tommyhaka
Well-known member
Sanctuary Lake.
Michigan hackers, check in here
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- #6,253
Played there quite a few times last year. We should meet up for a round sometime
My old stomping grounds. The area, that is. Now I'm over in the Inter-Lakes area.
tommyhaka
Well-known member
That would be good
What a difference yesterday to today, 30* , overcast, and flurries. Brrrr! This Monday or Tuesday are looking somewhat promising.
Question for anyone in the Grand Rapids area: looking into a future golf trip to the area. Definitely want to hit Pilgrim's Run. Anyone played Quail Ridge, Thornapple Pointe, Ravines, Diamond Springs? Would love to hear thoughts/rankings on those.
squats
Active member
Well, after waiting 2 full weeks for priority 2-day shipping to arrive, my new-to-me irons showed up. Not only did they show up, they came with a nice sticker from USPS saying they were sorry for destroying the packaging.... Came with half the box crushed and about a whole roll of packaging tape holding it all together. Luckily the clubs were fine, no bends or scratches so all is well I guess. But, after this, I don't think I'll be using USPS to ship anything.
jspangs
Well-known member
Well I live there and have played all those courses. Its hars to rank them. I live about 5 minutes from Thorneapple so I play that a lot. Its a forgiving course but can definitely eat be challenging. Quail Ridge is probably my least favorite, sucks considering i only live 10 minute away. There are some gimmicky holes and the pace is always horrendous there. The Ravines is an odd one for me because I can't figure it out. Its a decent layout and always in great shape, but I can never driver there, with all their forced carries. Diamond Springs is a great track, its off the beaten path though. Definitely a scoreable course, and probably some of the best greens in the area. I'd also look at the Meadows, it has hosted a couple NCAA championships there, and can be tough. And most certainly give Grand Haven Golf Club a look. That was one of my favorite courses and now Jack Nicklaus has come in and redesigned it and is reopening this year. Also I could get you out at Thousand Oaks, its part of my Country Club package. Its definitely one of the better courses in Grand Rapids.
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Ravines- You can never driver there, with all the forced carries?
Have you played the Mines?
tommyhaka
Well-known member
Mon/Tues looking pretty good!!!
jspangs
Well-known member
Never is a stretch. But for me. Its more target golf than west Michigan should be. And the Mines is fun but not open on Sundays.
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It was more of a question. Wouldn’t you need a driver for the forced carries? I thought what you said was a typo.
jspangs
Well-known member
Well the carries are more try to cover with driver or lay back with a 3wood or hybrid.
So 90% of those times im laying back.
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First my apologies for length @Pepetito. Shorter answer, you'll have a great time, I'm jealous.
I haven't had an opportunity to play Sage Run yet but the other 3 are top shelf golf courses. I usually get up there in late June or early July and then again in mid September. Courses up that way are in great condition whenever I'm up so August should be perfect for you!
All 3 are among the best courses I've ever played but Greywalls is my stand alone favorite. I listed it as my all time #2 in a recent THP thread asking for our personal top 5s. Several reasons I rank it so high. The elevated views, impeccable conditioning, and natural ruggedness are part of it. Also the course itself is very challenging. Almost impossible to draw a level lie or read breaks since it's almost mountainous. It's not exactly 'fair' though since good shots sometimes careen off exposed granite that you may not even see. Flip side is you might just hit the longest drive of your life too. But I love Greywalls most for how DeVries managed to design such a great golf course without impacting the rugged natural property it flows over. It's built upon 'the woods' basically just outside my childhood back door. We spent our youth playing out there; hunting, fishing, snowmobiling whatever and the first time I played Greywalls I was utterly blown away by how many rock structures, glades, marshes, even signature trees were still almost exactly as I remembered them from 50 years prior. At one point I I diverted off the course 50 yards just to see if DeVries had messed up the little brook. Heard the familiar gurgle of water cascading into a little pool I used to fish well before I got to the brook, and sure enough it was basically unchanged. Right down to the little wild brook trout flitting about. Also have a little rock I 'stole' during that first round in my yard here in Missouri. It's in remembrance of my little brother. Plucked it from the site of a story my sister in law asked me to share at his eulogy. (2 boys camping, getting dark and mamma bear and cubs like cooked trout too).
-Also play the old course too if you have the time. Nicely kept, much less expensive, a solid test. Shares clubhouse/range with GW.
Timberstone would be my second choice. It plays the toughest of the 3 courses (for me) mostly because of how the tall evergreens pinch in and punish someone who sprays it like I do. I think it slopes almost 140 even from the whites? Like GW also has a lot of elevation changes and some blind shots. I tend to putt TS greens a little better but it kills me in so many other ways. Friendly patrons and staff. Forces golfers to play every club and shot in their bags.
Sweetgrass is the cheapest of the 3 but can cost the most in golf balls. It has has by far the most water and sand traps of the 3 courses I've played to date. Not for aesthetics, those hazards are in play for sure. Of the 3 it plays almost like a Florida course though. Target golf, mostly every fairway lie is relatively flat etc ... Very few trees, it's the prominent traps and water that force your play tee to green. The greens are awesome though, especially the par 3s. There's an island green on the back, another green with the right side and left side raised but a deep swale cutting diagonally across between them. I had a sweet 4 putt double there first time playing it
Some greens slope front to back too and are tough to hold. Also #9 and #18 are very cool (and tough). Two par 5s that are like looking at each other in a mirror. They share a green and sit opposite each other with a lake between them. Water all down left on 9 and right on 18. As someone who plays right to left, 9 is diabolically hard. That green juts out into the lake and there's also a huge fairway bunker that swallows up any layups between about 75 and 125 yards short. Killer hole.Fun fact - Even though GWs, SG, and TS are a good distance from each other, we've played all 3 in a single day before. Summer days are long that far north and crossing into CST enroute to Timberstone helps blur perception of how tiring the day really was.
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Love thisFirst my apologies for length @Pepetito. Shorter answer, you'll have a great time, I'm jealous.
I haven't had an opportunity to play Sage Run yet but the other 3 are top shelf golf courses. I usually get up there in late June or early July and then again in mid September. Courses up that way are in great condition whenever I'm up so August should be perfect for you!
All 3 are among the best courses I've ever played but Greywalls is my stand alone favorite. I listed it as my all time #2 in a recent THP thread asking for our personal top 5s. Several reasons I rank it so high. The elevated views, impeccable conditioning, and natural ruggedness are part of it. Also the course itself is very challenging. Almost impossible to draw a level lie or read breaks since it's almost mountainous. It's not exactly 'fair' though since good shots sometimes careen off exposed granite that you may not even see. Flip side is you might just hit the longest drive of your life too. But I love Greywalls most for how DeVries managed to design such a great golf course without impacting the rugged natural property it flows over. It's built upon 'the woods' basically just outside my childhood back door. We spent our youth playing out there; hunting, fishing, snowmobiling whatever and the first time I played Greywalls I was utterly blown away by how many rock structures, glades, marshes, even signature trees were still almost exactly as I remembered them from 50 years prior. At one point I I diverted off the course 50 yards just to see if DeVries had messed up the little brook. Heard the familiar gurgle of water cascading into a little pool I used to fish well before I got to the brook, and sure enough it was basically unchanged. Right down to the little wild brook trout flitting about. Also have a little rock I 'stole' during that first round in my yard here in Missouri. It's in remembrance of my little brother. Plucked it from the site of a story my sister in law asked me to share at his eulogy. (2 boys camping, getting dark and mamma bear and cubs like cooked trout too).
-Also play the old course too if you have the time. Nicely kept, much less expensive, a solid test. Shares clubhouse/range with GW.
Timberstone would be my second choice. It plays the toughest of the 3 courses (for me) mostly because of how the tall evergreens pinch in and punish someone who sprays it like I do. I think it slopes almost 140 even from the whites? Like GW also has a lot of elevation changes and some blind shots. I tend to putt TS greens a little better but it kills me in so many other ways. Friendly patrons and staff. Forces golfers to play every club and shot in their bags.
Sweetgrass is the cheapest of the 3 but can cost the most in golf balls. It has has by far the most water and sand traps of the 3 courses I've played to date. Not for aesthetics, those hazards are in play for sure. Of the 3 it plays almost like a Florida course though. Target golf, mostly every fairway lie is relatively flat etc ... Very few trees, it's the prominent traps and water that force your play tee to green. The greens are awesome though, especially the par 3s. There's an island green on the back, another green with the right side and left side raised but a deep swale cutting diagonally across between them. I had a sweet 4 putt double there first time playing it
Fun fact - Even though GWs, SG, and TS are a good distance from each other, we've played all 3 in a single day before. Summer days are long that far north and crossing into CST enroute to Timberstone helps blur perception of how tiring the day really was.
tommyhaka
Well-known member
I got out for 18 at Sanctuary Lake today. Perfect day!!!
- Admin
- #6,268
How do you get tee times there? Its like the hardest spot in town to get a tee time
squats
Active member
Played Glenhurst on Sunday and that wind was brutal. Playing Fellows Creek this coming Saturday. Weather is looking like it'll be almost perfect.
tommyhaka
Well-known member
I made the reservation about 4 days in advance based on what the weather forecast was saying. It's a bit of a crapshoot due to ever-changing Michigan weather. As it turned out, it was a fantastic day. Sanctuary Lake fills up fast any time the weather is halfway decent, and 2-4 days prior is usually a good time to book.How do you get tee times there? Its like the hardest spot in town to get a tee time
Nice weather coming up!
jspangs
Well-known member
I will be back in town starting this weekend if anyone wants to golf.
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jspangs
Well-known member
Anyone joining GAM this year and looking to play in any of the tournaments?
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- Admin
- #6,273
I joined this year but haven’t looked at any tournaments.
jspangs
Well-known member
Nice I was kinda looking at the partner tourneys the scramble already has waitlist but there is a 4ball tourney I thought would be fun.
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Michigan Slice
This Guy Cant dance...
- Thread starter
- #6,275
Hi fellas!
Hopefully get some rounds in this year!
Hopefully get some rounds in this year!