Roy J. "Joe" Akers- 2013 All Prep Team

     Other than coaches, it might be fair to say I might have seen more Detroit area prep golf than anyone in 2013. I covered 13 events this past season and saw many players at 4-5 including the majors. For me, the majors consisted of; the NexTee at Oakland Hills; The County Tournament; The Catholic Tournament in Ann Arbor or Conference Tournaments; The Regionals and the State Finals.  One thing I will consider that the coaches did not is junior golf play and will factor it in as just one component such as AJGA play, Top 50 or Meijer Adams Tour play and state tournaments. While I agree with most of the list, there are some exceptions. Some players will go down the list and some players omitted will like what I saw.


Alex Kleckner (Jr.), Lakeland —
 Alex Kleckner is on the list as one of three Lakeland Eagle juniors that have made this team a formidable foe.  The state runner up in Division 1 in 2013, Kleckner put together a second day round of 69 in the state tournament to force a tie and a playoff with eventual state champion, Kyle Rodes of Plymouth. Kleckner also finished with scores at his regional with a 73 and finished in the top 25 at the AJGA  Coca-Cola Classic with a three round score of 235 (79-77-79) Kleckner finished the season with a tournament average of 74.2 and has started to gain the attention of Division 1 colleges. Kleckner was the lone Oakland County golfer

selected to the All-State Super Team. Kleckner will only get better as he plays more  top tournaments
 Justin Pahl (Jr.), Lakeland — A key contributor to the Lakeland squad all season, Pahl finished with a 76.2 average and will be one of the key leaders for the Eagles next season. Pahl carded a 70 at the very tough NexTee classic at Oakland Hills North course against top competition. Shortly after the Division 1 state tournament, Pahl advanced to the Sweet 16 of the Michigan Pro Am and will team with Kleckner to help form a very experienced Lakeland squad in 2014. He is playing top level golf this summer including AJGA events at Boyne (75-80-76- 231) and will play the Randy Wise in August.

  Alex Waelchi (Sr.) Lake Orion — In my opinion, if there was a Mr. Golf for Oakland County, he is the player to strongly consider. A first team selection by coaches for division one, he put together strong rounds including co-medalist honors at the NexTee Classic and won it outright at The Oakland County Tournament. Waelchli also carded a 75 at the Regionals and put together a first round score of 73 at Boyne during recent AJGA play.  Waelchi will play for coach Russ Cunningham at Oakland University next year.
  “Basically he’s been our No. 1 player since he was a freshman and he’s one of the hardest working players I’ve ever had and that was the case from the time he was a freshman until he was a senior,” said Lake Orion coach Monty Gallaher. “His scoring average for the second half of this year was a 73, and Oakland Hills on May 6 (67) was the turning point of his season. He was doing everything the right way, he’s a great student and both seniors, Alex and Mason (Gorris) were mirrors of each other as far as leadership goes and they showed that even though you start slow, you can finish strong.” 

Mason Gorris (Sr) Lake Orion- I call him the mayor because he is one well spoken young man. Not only could he give Tim Tebow a run for his money at being a wordsmith, he can flat out play. When the dragons were down early in the season, his scores at Pontiac Country Club (74) and the Regional at Boulder Pointe (76) showed what steady golf this young man can play.  
 
Kyle Gaines (Sr.), Birmingham Brother Rice — Gaines is a real good player and cranks out solid scores as he was medalist several times this year including sharing the honors with Jeremy Ball at the Catholic Championships. He carded 76's at both the Oakland County Championships and at the NexTee but was always around the leaders. A key contributor to Brother Rice’s 2012 state championship squad, Gaines followed a strong junior campaign with another impressive season in his senior year. Gaines finished with an average of 75, and had a season best round of 68 at Lyon Oaks, where he won the individual regional title, finishing four shots under par and won by five strokes. The UD Mercy Titans have a superb golfer in Gaines..

“ He’s grown so much over the past few years,” said Brother Rice coach Dan Bumpus. “He just really grew a lot between his sophomore and junior year and played a big role on the state championship team last year. He continued his play this year and really took on the role of the team’s captain and stepped up behind the scenes as well.”



Eric Busa (Sr.) Rochester Adams —  Eric Busa is green and white through and through. When MSU did not offer him a golf scholarship, Busa decided to forgo several golf scholarships to attend MSU next year as a student and possibly a walk-on. Coach Casey Lubahn may have missed out on Busa. A winner multiple times in junior golf tournaments, he shot 70 at the NexTee Classic and followed up with a 74 at the County Tournament and a 71 at the Regionals held at Boulder Pointe. Hopefully Busa finds s place to play golf collegiately because a program will be lucky to have him.  “He was our senior captain, a four-year player, and was very consistent, steady and reliable for us,” said Picot. “He was a battler who was going to battle for us shot for shot. He’s mentally strong and he was our grinder, he kept the team focused, but loose all season long and was a true leader for us on and off the golf course and in the classroom.” 

 Brandon Barrows (So.) Rochester Adams - Barrows is a player with all the talent in the world and lives on the Bald Mountain Golf Course which his family owns. With that background, Barrows has put it all together to become a force in Michigan high school golf. He has played in scores of junior tournaments and his scoring highlight was at the NexTee Classic where he was co-medalist carding a 67. After missing time in the middle of the season, he put together rounds of 76 at the regionals and a lackluster 80-77 at MSU in the Division One finals. Barrows recent
(74-71-71) to finish in third place at the Coca-Cola Classic behind only Henry Do and Will Grimmer who put together a round of 59 just one week later.  “He’s got all the talent that he needs,” said Picot. “He just needs to know how to hone it better but he’s got all of the tools. As far as talent is concerned, he’s got all of the talent in the world. He Just finished in third place at the Coca Cola Classic in Boyne with a big field of players and he’s the youngest player to ever play in the Michigan Open.
  Garret Buckley (Jr.), Novi — Buckley is really only one or two rounds away from being on the all-state team next season. He has the consist part of his golf game down. With scores ranging from 74 to 77 in several competitive rounds I could track him in, he is always a name to put on the leaderboard.

 “Garret’s been one of those kids that don’t come along too often and he’s just a very, very solid player and he can get streaky hot where not very many people can match him,” said Novi coach Brad Huss. “He leads by example, he’s got a real nice personality and tons of energy and is a kid that gets everyone going because he’s always pumped up. He loves golf and loves the competitiveness and everybody feeds off of it.” 

  Michael Busse (Fr.) Rochester — A breathe of fresh air, Busse is one of several young Falcons that will form Paul Marti's core the next few years. Growing up at Katke Cousins where his father is the head PGA Pro, he has honed his game at two great courses and has played a lot of junior golf to hone his skills. He played well in the regionals at Boulder Pointe and with his teammates and fellow OAA members pushing each other, Busse and the league will be on top of their games. He is quickly climbing up the Junior Golf Scoreboard rankings.
 At the Oakland County tournament at Pontiac Country Club, Busse finished with a score of 74 to give him a third-place finish for the tournament and should help lead a Rochester team that will return all of its starters from this season next year. “It’s pretty incredible, he was consistent all year long and I was really impressed with his composure,” said Rochester coach Paul Marti. “I think the most impressive thing was his all-around game, he doesn’t have a lot of weaknesses. But what stood out the most was his composure and if he’d have a bad shot, he’d have the ability to bounce back which was very impressive for a 15-year-old kid.” 



Spencer Lendzion (Sr.), Stoney Creek — The team MVP for the Cougars in each of the last two years and the senior captain this past spring,  Lendzion is somewhat inconsistent as he drifts from 72 one tournament to 84 the next. But when he is on, the Cougars took off. . Lendzion posted a season-best round of 71 at Oakland Hills North and also had a strong round of 73 at Birmingham Country Club, as he was named Division 1 honorable mention. At the Coca-Cola Classic, he carded scores of 79-80-72 for a 41st place finish.  Lenzion will play golf for Mark Engel at the University of Detroit Mercy next year.

“His leadership clearly stood out,” said Stoney Creek coach Ryan Slade. “I thought that he wasn’t necessarily the biggest vocal leader, but the kids just saw how he goes about his daily routine for practice and that was something that the kids got to see and they followed suit with his leadership and practice regimen. He’s a strong competitor. A lot of kids with golf, they’re one-sport athletes, but Spencer played basketball as well and that showed his ability to compete and grind for us. He always just kept competing.”

 
 Rishi Patel (Jr.), Birmingham Detroit Country Day —. Patel is a golfer on the rise as he  consistently cards scores in the 70's. His 71 at Fieldstone was huge as few high school players go under par at that course. He put together rounds of 75-79 in the state finals at MSU East  and finished 30th at the Coca-Cola Classic at Boyne with scores of (79-76-76). His rankings in Junior Golf Scoreboard show him rising as he sits at 25th with more junior play in front of him this summer.

   
Glenn Piot (Soph.), Novi Detroit Catholic Central — After a good finish to his freshman season, Piot followed with a very good sophomore season, where he put together an 18-hole average of just over 76. Piot was excellent for the Shamrocks this season.  As a first team Division One selection, he was on the leaderboard of every tournament he played. He carded a 79 at the County Tournament and was ver consistent. He shot 78 at the Holiday Inn Express Tournament and had a 74-77 at the Division One finals. He tested himself against the finest players in the Midwest and finished 20th at the Coca-C0la Classic with a finish of (72-77-77).
 
James Kneen- (Jr.)Lakeland-
The third of Hugh Felts junior dynamo golfers, Kneen played very well the entire season. Kneen did not go low in the big tournaments but consistently carded scores in the 70's including 74-80  at Forest Akers West. He also carded a super finish at Boyne earlier in July.
 
HONORABLE MENTION:

Charlie Green- Sr. Novi Catholic Central- Jeremy Ball (Jr.) Birmingham Brother Rice; Jameson Collar (Sr.) Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest; Dylan Deogun (So.) Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood; Johnny Fortuna (Sr.) Bloomfield Hills Lahser; John VanNoord (Jr.) Auburn Hills Oakland Christian David Smith (Everest Collegiate)

Last Updated: 7/27/2013 7:33:49 PM EST

The 2013 Oakland Press all-county team

The team below was compiled by the Oakland Press. The writer below never saw much golf if any this year and I will tweak the list with my own all-County team later this week. What do you think of the list? Comments are welcome below. 

ALL-COUNTY BOYS GOLF: Plenty of talent to go around in 2013

By JEFF DULLACK
@MIPrepZone

Lakeland’s Alex Kleckner drains a putt on his way to a 3-under par 69 for the low score of round 2 at the Division 1 golf championships at Forest Akers West on June 15. (The Oakland Press file photo)

Novi Detroit Catholic Central's Charlie Green averaged 75.2 per 18 this season and will play at Michigan State next year. (The Oakland Press file photo)

A year after helping his team to a state championship, Brother Rice's Kyle Gaines won a regional title in his senior season. He'll play at the University of Detroit Mercy next year. (The Oakland Press file photo)

The start of the 2013 golf season got off to a bit of a slow start for the majority of golfers and teams in the area due to inclement weather, but as conditions improved throughout the spring, some of Oakland County’s top golfers began to see their scores do the same.

By the end of the season, Oakland County had two top 10 finishers at the state tournament in both Division 1 and Division 2, including Lakeland’s Alex Kleckner, who finished second at the Division 1 tournament at Forest Akers West in East Lansing.

Several area players were named to all-state squads and many of those were named to the All-County team by the Oakland County Coaches Association.



Alex Kleckner (Jr.), Lakeland — The state runner up in Division 1 in 2013, Kleckner put together a second day round of 69 in the state tournament to force a tie and a playoff with eventual state champion, Kyle Rodes of Plymouth. Kleckner finished the season with a tournament average of 74.2 and has started to gain the attention of Division 1 colleges. Kleckner was the lone Oakland County golfer selected to the All-State Super Team.

“He’s progressed pretty well and he only had one bad tournament this year,” said Lakeland coach Hugh Felt. “He’s been pretty consistent throughout the year. He just works hard and compared to other golfers, he just outworks them and keeps trying to get better at the game.



Justin Pahl (Jr.), Lakeland — A key contributor to the Lakeland squad all season, Pahl finished with a 76.2 average and will be one of the key leaders for the Eagles next season. He started the season strong with an early-season average of 73.8. Shortly after the Division 1 state tournament, Pahl advanced to the Sweet 16 of the Michigan Pro Am and will team with Kleckner to help form a very experienced Lakeland squad in 2014.

“He was just very relaxed this year,” said Felt. “In the past he would press, but this year he was very relaxed and his swing was smooth and instead of forcing things he was calm. As long as he stayed relaxed and comfortable, he was going to go out and score a good round for us.”



Alex Waelchi (Sr.) Lake Orion — One of the key players that helped lead the Dragons to possibly their best season ever, Waelchi took medalist honors at the Oakland County tournament and helped Lake Orion win the Oakland County team title as well. Waelchi finished with an 18-hole average of 75 behind a season-best round of 67 at Oakland Hills. Waelchi will play for Oakland University next year.

“Basically he’s been our No. 1 player since he was a freshman and he’s one of the hardest working players I’ve ever had and that was the case from the time he was a freshman until he was a senior,” said Lake Orion coach Monty Gallaher. “His scoring average for the second half of this year was a 73, and Oakland Hills on May 6 (67) was the turning point of his season. He was doing everything the right way, he’s a great student and both seniors, Alex and Mason (Gorris) were mirrors of each other as far as leadership goes and they showed that even though you start slow, you can finish strong.”



Kyle Gaines (Sr.), Birmingham Brother Rice — A key contributor to Brother Rice’s 2012 state championship squad, Gaines followed a strong junior campaign with another impressive season in his senior year. Gaines finished with an average of 75, and had a season best round of 68 at Lyon Oaks, where he won the individual regional title, finishing four shots under par and won by five strokes. Gaines will play golf for the University of Detroit Mercy.

“ He’s grown so much over the past few years,” said Brother Rice coach Dan Bumpus. “He just really grew a lot between his sophomore and junior year and played a big role on the state championship team last year. He continued his play this year and really took on the role of the team’s captain and stepped up behind the scenes as well.”



Eric Busa (Sr.) Rochester Adams — The unquestioned leader for the Highlanders this season, Busa was the senior captain and proved to be one of the most reliable players for head coach Dan Picot. Busa, a four-year contributor on the golf team, finished the season with a strong average of 76.8 to help lead the Highlanders after posting a season-best round of 70 at Oakland Hills earlier this season.

“He was our senior captain, a four-year player, and was very consistent, steady and reliable for us,” said Picot. “He was a battler who was going to battle for us shot for shot. He’s mentally strong and he was our grinder, he kept the team focused, but loose all season long and was a true leader for us on and off the golf course and in the classroom.”



Brandon Barrows (So.) Rochester Adams — Barrows made an immediate impact when he arrived at Adams as a freshman last year and continued to make a big impact on the Adams team in his sophomore season. He finished with a 75.6 18-hole average, which included a season-best round of 67 at the Oakland Hills North course earlier this year.

“He’s got all the talent that he needs,” said Picot. “He just needs to know how to hone it better but he’s got all of the tools. As far as talent is concerned, he’s got all of the talent in the world. He Just finished in third place at the Coca Cola Classic in Boyne with a big field of players and he’s the youngest player to ever play in the Michigan Open.



Garret Buckley (Jr.), Novi — One of the most consistent golfers in the area, Buckley put together strong efforts all season for the Wildcats as he earned All-State honorable mention in Division 1. Buckley finished his junior campaign with a 76.3 average for 18 holes, while he had a season-best score of 72 in districts held at Crestwood Village. Buckley recently tried to qualify for the U.S. Open and was chosen as a second alternative.

“Garret’s been one of those kids that don’t come along too often and he’s just a very, very solid player and he can get streaky hot where not very many people can match him,” said Novi coach Brad Huss. “He leads by example, he’s got a real nice personality and tons of energy and is a kid that gets everyone going because he’s always pumped up. He loves golf and loves the competitiveness and everybody feeds off of it.”



Michael Busse (Fr.) Rochester — Busse helped play a key role for a young core of players for the Falcons as the freshman had a breakout year of sorts after finishing with a 75.2 average. At the Oakland County tournament at Pontiac Country Club, Busse finished with a score of 74 to give him a third-place finish for the tournament and should help lead a Rochester team that will return all of its starters from this season next year.

“It’s pretty incredible, he was consistent all year long and I was really impressed with his composure,” said Rochester coach Paul Marti. “I think the most impressive thing was his all-around game, he doesn’t have a lot of weaknesses. But what stood out the most was his composure and if he’d have a bad shot, he’d have the ability to bounce back which was very impressive for a 15-year-old kid.”



Spencer Lendzion (Sr.), Stoney Creek — The team MVP for the Cougars in each of the last two years and the senior captain this past spring, Lendzion capped his high school career with an 18-hole average of 75 this year. Lendzion posted a season-best round of 71 at Oakland Hills North and also had a strong round of 73 at Birmingham Country Club, as he was named Division 1 honorable mention. Lenzion will play golf for the University of Detroit Mercy next year.

“His leadership clearly stood out,” said Stoney Creek coach Ryan Slade. “I thought that he wasn’t necessarily the biggest vocal leader, but the kids just saw how he goes about his daily routine for practice and that was something that the kids got to see and they followed suit with his leadership and practice regimen. He’s a strong competitor. A lot of kids with golf, they’re one-sport athletes, but Spencer played basketball as well and that showed his ability to compete and grind for us. He always just kept competing.”



Rishi Patel (Jr.), Birmingham Detroit Country Day — A state champion tennis player in the fall for the Yellowjackets, Patel showed he’s one of the state’s best golfers as well. He helped lead the Yellowjackets to a regional title at Fieldstone, where he was medalist, besting the rest of the competition by five strokes with a score of 71. Patel finished the season with a nine-hole average of 36 and an18-hole average of 74 and will go into next year as one of the state’s best two-sport athletes once again.

“Rishi’s never had a series of bad events happen to him throughout the season. Out of the nine tournaments he played in this season, he finished in the top five or better eight times,” said Country Day coach Dan Berger. “He was always able to hit the ball extremely well and he learned a lot this season. I still don’t think we’ve seen the best out of him, and that’s exciting.



Charlie Green (Sr.), Novi Detroit Catholic Central — One of the area’s top golfers over the past few years, Green capped his high school career with a strong senior campaign where he finished with an 18-hole average of 75.2, which included a season-best round of 70 at the Grand Traverse Resort in Traverse City in late April. Green, who earned a spot on the Division 1 All-State honorable mention squad, will continue his golfing career at Michigan State next year.

“I felt like he played solid all year long,” said Catholic Central coach Mike Anderson. “He won most of the events he competed in and was definitely the key to our success all season long. He’s going to play so great at Michigan State and I think he’s only going to get better.



Glenn Piot (Soph.), Novi Detroit Catholic Central — After a good finish to his freshman season, Piot followed with a very good sophomore season, where he put together an 18-hole average of just over 76. Piot had a season-best round of 72 at the Bed Valley Invite in early May and also had a first-round effort of 74 on the first day of the state tournament to put him in a tie for fifth place going into the second day.

“Glen is a young man who is very smart, straight-A student, focused methodically and works hard at his goals and achieving them,” said Anderson. “He is someone who leads by his actions on and off the course, and he started to play well last year, especially toward the end of the season and really put it all together this year.



HONORABLE MENTION:

Jeremy Ball (Jr.) Birmingham Brother Rice; Jameson Collar (Sr.) Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest; Dylan Deogun (So.) Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood; Johnny Fortuna (Sr.) Bloomfield Hills Lahser; Mason Gorris (Sr.) Lake Orion; Joey Hildebrand (Jr.) Birmingham Brother Rice; Jake Kneen (Jr.) Lakeland; John VanNoord (Jr.) Auburn Hills Oakland Christian

Last Updated: 7/27/2013 7:33:49 PM EST

Tournament Preview of the Tournament of Champions at Boyne Highlands

 

TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS AT BOYNE MOUNTAIN IS FAMILY AFFAIR

 BOYNE FALLS – Families who seek an array of activities find Boyne Mountain Resort an irresistible destination, and that includes golfing families competing against one another in one of the game’s most unique championships Monday through Wednesday on The Alpine course.

  Three-father-son combinations, a father-daughter combination and a set of brothers will be among the 101 golfers in the starting field of the 22^nd Tournament of Champions.

  The 54-hole event brings together men, women, juniors, seniors, professionals and amateurs competing against each other from three sets of tees for the same coveted championship. Each player in the field has won a Michigan major golf tournament or state title to earn the invitation to compete. The top 70 scorers and ties make the 36-hole cut and play the final round. The event is sanctioned and administered by the Michigan PGA.

  Michigan Golf Hall of Fame member Jack Seltzer and his son John, Frank McAuliffe and his son Frank IV, Bill Mory and his son Chris, brothers Jeff and Steven Cuzzort and amateur golf legend Pete Green and his daughter, Suzanne Green-Roebuck, will seek a title that has been won most often by male professionals, but also by a woman (Stacy Snider in 2003).

   Last year Jeff Roth, a former Flint and Detroit area golf professional who now lives in Farmington, New Mexico, and sometimes plays on the Champions Tour as a senior golfer, won for a record-tying fifth time (Michael Harris). Roth first won the event in 1995 and also won in ’96, 99, 2008 and 2012.

   Henry Do of Ypsilanti, who has finished high school and is headed to North Carolina on a golf scholarship, almost became the first amateur winner two years ago before faltering on the last few holes to a rally by touring pro Andy Matthews. Do is in the field again this year, as are 22 other amateur golfers.

  Suzanne Green-Roebuck, a multiple winner of the Michigan Women’s Open, Oakland University golfer Gabriella Yurik of Rochester and Kelly Hartigan of Lake Orion, the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year for Grand Valley State University, are among the notable women taking on the men and boys in this year’s field.

  The professional docket is loaded as expected in a field of major championship winners. Six-time Michigan Open and Michigan PGA winner Scott Hebert, who won the TOC in 2009, is back, as is Roth, 2011 winner Lee Houtteman and past champions Tom Harding (1997), Agim Bardha (1994) and Michael Erickson (1993).

  Last year’s Michigan Amateur champion, Drew Preston of Ada, who is now a professional, is in the field, as is last year’s Michigan Open champion, Barrett Kelpin, a professional from Kalamazoo.

   Andy Ruthkoski, Tim Matthews, Ron Buermann, Brian Cairns, Willie Mack III and Dave Kendall are among the notable golfers in a field full of notable golfers.

  Roth earned $10,000 for his win last year, donned the traditional green jacket befitting Michigan’s version of a Masters Tournament and could make more history this year.  His win a year ago tied him with legend Al Watrous for the most major championships in Michigan golf history.  A win this week would give Roth 16 major Michigan titles.

  “I think about that number almost every day,” quipped Roth minutes after he won a year ago.

   Boyne Mountain Resort has been a favorite Midwest destination since 1948. The family-owned, four-season resort has earned Certificates of Excellence from TripAdvisor, and has been recognized by Conde Nast Traveler readers as being among the top 50 Best Places to Ski and Stay in North America. The waterpark is listed among Budget Travel’s Top 10 Indoor facilities and the resort is a readers’ choice favorite of Spa Magazine.

    Boyne Mountain is home to The Alpine and The Monument golf courses, as well as 60 runs on 415 skiable acres. Cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, Solace Spa, Michigan’s largest indoor waterpark, Zipline Adventures, disc golf facilities, lift-serviced mountain biking, beach activities, kids programs, lodging, meeting and wedding facilities as well as real-estate attract families.

Mystic Creek in Milford is a superb test of golf with long holes, great holes and quirky ones as well.

They do weddings as well

     Mystic Creek located in Milford at Camp Dearborn, has 27 holes of immaculate golf where holes alternate between being tight, very long or very reachable. Built on a spectacular property near the GM Proving Grounds on S. Hickory Ridge Road in Milford was deftly designed by Mike Dewling (Shepherd's Hollow- Pinetrace) and thankfully left most of the mature trees, creeks and lakes stay in their natural state. The golf holes show plenty of variety and golfers will be forced to alternate between pulling irons off some tees to bombing away on others. Increasingly, many courses are offering their customers 27 holes of golf from Boulder Pointe in Oxford, Tanglewood and Links of Novi in Novi and each course shows different highlights as you play your round. With four different tee boxes to give golfers every bit of a challenge as they want, and you could change your tee box if you decide the one you playing is not to your liking.

The Meadows hole number one is very different for one major reason.

Tee box over one Meadows

There is a large landing area in front of the green.

     This nine starts out as a par three. For me, I really like to start my rounds off with a par four or five and this is especially true if I do not have the time to properly warm up. Playing between 103 and 151 yards, the trouble is to the right and just in front of the tee box. The tee box is elevated and from the back you will not see that if your ball is short, there is a fairway collection area to chip your ball to the hole. A huge bunker sits in front of the green and little area exists behind the green as a fence will take any balls hit too far which shouldn't be a problem. The green is large and the putting is true. Most golfers will start off with a par here but birdies are for the taking. Properly warm up and put one on the green and hit it stiff.

Be smart with your drive on 3

    The Meadows number three is a long bombers paradise if you drill it off the tee. At 408 to 585 yards, you had better be prepared to hit it along way. Elevated and wide open, only two fairway bunkers that look like ponds can trip you up. Even if you hit it into the rough on these holes, the modest grass will allow you to advance the ball and perhaps send your second shot flying.Your second shot has a side degree of latitude of error but those that want the best chance to birdie this hole should angle it left side where you will have a great angle to the slight dog leg at the finish. Pushing your second shot right could double the distance and turn a 70 yard shot to 140 yards and a pond comes into play around 140 yards out.

You will most likely have some work to finish this hole

A series of bunkers will test you around the green and do not be surprised if one of them gets friendly with you as they are short side left and right. Both days I did everything right and still parred the hole. I can only imagine what would happen if you shank either of your first two shots. This is why it is the number one handicapped hole on this side.

     Just like the Woods and Lakes course, you could talk in detail about many more holes such as four and five on the Meadows side.

You will most likely have some work to finish this hole

Moving ahead to the Meadows number seven is one hole where you have to decide if driver is cutting it too close to the hazard. At first glimpse, you look at the fairway and say bombs away but you had better study your scorecard on the tee box where five different ponds with fescues make you feel boxed in off the tee. This review has given you a parameter where 250 yards off the tee is where you will land to play your shot into the green. Teeing off at 383 yards will make you think of several targets including the fairway bunkers looking to collect errant shots and a mean slope that funnels nutted tee shots toward Mystic Creek. Your best bet is to not hit it down the slope as you will have have un-mowed grass passed the river running to the green which sits on a mound. The green demands on a well placed second shot and is two tiered from right to left. I actually started hitting my irons a little fat and clubbed up one and hit my iron shot into the grass just beyond the green with a delicate chip needed for my birdie. Hitting your second shot short will leave you with an uphill shot where your ball could nestle in the thick stuff and while uphill is good for most, a buried lie is not where you want to be. Par is a very good score on this number two handicapped hole on this nine.

Breaking Bad will tear up your scorecard.

The finishing hole on this nine ranging from (501 to 378 yards) is another one where the scorecard is deceiving.

Aim for the trap left side

The trap to the left. You have room on the fairway.

     Your tee box does not give you a real good vantage point of where to hit it but the sand trap that sits with an overhanging tree to the right of the box, but a sand trap to the left side rough is a good place to aim. With trees doting both sides of the fairway, your tee shot could come in contact with the fairway sand bunker but a slight fade or a shot down center to left center will put you in good shape. That is the easy part. The hard part has to do with the finish. Could you get home on two well struck shots. Sure. Unfortunately, this hole has plenty of trouble. Bunkers are everywhere in front of the green and with the green being elevated above the downward sloping fairway, the small green will not hole second shots.
Your best bet will be to leave yourself with a high iron or wedge and take a look at the flag. If you walk, you most likely will not see where the flag is. My advice is to take your cart and see where the flag is on your third shot for your best bet at a birdie.

With the bar open, get yourself a beverage as both the Woods and Lakes are very tough tests of golf.

A tough tee shot demands accuracy

Where you want to be

The Woods first hole is one where you come to confront the mature trees that dot the property and must have been a challenge when carving out the holes that became part of Mystic Creek. This hole is very challenging as the elevated tee box will block your vision of all the trouble that runs on both sides of the fairway. The hole plays from (281 to 427) yards and a tee shot down the middle is almost demanded by the designer. With trees and moguls running left side and two fairway bunkers to the right, errant shots will leave you playing almost certainly for bogey. With water and fescues surrounding the green to the right and behind, any hiccups on your approach will leave you with a possible big number. If you do drive your ball into the path of one of the trees, you could either have a clear shot to the green (which is doubtful) to a punch shot forward to a chip back to the fairway. I do enjoy the greens at Mystic as they range from the hit it firm and you will be rewarded to the very undulated and you had better study your shot like a scientist studies a strain of a flu shot virus.

One of the best holes in Oakland County plays as the third hole at Mystic's Woods course. This dandy plays as a 446 to 532 par five and demands that you bomb your tee shot to a fairway that slopes downward toward a valley where long hitters will be pleased at what they have done. The problem is the entire hole is tree lined and any shot that catches one of the trees and you are playing for bogey. Mystic Creek dissects the hole before the valley goes to a green that is elevated over the fairway. Going right and you will go into a dense portion of the woods. Left and not a much better fate awaits you. The elevated green seems to sit high in the air and long hitters that think they can reach the green in two will most likely have a difficult putt for eagle. Realistically, you will have between a wedge to mid-iron depending on your first two shots go. A birdie here on this number one handicapped hole and you have really accomplished a chance to wet your whistle or collect skin money at the end of the round.

This picture does not do justice to how narrow and uphill the green is from the fairway

Mystic Creek seems to alternate from the really strong holes to occasionally a short and should I say a very unusual experience. Such is the experience with the par four sixth. The hole plays as a par four ranging from 303 to 228 yards and this experience makes golfers pulling anything out instead of a fairway wood, hybrid or iron a mistake. With trees making this hole seem like you are driving through a crack in the sidewalk, any ball that hits the woods either side is a penalty shot as balls become a future golfers treasure find. One thing is that this subtle par four has a sand trap that helps golfers that hang a tee shot left from going into the woods if your ball is short. If you have a high and long fade ala' Jack Nicklaus, go for the green. If you do, you will most likely blow it and make a big score. Two irons is your best play. Going over the green and you will once again donate your golf ball.

There are so many suburb golf holes on this nine, that it is tough to skip over holes like the par three seventh and par five ninth which are very tough.

Take a drive to see what this hole demands

Much further than this and you will hit the unseen rough in the fairway

Between Mystic Creek and the bunkers, good luck!

   When the computer in the golf cart said Jim Dewling considered the 396 to 308 yard 8th  to be a 'great hole' I couldn't resist seeing if I agreed with his assessment. With the view from the tee box being much different depending on whether you played it back to the front, it seems like you might want to leave driver in your bag as the woods are on top of you left and reachable on the right. Dewling said driver would be rewarded. To an extent he is correct. If you have a draw in your bag or nut it down the middle perhaps. The thing that gets me is that the hole runs down hill in the landing area and if your ball has a downhill slope for an approach shot at a steep angle, that makes you wonder if you truly are being rewarded. Saying that, if you are between 140 to 200 yards out, you will have a great view of the green before the slope starts. It is surrounded by four bunkers and Mystic Creek in front. The green is seriously undulated and any iron shot will need to be shaped. One thing I can tell you is I drove my cart by the creek and an otter was playing in the creek. That is the first time I have seen one on the course in a long time. It is an enjoyable hole and you should be good on your tee shot unless you snap it right or left. Par is a well earned score.

PGA Professional and General Manager Rod Duffe told me that the Lakes was probably the hardest and most scenic nine holes of golf and without a doubt, his opinion turned to reality. More than once he said wait until you play the number one Lakes hole and you will understand. After playing number one and the other eight holes, this is one spectacular nine holes of golf.

The ninth hole at about 230 yards from the tee box

The 9th hole on the woods from behind the green

Whatever gets you down the middle short of the lake that divides the fairway from the finish

The bunker in front of the green demands a high soft shot for best results

     The first hole is one that will trick your eyes the first time you see it. From the tee box, it looks like you must try and take the water which runs the entire length of the hole and squeezes between two tracks of land out of play. The only problem is you have an up sloping portion of woods and weeds left side and where are you going to go. With the par four being only (273 to 362) yards, can you hit the ball with a draw to an area you cannot fully see? I had no idea what to do and even seeing the score card, where are you going to hit the ball? What club are you going to use?

Yes, you just hit over the corner of the lake

Most golfers will have to play a fairway wood to mid-iron down the center of the fairway. The landing area way down the fairway left side is not really meant to play although you could hit it there. Your best bet is to hit your most reliable club from the fairway over the pond. The wind is whipping up and a huge sand bunker is guarding fat approach shots hit short. The green slopes and the number one handicapped hole on this side does not want to give up pars let alone birdies. Club up one or two if the wind is slightly swirling in your direction. Take everything out of play but your trampoline style putt and par is a great score. I had bogey as my approach landed in the thick stuff next to the sand. A truly great golf hole.

     Have you ever been to a concert and the artist belts out greatest hits one after another. That's what you get on this nine.

Really pretty unless you hit in the middle of it

   The second hole was just as spectacular as the first for different reasons. Like every hole on this side, each has water to contend with although a couple of holes its just window dressing. The second plays as a par five ranging from 455 to 605 yards. With water on both sides, sand conveniently located in landing areas, you will have your hands full. What I really liked was the double row of trees right side. The trees are planted in two rows that run along the beach and make for a beautiful site along the water. The other thing I liked about the design of this hole is the very wide fairway. Perhaps its just me but it seemed like nearly a double portion from every other hole on the course. Feel free to blast it as only a duck hook or a severely pulled shot will get you in real trouble. The hole does slightly dog leg right and as it does narrow up just a tad, Jim Dewling was smart to keep a really long hole wide. Few players will get to the green in two at 605 yards and I was just over 100 yards out starting at 581. There is nothing wrong with playing wedge to a high iron depending on how you hit them.

Its tricky around the green as well

Once again, the greens rolled slow but with the heavy rain, I am sure they play much faster on a hot humid day which we have not had many in 2013. My 20 -22' birdie putt sat just two inches left of the cup and the tap in par made me feel good and the eye candy of a beautiful lake with trees was awesome.

 While hole numbers 3-7 were all excellent, I will focus on the two finishing up this nine.

The par three sixth demands a tough iron shot

The seventh has a small landing area

I will admit that the seventh was not my favorite as the lake left side running along the hole with a skinny fairway and a lot of wind in my face got on my nerves but the eighth made up for it.

   Shooting through a chute cut 30-40' over a grassy knoll and Mystic Creek draining into the lake, this shot can be intimidating for most golfers. With the wind blowing in my face, I had no idea how far it was to carry Mystic Creek. On this hole its go through the chute, play the forward tees or make it on the fairway of this 195 to 371 yard experience. You notice I did say experience. One thing I really wish I had was something that told me the distance from the tee to the creek. With no app to look at, I just fired away and made it past the 150 marker and only a nine iron to take me home. Looking back at the chute, I really wonder how many golf balls and ripped up scorecards there are from golfers who couldn't make it to the forward tees at the bottom of the ravine in front of the creek.  From the fairway past the creek, looking at a grassy knoll right side, the lake running down the left and two sand bunkers in front, par is really a great score of this large green.

The ninth has a little room to drive but not much

Your view from your likely tee shot landing gives little clue

     The ninth is another spectacular hole and will take your eyesight a few minutes to figure out what to do on this finish on the Lakes nine. Playing as an uphill 400 to 522 yard par five, you will have to negotiate trees to the left with the lake acting as a magnet and to the right a wide landing area where golfers should try to aim.  You tee shot is actually driven downward before you climb your way uphill to the finish. A well struck shot will most likely leave you in good shape but you will still not be able to see the flag stick. The fairway is wide on number nine but the trouble is on both sides with a dividing jungle from the first hole left side and grass moguls right side. My tee shot went left into the rough and I had to fire over some of the junk and nailed my second into the moguls. I saw my ball kick back toward the fairway but that is the last I ever saw of my second shot. The grass was very long right side and while staying 90 degrees most of the day, I drove around and around and around and never found a ball that was in play. There was no way I was going to walk up and down the hills. I dropped in the rough and my approach was short and a two putt closed out my round. The dog leg left once again had the signature sand bunkers to either side of the green. This closing hole once again is a super test of golf.

The skinny...

In my opinion, if they could condense the 27 holes into a 18 hole greatest hits, this would be one of the top 10 courses of Michigan and certainly is a must-play destination in Southeastern Michigan.

The service, those I met were very friendly.

The golf- I think you figured out this is a super track. The variety of holes is excellent. The Meadows is the best to score on then Woods and then the Lakes.

Overall, the golf property is well taken care of. Plenty of workers have plenty to do after it rains and they do a very good job.

This course is now a municipal owned by the City of Dearborn and rivals Fieldstone as a tough test of golf.