awaited my on the other side and suggest you do to if you have not played the course. My drive was straight but mishit and I had about 170 yards to go on this  yard par four. I got out my five hybrid and hit a dandy to the green. I considered it an outstanding shot as a valley awaits those that hit from the short and blind side of the hill. I was about 15 feet from the pin and slide my birdie shot just wide right and I had less than a foot for par and tapped in from there.

     

It really slopes uphill from the fairway in the valley on 14.

Who's that handsome guy?

A view of #17 from the green back to the fairway.

The seventeenth hole is the hole I referred to earlier as being the twin to number four. It is tight here and driving it off the fairway can be hazardous to your golf game. Trees are definitely in play from the tee box of this 378 yard par four and are a good test of golf. I went left with my drive and hit a tree but did have a chip to the fairway where I had some chance to advance my chip and did about 50 yards. My iron shot was a pitching wedge and I put it on the green and had about twenty feet for par. Well, bogey had my name on it. This hole has trouble with water in front of the tee box, the trees I referenced and sand in front of the green on both sides.

     
The final hole is a good finishing hole. It measures out at 538 yards and can be played from the 13th with a missed fairway shot and that is where I played it from. My second shot was blocked to the right and I brought a cluster of trees into play and had to either chip or take my chances as there is some opening over there. I did that and made it though all but one tree branch and my third shot was knocked down short of the bunkers. My chip redeemed me and I ended up scrambling for a par on this hole. For those of you who play the hole the way it should be played. A driver and three wood with a wedge or mid-iron shot are the way you should do it and I advise you to do it this way.

     
Tyrone Hills is a very playable and enjoyable course. I really like how good golf shots reward you and help you with your ego as good golfers will putt for plenty of birdies and outstanding ones will consistently make some putts. 

Customer Service- 10 - Staff Friendly and professional. A told a golf course worker that I dropped a golf ball retriever when I saw a ball in a pond and wanted a shag ball. He brought it out to me later.

Course Markings- 8- Very Good. No suggestions on playing the hole or special markings or target signs.  Markings at 100, 150, 200 yards and some sprinkler heads.  Yardage marked on the tee box to the center of the green was helpful

Conditions -9.5 - Course well taken care of and you can find your ball even in some out of bounds areas. Some areas of the rough could be trimmed back. Number 9 was hard to find your ball.

Playability 9-   Anyone can play when you hit them long and straight. Bump and Run on most holes a nice touch. Greens are crowned and your ball will roll off if you mishit your iron or chip shots. When golfers can play with various tactics, it tends to bring out more creativity. Greens are fair and some breaks are not readily apparant.  Other than that and I really love this course. My favorite this year from a playability and scoring standpoint.

Course Design- 9- They could make the course longer and tougher as there is room but I am glad they didn't. From a playability standpoint, this is a very friendly course.

Pace of Play- I was the first one off in the morning and played in 2:50 and this includes a 25 minute rain delay. Don't expect the same.  Beginner and intermediate golfers can play this course and is a very good scoring course for good golfers and above.

Golfers... make the trek out to this course, the people are nice and it is right off of US-23 in Tyrone Township. Easy on and off and the big Tyrone Township water tower helps you to know you are at Center Road. Here is the tower from # 11

Geese Crossing on #16.

I will put pictures on later.

Denis Husse

PGA Professional

Tyrone Hills Golf Club

(810)629-5011

8449 Old US 23

Fenton, Mich. 48430

Call 810-629-5011 for a tee time.

Tyrone Hills GC is Very Playable

Division One Medal Goes to Kollin at Katke Cousins

Everyone, I felt like a real golf announcer sitting on the third hole for about 6 hours straight. I did not get to see the waterfall at Katke Cousins either as I sat at the back of the green. Boy can the prep golfers really have at it. These kids are excellent overall. Nearly 85% of them hit the green or dog hair and the greens at Katke are really tricky.
Check out my videos this week previewing the course and the features on Jamie Stanton Jr. (he did not golf at Katke) and Otto Black who did.

Check out the interview with Kollin and the stories on the Medalists and Team Winners on MI Prep Zone

Awaiting the Final Results

Kenkel and Kollin after Playoff

2011 MHSAA LP Division 1 Boys Finals
Katke-Cousins Golf Course - Oakland University
June 17-18, 2011

Final Team Standings
(First Day - Second Day - Total)

The Winning Team with their medals. Congrats. Lots of stellar play down the Stretch

1. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central - 297 - 296 - 593
2. Davison - 312 - 284 - 596
3. Pinckney - 310 - 295 - 605
4. Birmingham Brother Rice - 305 - 308 - 613
5. Muskegon Mona Shores - 311 - 305 - 616
6. Detroit Catholic Central - 304 - 313 - 617
7. Traverse City Central - 309 - 324 - 633
7. Plymouth - 316 - 317 - 633
7. Battle Creek Lakeview - 315 - 318 - 633
10. Oxford - 319 - 317 - 636
11. Warren DeLaSalle - 321 - 323 - 644
12. Saline - 320 - 326 - 646
13. Ann Arbor Huron - 334 - 320 - 654
14. Troy - 324 - 335 - 659
15. Utica Ford - 331 - 338 - 669

Top Individuals
(First Day - Second Day - Total)

*1. Max Kollin, North Farmington - 73 - 71 - 144
2. Kyle Kenkel, Davison - 74 - 70 - 144
3. Francesco Ruffino, Birmingham Seaholm - 75 - 70 - 145
4. Max Rispler, GR Forest Hills Central - 71 - 75 - 146
4. Otto Black, Pinckney - 71 - 75 - 146
4. Nick Dennis, Birmingham Brother Rice - 72 - 74 - 146
7. Patrick Colburn, Traverse City Central - 74 - 73 - 147
7. Jake  Thompson, Davison - 78 - 69 - 147
9. Andrew Yeager, GR Forest Hills Central - 73 - 75 - 148
10. Brody Fischer, GR Forest Hills Central - 76 - 73 - 149

* Max Kollin (North Farmington) wins with a birdie on the first playoff hole.

Beacon Hill is a Neighborly Golf Course

Beacon Hill is a golf course that is an excellent place to enjoy a round of golf.
The golf course is cut out of woodlands, marsh and fields and has been landscaped to provide an interesting round of golf for you.

Beacon Hill is one of Oakland counties few upscale golf facilities. The championship 18 hole course covers over 6,681 yards of beautiful lakes and wetlands. The slope and rating is 71.9/140 from the championship tees.

The clubhouse is extremely impressive. The green seen on the lower level of this picture is the 18th and I will talk about this hole later.
The first hole is a downslopped par four with four bunkers surrounding the hole You do not want to dub your drive right as the neigbors are not very neighborly on this course. Many have do not enter signs in their yards and this is true at various points on the course including this hole. A good drive will roll far on the slope but do avoid the fairway bunkers planted in the landing areas both right and left side. I played from the green and white tees. I played the white tees primarily on the par threes so I could play a variety of my irons. Teeing off from the this hole is only







Professional Banquet Staff
• Banquet/Conference Center
  (capacity 250)
• Outdoor Ceremony Site
• PGA Professional Staff
• PGA Professional Golf Instruction
• Bag Drop Service
• Top Line Pro-Shop
• Teaching and Practice Facility
• Golf Outing Specials
• 300 Yard Aqua Driving Range
• Grill Room Overlooking 18th Hole