Grand Rapids Golf Blog

Fix My Slice...

2006-04-15T15:51:00.000-04:00

...from the comfort of your chair. Let me know if you see anything screwy. I'll be forever in your debt (just figuratively, I hope).

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continued...

"Two-time Masters champion" has twice as good a ring to it as "Masters champion"

2006-04-15T15:37:00.000-04:00

Phil makes all us lefty golfers proud. He's inspired me to deck the next moron on the driving range who says to me, "Hey buddy, aren't you standing on the wrong side of the ball?"

(By the way, thanks to Mike Weir, Tiger is the only non-lefty to win the Masters in the last six years.)

Lefty Greats

2005-10-29T12:48:00.000-04:00

As a lefty golfer, I join the greats (in address, if not in ball-striking ability...)

--

Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Lefty Grove

Thornapple Summary

2005-10-29T12:17:00.000-04:00

I've never played so fast in my life. I badly rushed some shots but also found that I was better able to fall into a rhythm and not overthink my shots. Still, my ball-striking was bad; I was overcompensating for my lack of power and generally leaving shots short and left. Next season I should take lessons. But some lucky putting and a sharp pitching wedge kept my score south of 95.

Score: 46-46=92; Putts: 13-16=29; Woods D; Long irons D+; Short game B+; Putting A-

I-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18

Thornapple 18

2005-10-29T12:13:00.000-04:00

18
Par 4, 317 yards, dogleg right

I'm annoyed by the roar of a train behind me, an eerie thunder on the lonely and darkening course.

I'm in the twilight of the day, and of my golfing season.

The tee is set snugly amid the trees and leaves little landing room up ahead.

In likely my last drive of the year, and I end on a fitting note, slicing it to the adjacent fairway. I take 7-wood from there and think I've planted it on the green, though it's too dark to tell. I'm left with a 32-footer with an ambiguous break. I start it right and leave it pin high, but 3 feet right. I sink it for my first par of the day, on the last hole of the year.

The clock strikes seven; my midnight.

Thornapple 17

2005-10-29T12:11:00.000-04:00

17
Par 4, 364 yards

A gnarly hazard lies just out of reach off the tee. My limbs are freezing up, though I notice that my half- to three-quarter-turn is improving my ball flight. I'm losing distance, but my scarf keeps my head still and my restricted swing seems to be preventing problems.

Except for this shot; my driver slices badly but leaves me a good lie in the rough. I think I strike my 3-wood well from there but barely clear the hazard. My 9-iron flies long and leaves me a 40-footer over a big downhill break. I blast the putt way long and have 26 feet coming back. I line it up and watch it fall. 5.

Thornapple 16

2005-10-29T12:10:00.001-04:00

16
Par 5, 474 yards

This one's a near carbon copy of 7, A nasty hazard to clear. I'm starting to lose the sun and my bones are getting colder.

I start my 3-wood low and right. I have to force my 7-wood left to avoid a tree out of the rough, and watch it bounce off the cart path to the left and rebound straight up off a tree before settling just to the left of the path. Could've been major trouble in the woods. I get another lucky bounce as my second 7-wood gets a hard kick from the left rough nearly to the fairway within paces of the green. But my pitching wedge goes long, and it takes me a sand wedge and a putt to get home. 6.

Thornapple 15

2005-10-29T12:10:00.000-04:00

15
Par 4, 128 yards

A carbon copy of the par-3 6th, running parallel to it.

My 7-iron flies shy, and my sand wedge leaves the rough to the right. I two-putt from 25 feet. 4.

Thornapple 14

2005-10-29T12:09:00.000-04:00

14
Par 4, 367 yards

The tee lies over a vintage wooden bridge and leads to another scenic setting by river, still soured by the noise of nearby traffic.

I send a 7-wood safely over the hazard but not much farther. I hit a 3-wood with a restricted swing and watch it fly straight and right at the green. I pitch it to the right edge, from which it's puttable, though it takes 2 to get home. 5.

Thornapple 13

2005-10-29T12:07:00.000-04:00

13
Par 5, 478 yards

Easily the signature hole of Thornapple, a mighty par 5 hugging the gorgeous river against a vast backdrop of trees, which today are aflame and breathtaking. All that mars this spot is the roar of the highway, and my poor play.

I play 5-wood to keep the water out of play but strike it short. I top my next 5-wood and then send another one straight ahead. My 8-iron is swatted down off the front edge, leaving me a sand wedge, which comes up short, leaving me a two-putt. 7.

Thornapple 12

2005-10-29T12:05:00.000-04:00

12
Par 3, 134 yards

Highway noise becomes a factor now, especially with the new ramps to M-6. A thin veneer of trees isn't enough to keep the whoosh of traffic from becoming a distraction in this otherwise scenic, folial corner of the course.

My 8-iron is, what else, short and left, though it holds back from the bunker. I pitch too strong and two-putt from 28 feet coming back for a bogey 4.

Thornapple 11

2005-10-29T12:04:00.001-04:00

11
Par 4, 355 yards

The computerized cart informs me this is the widest fairway on the course, and exhorts, "let it fly!"

So I do and slice it halfway to the airport, off the cart path and into the way-left rough. I then shank my 5-wood out of the left rough and hit a thick 6-iron to within pitching range. I plant a perfect pitching wedge on the front and bounce it to within two feet. 5.

Thornapple 10

2005-10-29T12:04:00.000-04:00

10
Par 4, 305 yards, slight dogleg right

I debate whether to call it an afternoon; it's after 5:30 and it's freezing. I decide that it's sunny enough, and late enough in the year to be my last chance, so I should to finish. I put on my scarf, feel the cold steel of my shafts as I pull out my driver, and race the setting sun to the horizon.

The same hazard as on 9 threatens on 10, though out of reach of the drive and closer to the hole.

Another high drive; I'll start teeing lower. I lay up with a solid 5-iron and then skull my 8 over the green and to the left fringe. My ugly 8-iron chip goes long and I two-putt back for a shaky 6.

Thornapple 9

2005-10-29T12:00:00.000-04:00

9
Par 4, 293 yards

The hazard cutting across the fairway gives you pause from the tee.

I launch another fly ball with my driver and come up short with the 8-iron (I keep coming up short with the 8; wish I had more faith in my 7). I pitch over the green but bump a nice sand wedge to within 7 and sink it. 5.

Thornapple 8

2005-10-29T11:59:00.000-04:00

8
Par 3, 150 yards

A deer meets me at the 8th tee, then gracefully bounds into the woods.

I come up short with my 8-iron and then watch the front edge repel my pitching wedge and roll the ball down the hill, half a dozen paces off the green. I pitch to within 4 feet and sink the putt. 4.

Thornapple 7

2005-10-29T11:58:00.001-04:00

7
Par 5, 456 yards, slight dogleg left

Amean tee shot over a thorny hazard, and a stingy landing area. Can't leave it short, but not much place to miss it left or right.

I play 4-iron off the tee but, strangely, send it up and right, moving almost perpendicular to the hole. (I never hit a hook, but I guess variety's nice.) I power 3-wood back to the fairway and then plunk my 7-wood in the sand. My sand wedge flies the green, so it's another sand wedge coming back. I'm left with a 14-footer with one foot of break. Somehow, the ball falls. 6.

Thornapple 6

2005-10-29T11:58:00.000-04:00

6
Par 3, 153 yards

A no-frills par 3 just off the "Halfway House&Restroom"--a scenic location at the bend of the river.

I leave my 9-iron short--I'm hitting all my irons short and left today, which is supposed to tell me something about my swing. I put a good pitching wedge withing 14 feet, and two-putt over a steep break for a bogey 4.

Thornapple 5

2005-10-29T11:57:00.000-04:00

5
Par 5, 517 yards, dogleg right

The grandddaddy of the course, this hole plays over 600 yards from the blue tees. It angles right, around the river, forcing you to think about angle and accuracy as well as power. The course's toughest test.

I start my 3-wood low, short, and right, and, with water between me and the hole, am content to play 4-iron from there, which I chunk. I poke a good 3-wood towards the hole and reach the green with a 9-iron. I two-putt from 30 feet for a bogey 6.

Thornapple 4

2005-10-29T11:56:00.002-04:00

4
Par 4, 335 yards

The ample Thornapple River becomes visible as you round the bend to the 4th tee--one of the most scenic corners of the course.

I power my driver straight up into the air -- I thought teeing high would help my contact, but this is a fly ball. Then I top my 5-wood and leave an 8-iron on the front edge. That leaves me a testy 50-plus-footer. I slam it at the hole and fear it will run over the green, but then the ball bonks the pin and sits 5 feet to the right. 5.

Thornapple 3

2005-10-29T11:56:00.001-04:00

3
Par 4, 367 yards

After another sliced driver and solid recovery with the 7-wood, the front edge repels my pitch and rolls it right, just off the green. It's still puttable, though, and I two-putt for a 5.

Thornapple 2

2005-10-29T11:55:00.000-04:00

2
Par 4, 359 yards, dogleg right

I know I have to keep my drive right, so I start it right, but so low that it catches the fairway bunker. I dig out of there with a 5-iron and then leave a 7-iron short. I pitch to within 12 feet and sink the putt over a 6-inch break to the right. 5.

Thornapple 1

2005-10-29T11:54:00.000-04:00

1
Par 4, 387 yards, slight dogleg right

You have to keep the drive right to have a good look at the pin on this slight dogleg.

I bend my driver well left but recover from the rough with a solid 7-wood. I chunk my pitching wedge, skull my sand wedge, and push my 18-foot putt 6 feet past. But I sink the putt coming back to salvage a double-bogey on a shaky start. 6.

Thornapple Intro

2005-10-29T11:51:00.000-04:00

Thornapple Pointe
4747 Champions Circle SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49512
18 holes
www.thornapplepointe.com
GolfCourse.com Review

The temperature was barely 50, the forecast called for rain, and the afternoon was fading fast. Could I squeeze in one more round of golf this chilly fall? The suspense may not be killing you, but it was killing me as I shivered on the first tee.

It was my first visit to Thornapple Pointe, which I’d heard so much about and built up in my mind as a dream course. Perhaps it couldn't have lived up to its idyllic billing--especially not today--but overall, I was slightly underwhelmed. For all the scenic value the club gets from its location on the Thornapple River, it suffers from being in the airport's backyard and having jumbo jets interrupt players' backswings. From holes 11 through 14, the highway is in play--or its noise is, anyway, as serenity succumbs to din. When I teed up at 18, a train blasted its way behind me. (The track requires a tunnel between the two portions of the course, and the course layout annoyingly requires four passages through it.)

Distractions aside, the course is still one of the best in the area, and fall is one of the best times to play it, as the leaves light up and change their clothes, providing a picturesque backdrop. As for the course itself, the greens are challenging but the fairways are much more forgiving than I expected--there are good places to miss on most of the holes. The puzzling thing for me was how the course favors dogleg rights--a challenge for me as a lefty slicer, but seemingly a concession to righties.

For the first time ever, since it was a fall special, I played with a computerized cart, which automatically reported yardages. I hated to miss walking, but the computer helped, and it was the only way I was going to try to get in 18.

I played the gold, or forward, tees on 10/25.

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18-S

Mines 18

2005-10-25T21:28:00.000-04:00

18
Par 4, 380 yards

The forward tees allow leave the ridge reachable for me--below the ridge and you have a nasty blind second shot. I slice my drive and it curls right onto the top of the ridge. I blast my 7-wood a few paces shy, and leave my sand wedge over 35 feet short. I lag well to within two feet and finish with a 5.

Score: 42-45=89; Putts: 17-19=36; Woods C+; Long irons C-; Short game B-; Putting B

I-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18

Mines 17

2005-10-25T21:27:00.000-04:00

17
Par 5, 457 yards

The hole is straight as an arrow, but undulating inclines toward the uphill hole make the approach interesting.

I top my driver short and right, then blast a 3-wood ahead. I'm left sitting behind a tree that blocks the green, so I flush a 5-iron to the left. I play pitching wedge perfectly from there that leaves me an 8-footer I can't sink. 6.

Mines 16

2005-10-25T21:26:00.000-04:00

16
Par 4, 388 yards

I want to keep my drive right with an uphill dogleg right to play, but I pound my driver into the mound 100 yards out. I flush a 4-wood from there that goes left of the fairway; I fear it's in the unplayable rough just left of the hole. But it stays playable and has even cleared one of the steepest valleys on the course--you could bury a body in this one (I'm just sayin'.) I play a 9-iron onto the green but have a hump of an incline to cross. I three-putt for a 6.

Mines 15

2005-10-25T21:24:00.000-04:00

15
Par 3, 100 yards

I play a 9-iron, desperate to clear the front bunker, and watch the ball land on the lip and bounce high, then back into the bunker. After shoveling some practice shots nowhere, I splash the sand shot to within two and a half feet to save par. 3.

Mines 14

2005-10-25T21:22:00.000-04:00

14
Par 4, 362 yards

A mean, severely sloped fairway from right to left demands a long carry, which stymies me from the tee even though the shape of the hole plays to my slice.

But I slice my 3-wood so badly I end up in the 13th fairway, and face an uphill punch through two trees. I play a half a 4-iron well and roll it back up onto the correct fairway, 50 yards short. With the pin placement on the left of the green, on the top tier of an undulating green, I have no place to put the approach except the back left corner, where I land the ball but can't stop it. That leaves me a sand wedge back onto the green that I lose off the ridge, though I nearly hole the 18-footer coming back. After a two-foot break from left to right, I leave it one thumbnail short. My first double bogey, 6.

Mines 13

2005-10-25T21:21:00.000-04:00

13
Par 4, 394 yards

This hole is also too close to real estate; I wouldn't let any kids play in those backyards off the tee boxes. The white tees give the player a shot at clearing the sharp turn and imposing fairway bunkers.

I slice my 5-wood and land it in a chewed-up patchy stretch of the fairway that hasn't grown in yet. I take relief from a patch of dirt and play a solid 7-wood just short of the green. The green is three-tiered sloping from the back, but without any other curvature than the tiers. I chip up with an 8-iron, landing on the second tier and rolling it up to the third, where the hole is. For some reason it rolls to the left. I push the six footer badly to the left. 5.

Mines 12

2005-10-25T21:20:00.000-04:00

12
Par 4, 289 yards

The 12th tee is up a steep hill; this course will really work your calves. This hole also interrupts the feeling of seclusion; it's next to the highway, although the trees are thick enough that cars can only be heard, not seen. Houses lie beyond the green and their backyards butt up against the rough. The rolling terrain leaves the green only partially visible on the approach.

I whack a worm-burner that rolls a decent distance, leaving me only a soft 6-iron. I catch it left and slightly long, leaving me a chip from just off the green. I think my sand wedge is short, but it releases and rolls 7 feet past. I lip the putt. 5.

Mines 11

2005-10-25T21:19:00.000-04:00

11
Par 3, 97 yards

The dual tee setup is confusing, and the white tees are too short. Otherwise, this is an impressive par three squeezed in but successfully secluded from neighboring holes. The ridge in the green is brutal, and the front bunker is intimidating. With the pin cut in the front today, there is no good place to put the ball.

I launch a 9-iron and am glad to clear the front bunker, but my heart sinks as I watch a ridge in the green kick the ball straight left, away from the cup. I'm left with a 40-footer over a ridge with over 5 feet of break to the right. I three-putt for a 4.

Mines 10

2005-10-25T21:17:00.000-04:00

10
Par 4, 309 yards

A blind tee shot up a hill gives a preview of the severe slopes that lie ahead on the back nine.

I slice a driver short but on the fairway. I blast a 6-iron from there, but it's way left. I pitch on and am relieved to watch it release over a ridge to within 9 feet. I play the break left well but leave it 8 inches short. 5.

Autumn Golf

2005-10-01T16:03:00.000-04:00

This is my favorite season, even though it foreshadows my least favorite season. In the mid-1990s, I wrote this essay about a round of golf in autumn and submitted it to a high school writing contest, where it won a prize for descriptive writing. With some modifications to make it (slightly) less cheesy, here it is:

--
When I teed up last fall for the first time on a weekday afternoon, I expected it to be a depressing experience. After all, golf in the fall signals an ending, a winding down, the last journeys down the rolling fairways before they succumb to the giant white blankets for a few silent months. The golf clubs would soon go into hibernation, submitting to the supreme power of the snowflake.

But on that mild fall day I was pleasantly surprised as I made my way through nine golf holes tucked in the woods, bisected by a stream plodding along one of its final voyages of the year. It was hardly a dreary afternoon, the anticlimactic prelude I had expected to the inevitable winter snows. I realized the difference as I stepped up to the first tee and launched a tiny white globe toward the distant flag, feeling the usual disappointment as it plunged back to the comforts of earth well before reaching its destination. But disappointment would not remain as I glanced to the woods watching me from either side, realizing I was a tiny player in a vast natural arena. The spectators had changed since they last saw me. Their mantle of green had given way to an array of reds, oranges, and yellows, as if the sun itself had been tipped on its side, spilling its fiery contents onto the trees below.

Not all of the recipients remained. Some had wearily floated to the ground, comprising a lush carpet. As I watched, more of them danced down to the ground, their duty this year nearly complete; they patiently awaited winter retirement. The sun listlessly distributed some of its final handouts of the year before it, too, would disappear for the winter, and the branches below eagerly reached up to accept its waning rays.

My thoughts turned back to the tiny white ball that caused my presence here in the first place. It rested comfortably off to the side, among the bordering trees, itself seeming to appreciate the winter preparations and probably disappointed to be scooped away again. I too was sorry to have disturbed the autumn rituals unfolding beside me, and tried all the harder to avoid the neighboring trees while concentrating on another spire in front of me, the one without leaves, the flag planted in the center of a clean patch of emerald, beckoning my golf ball to fly its way.

And so I continued, winding through the vast expanses of well-trampled grass between the quiet woods on either side of me. It was so different now. Over the past few months I, accompanied by the summer heat and a few friends, had traversed these familiar paths many times, but now I may as well have been a pioneer in a virgin forest, as I witnessed the dressings of fire among the trees. My usual companions had left, returned to the familiar activities from which the summer had been an enticing escape, the familiar routines that would soon snatch me away, too, from this serene setting.

So I relished being a part of it, as I examined the shades of fire among the leaves, until I realized I was not actually a part of it. I was an outsider, unable to disguise myself as the surrounding scene was doing. I was rejected, silently commanded by the falling leaves to put away my toys now, return to that from which this was an escape, to come again next year to see what it had in store, when a new annual routine would play out in these familiar woods.

I surprised myself by enjoying that afternoon. I did feel some of the emptiness that foreshadowed the winter to come, the loneliness of a natural setting preparing for winter, undressing and laying itself down for a snowy slumber. But I learned that golf in the fall was still enriching, a necessary final stage of an annual cycle that included more than just the spring and summer. I pondered this as I exited the autumn stage that day. Soon the cold winds and showers of white would forget the fiery leaves and green grass, burying it all indiscriminately.

I peered out my window often this winter. I missed my routine trips to the golf course, but was reminded and edified by my autumn endeavor that winter, too, was just a season. Soon it also would give way to a successor, as spring rains would dissolve the white blankets. Soon the journey would begin again toward autumn.

Theology and Golf?

2005-10-01T15:56:00.000-04:00

I love theology as much as the next Calvinist, but is this a bit much?

In golf, you begin with a goal on the horizon, toward which you travel. And then when that trek ends, with the ball resting safely in the hole, you walks to the next tee to commence another journey. This is history with a telos, an eschatological goal.

Read for yourself:

Breaking 80
Mark Galli
Books&Culture, Sept/Oct 2005

The top-selling golf books on Amazon.com aim to help you play the game better, from The Plane Truth for Golfers (about the plane of the golf swing) to Tiger Woods' How I Play Golf. The only non-instructional book in the top ten features Phil Mickelson's ruminations on who and what helped him win the 2004 Masters. Keep scrolling down and you'll find the occasional biography or history among the 6,700 books listed, but you'll be overwhelmed with instructional books.

It isn't until you get to 107th place that you run into Deepak Chopra's Golf for Enlightenment, a book that aims to teach seven lessons of "the game of life." And then come thousands more books about shaving strokes from your score.

It appears that golfers don't give a rip whether golf can teach them something about life. They just want to consistently drive the middle of the fairway, hit the green in regulation, get out of sand traps in decent shape, and sink those birdie putts. And they're willing to spend money on books that help them do that.

Christian publishers publish books to help people think about all of life from a godly perspective. Since golf is considered at best a mere diversion, and at worst a game that tempts one to use the Lord's name vainly, Christian publishers usually don't show much interest in golf.

Unless the book can help readers think better or live better for Godâ€”thus three of the books reviewed here. The Chopra book does the same thing, but from a pop-Eastern religion-cum-Western-psychology perspective. The target audience for such books, presumably, is golfers who want to be better people.

But as I noted, golfers don't want to be better people. They want to be better golfers....

Indeed, golf is a sport rich in Judeo-Christian meaning, but books that express that meaning most simply and artfully are being written in the thousands already.

The Theology of Golf
By rich in Judeo-Christian meaning, I don't necessarily mean rich in theological allusions—although golf has plenty of that. For example, it seems patently clear that golf is a living apologetic for hard-core Calvinism.

You hit a near-perfect iron to the green, so accurate it strikes the flag stick—and then ricochets off and ends up in a sand trap. So much for your perfect iron. On the next hole, you wickedly slice a drive into a thick cluster of trees, hear a frightening thud—and see your ball magically bounce out into the middle of the fairway. This sort of thing happens in every round. There is no sense shaking one's fist heavenward or cursing the ways of this inscrutable god. If one wants to get on in the life of golf, the best posture is to humbly accept this god's complete sovereignty and prepare for the next shot.

In this regard, golf is Protestantism on steroids. It is a purely individual sport. In team sports, the weight of salvation is shifted constantly, from pitcher to shortstop to batter, or from quarterback to lineman to linebacker. No one player has the burden for more than part of the game, and every teammate is there to bring encouragement one to another. In golf, the burden rests squarely on the shoulders of the golfer for every shot, from start to finish.

Since after every shot, golfers have between three and four minutes to reflect on that shot, we tend to become as introspective as the most anxious Puritan. And what we're introspective about is our sinfulness—that is, how we've missed the mark once again—and what we can do to correct our wayward swing. The system of scoring in golf reinforces all this. It is the only system in which there is a direct correlation between the player's sinfulness and his score: the less one misses the mark, the lower one's score.
Transform Your Game

Transform Your Game:
Nine Fundamentals of Golf
That Will Change Your Life
by Roger and Becky Tirabassi,
with Rick Hunter
Howard Publishing, 2004
96 pp., $13.99

Golf can also be mined for how it plays into Christian mythology. It is the only major sport played in a garden—though many golfers spend more time in the wilderness. Even at average courses one is often impressed with the splendid aesthetic balance of grass, trees, flowers, and sand, and the way the eye is drawn down the green, curving fairway. If Wrigley Field is beautiful in its own way, for its pleasing symmetry, Pebble Beach is positively Edenic in its splendor.

In addition, the structure of the game harkens more to salvation history than do other sports. Baseball in this respect is more like a Greek tragedy. You play an inning, run around the bases, and the next inning you find yourself back at home plate, where you start all over again—that's history as a circle. In golf, you begin with a goal on the horizon, toward which you travel. And then when that trek ends, with the ball resting safely in the hole, you walks to the next tee to commence another journey. This is history with a telos, an eschatological goal.

Still, as intellectually entertaining as such theological ruminations are, they fail to get at the heart of what makes golf a deeply spiritual activity. To do that, we need to talk about the nature of play. ...

Mines 9

2005-10-01T15:54:00.000-04:00

9
Par 4, 364 yards (blue)

Plenty of landing room--though as I play the hole now there are players facing me at the 5th tee, so I want to keep it straight. Yet another elevated green, calling for height on the approach.

My driver is straight but high again, and I skull my 7-iron off a ridge 50 yards up, 50 yards short. I dial in another pitching wedge, placing it perfectly on the front edge, right in front of a mean pin placement less than 6 feet from the front. I swear I've holed it, and my first glance at the cup shows the ball is nowhere around it. Unfortunately, it released to end up 15 feet past. Uphill. I don't get it. I two putt to finish with a bogey 5.

Out: 44

Mines 8

2005-10-01T15:53:00.000-04:00

8
Par 3, 156 yards

I can't remember ever having played two par 3's in a row before, not even at the par-3-happy Fellowship Greens. I wonder if the designers ran out of room. But as the course website points out, although these two par 3's are similar in distance they are very distinct in look and feel. This elevated tee shot crosses a sandy, brushy no-man's-land almost evoking a desert course out west. The green is nestled next to a dune with more gnarly trees with no recovery zone. The course yardage guide notes that this was the location of a sand pit for the old mines. It shows, and it's used well.

I catch a crystal clear 6-iron and think I've gone too far, but it lands on the green. Only when I get to the green do I realize that not only have I not flown the green, I've actually left it over 30 feet short and will have to cross a testy ridge. The green is deceptively broad, maybe 80 feet from front to back and not much narrower. I three-putt from 30 and have another bogey 4.

Mines 7

2005-10-01T15:52:00.001-04:00

7
Par 3, 131 yards (blue)

A sensuously shaped par 3 with no distance but much intrigue, with a sloping green, a long lateral bunker, and a massive dropoff from the elevated tees.

The blue and black tees are elevated a few stories above the green, so I launch from there, rather than the lame white and red teeboxes level with the green and shallow. But my 8-iron goes left into thick woods (must be moving my head again). I play a Phil Mickelson flop shot from 30 yards off some soft pine needles, and land it within 15 feet. From there I two-putt for a bogey 4.

Mines 6

2005-10-01T15:52:00.000-04:00

6
Par 4, 272yards

Another shallow but tricky par 4, with thick woods to the left and a severely sloping green and yawning greenside bunker.

I shank my 7-wood (so much for it being my new lucky club, as I'd hoped at Kaufman), and blast a 6-iron out of the rough just short of the bunker. I launch a pitching wedge onto the green and think I've placed it well, but it turns out to have rolled to the back fringe. My 14-footer breaks left right for the cup but just misses off the right edge. 5.

Mines 5

2005-10-01T15:51:00.000-04:00

5
Par 5, 477 yards

The granddaddy of the front nine, this straight-but-forever par 5 has a road to the right but a driving-range-width fairway, sharing it with the 9th. I wonder about placing tees facing each other on 5 and 9, since a player on an adjacent fairway seems to be at risk, but on this quiet day it's not an issue.

I pull out a driver and send it straight but high (better than left and longer), and have 300-plus yards left. I slam my 3-wood straight but then lose my 6-iron approach short and right. My sand wedge only gets me within 14 feet, and I two-putt for a bogey 6.

Mines 4

2005-10-01T15:50:00.001-04:00

4
Par 4, 227 yards

This hole doesn't have distance, but it doesn't allow easy approaches that miss the green, either. The fairway slopes down from the green and there are no good approach angles except from the fairway.

I elect to go with my new 7-wood but shank it and leave it 50 yards short. From there I launch a pitching wedge to the elevated green and think I've placed it well, only to discover that the ball has released some 30 feet past the hole. I'm lucky to get it home in two for another par 4.

Mines 3

2005-10-01T15:50:00.000-04:00

3
Par 4, 350 yards

Just a few holes in and the terrain has you thinking twice about where to put your shots. After two uphill tee shots, this one is downhill, followed by an approach to an elevated green.

With an unforgiving left side of the fairway, I take out a 4-iron but catch it weak and left. My next play is 5-wood, but that's also short and left--I must be turning my head on contact. But I salvage a pitching wedge, placing it on the front edge of the elevated green. I line up the 18-footer and play 6 inches of break. My biggest concern is getting it there. I strike it and watch it curl toward the cup and drop. 4.

Mines 2

2005-10-01T15:49:00.000-04:00

2
Par 4, 383 yards

A scenic hole beautifully framed by woods and accented by sand traps. Another uphill tee shot, this one with fairway bunkers waiting on the left.

I leave a thin 5-wood short of the bunkers, then catch a 7-wood short and left. But I dial in a pitching wedge from 30 yards that lands 4 feet from the cup. I play 3 inches of break but hit it with too much speed, and slide the par putt an inch to the right. 5.

Mines 1

2005-10-01T15:47:00.000-04:00

1
Par 4, 313 yards

The first green lies over a slight hill (almost a dogleg right), with a fairway that slopes from woods on the left back to the fairway.

If I can keep my lefty slice at the top of that hill, I can play a decent approach. But I wrap my driver just shy of the woods on the top of the slope. I take out my new 7-wood and leave it a few paces shy of the green, then two putt from 11 feet for an opening bogey 5.

Mines Intro

2005-10-01T15:43:00.000-04:00

The Mines
330 Covell Ave SW
Grand Rapids, MI 49544
www.theminesgolfcourse.com

This property was proposed as a site for John Ball Zoo expansion, and this land could have served the zoo well. But at least the second-best thing to do with this site is make it a golf course. Its gyrating landforms, seclusion so close to the city, assembly of trees, and vast acreage make it ideal to be blanketed in green and patrolled by golf carts. I played it just over a month after it opened, on a quiet Monday afternoon, after early morning cloudy gloominess gave way to pristine autumn sunshine. The first green was littered with fallen leaves--seasonal decorations that make this season my favorite to play golf.

Because of my unfamiliarity with the course and my jittery long game of late, I play the white tees--mostly. 9/26

From the Pines to the Mines

2005-09-27T10:31:00.000-04:00

Just played the front nine of The Mines yesterday, on my birthday, and was wowed--this is the most scenic area course this side of Thornapple. Extraordinary terrain for a course this close to the city. Perfect fall day for it, too. Report coming soon.

Pines Summary

2005-09-17T12:14:00.000-04:00

After a miserable first 6 holes, I started actually making consistent contact. The short length of the course and some very lucky putting kept my score low as I made the turn. A sharper short game would have knocked another 3 strokes off. I'm relieved to shoot an 89 after a 104 at Kaufman last time out, though I wonder how much yardage has to do with it; the Pines is some 800 yards shorter than the white tees at Kaufman, and my yards-per-stroke is identical: 61 at Kaufman, 62 at the Pines.

Score: 44-45=89; Putts: 16-18=34; Woods D/B-; Long irons C-; Short game C; Putting C-/B

I-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18

Pines 18

2005-09-17T12:13:00.000-04:00

18
Par 5, 501 yards

After a back nine with three par-3's, the finishing hole has some distance. The tee shot is blind but the landing area is generous. Bunkers surround a stubborn humpbacked green.

I try my 4-wood--a vintage Bob Charles wooden club--off the tee and place it well, though short of the bend, leaving me a blind second shot. My 3-wood wraps around the trees and finds the left rough, from which I leave an 8-iron just short. I loft my sand wedge onto the ridge of the humpback on the green, some 7 feet from the hole, and wheel my pullcart towards the path leading back to the clubhouse. I turn around and am horrified to see that my ball did not, after all, stay on the ridge; it's rolling down to the front fringe. I'm lucky to two-putt from there for a bogey 6. In in 45.

Pines 17

2005-09-17T12:11:00.002-04:00

17
Par 4, 260 yards, sharp dogleg right uphill

I never know what to do off the tee on this hole. The water isn't a factor, but the landing area lies well uphill, and a tree is smack dab where I want to place it.

I take 5-iron this time and send it right for that tree, which kicks it left and gives me a testy approach. I take a half-9-iron under the branches and land 10 yards short. I two-putt for a bogey 5.

Pines 16

2005-09-17T12:11:00.001-04:00

16
Par 4, 308 yards, slight dogleg left

Another narrow fairway with punishing trees. The green is elevated and undulating, and the day I played, the pin placement was front edge.

I shank my 3-iron and then land a 7-iron at the foot of the elevated green. My sand wedge carries me only to the front fringe, from which I two-putt. A sharper sand wedge today would save me some strokes. 5.

Pines 15

2005-09-17T12:11:00.000-04:00

15
Par 4, 360 yards, dogleg left

A tee shot through a chute in the trees opens up to plenty of landing area.

My 3-wood lands behind a tree in the left rough, where I punch out with a 6-iron to within 10 yards of the green. I can't get my sand wedge closer than 20 feet, and I three-putt from there for a 6.

Pines 14

2005-09-17T12:10:00.001-04:00

14
Par 3, 162 yards

An elevated tee overlooks a green that sits angled slightly to the left and slopes downward from behind, allowing you to either plant it on the back of the green and roll it down, or leave it short for an uphill putt.

My mid-irons are flying short today, and sure enough, my 5-iron misses short. I flub my sand wedge and have a 12-footer. My dumb putting luck continues as the putt rolls right to the cup, but it stops on the lip, without a blade of grass between it and the rim. Another par-3 bogey, 4.

Pines 13

2005-09-17T12:10:00.000-04:00

13
Par 4, 361 yards

A short, straight, but narrow hole that reminds me a lot of 7th hole at Fellowship Greens. No room for shot shape off the tee.

I manage to keep my 3-wood in play in the left rough, come up short on the 9-iron, and two-putt for a 5.

Pines 12

2005-09-17T12:05:00.000-04:00

12
Par 3, 159 yards, uphill

This is the only series of two short par 3's I recall ever playing on a course. You wonder if the better layout move would have been to combine 11 and 12 into a testy uphill par 4, and squeeze in a par 3 somewhere else. Still, the uphill slope is severe, making this no cupcake.

I land a 5-iron even with the green but left, and blow my 6-foot par putt to make another 4.

Pines 11

2005-09-17T12:04:00.000-04:00

11
Par 3, 147 yards

This is where the back nine starts to get secluded and scenic. This hole goes over water on the right that isn't really in play if you strike it cleanly. The only problem is the motors of the two fountains in the pond are making some distracting noise. The hole is fairly short but this is the most precise landing area on the course--trees infringing on the left and water and other trouble right.

I place a thin 6-iron short and left, luckily away from the trees. My sand wedge leaves me 15 feet, and I nearly hole the this putt too. 4.

Pines 10

2005-09-17T12:01:00.000-04:00

10
Par 5, 460 yards, dogleg right

After a hole that was set up well for my lefty slice, here's one that isn't.

I land a 3-iron in the fairway but shallow, leaving me a blind approach around the trees at the bend of the fairway. I take 3-wood and then 8-iron and chip on with a sand wedge to set up an 18-foot uphill par putt with a slight leftward break. My putting has been nearly clueless all day so I strike it solid and hope. It bends toward the hole but is veering left. About one foot from the cup it hits a spike mark that diverts it straight into the hole. My fortunes have turned 180 degrees. Three straight pars; another 5.

Pines 9

2005-09-17T12:00:00.000-04:00

9
Par 5, 442 yards, dogleg left

For some reason I've always played this hole well--and not just because its layout is ideal for my slice. I do wonder what slicing righties do here. The fairway bends sharply left at less than 200 yards.

My 3-wood is clean and the slice places it well. Another 3-wood leaves me just short and left, but I pitch on and two-putt from 8 feet for my second straight par, 5.

After a shaky -- and shanky -- start I'm starting to play faster and get in a rhythm. I'm out in 44.

Pines 8

2005-09-17T11:58:00.000-04:00

8
Par 3, 135 yards

A piece of cake par 3, even with bunkers along the front and no place to go in back of the green.

My 8-iron is just off the front fringe, and I chip with another 8-iron to set up a makeable par putt for my 3.

Pines 7

2005-09-17T11:57:00.000-04:00

7
Par 4, 288 yards, slight dogleg left

Another blind tee shot, with the green obscured this time by trees. It's so short that you'll kick yourself (as I often do) for not reaching in two.

I send my tee shot to the trees, where I get a good kick back out to the rough. I plow an 8-iron from there to within a couple paces of the green. But I can't get my sand wedge closer than 10 feet, and another two-putt gives me a bogey 5.

Pines 6

2005-09-17T11:55:00.000-04:00

6
Par 4, 302 yards, dogleg left, blind tee shot

This blind tee shot goes uphill to a narrow landing area. Once you're there, a broad greenside bunker gives you something to think about on the approach.

The hole is shaped well for my slice but I land it on the 10th fairway. My blind approach with a 9-iron is short, and then my sand wedge rolls back to the front fringe. I two-putt for a 5.

Pines 5

2005-09-17T11:54:00.000-04:00

5
Par 4, 341 yards

Another sign warning golfers of their liability for poor play; this hole stretches along the backyards of several houses. I hear children playing and for a second worry I'll injure them; though the houses along the landing area are guarded well by trees. The proximity undermines a sense of seclusion, which won't set in until the back nine.

I play iron but still manage to slice it under those house-guarding trees. I blast an 8-iron even with the green, but this green is a humpback and there's no good place to put it. I chip on and two-putt from 12 feet for a 5.

Pines 4

2005-09-17T11:53:00.002-04:00

4
Par 4, 378 yards

Another plain layout, although the green is set snugly at the foot of a patch of trees.

I get the serious shanks and reach in 4, where I two-putt for a 6.

Pines 3

2005-09-17T11:53:00.001-04:00

3
Par 3, 225 yards

The longest par-3 on the course, this hole bends slightly left. Average players will need a high wood to reach it.

The layout and length are perfect for my 5-wood, but I slice it more than normal and end up 20 yards left of the green. From there, I launch a sand wedge and nearly hole it. I make par, 3.

Pines 2

2005-09-17T11:53:00.000-04:00

2
Par 4, 340 yards

This hole is straight but hugs Byron Center Ave. A sign at the tee should get the jitters going, reminding players that they are liable for any damage to cars. There's a thought to have while you're standing over your ball!

My 3-wood is OK but I shank my 7-iron and then place my pitching wedge just shy. Two putts for a 6.

Pines 1

2005-09-17T11:52:00.000-04:00

1
Par 4, 373 yards

A straightaway hole to start the course, but a severe slope on the left side of the fairway leaves me no room to land my lefty slice.

I land a 3-iron on an uphill lie on that slope, leaving me a 6-iron to the slightly elevated green. I miss it short and then have no read on the speed of the green when I finally get there. A three-putt leaves me with a 6.

Pines Intro

2005-09-17T11:50:00.000-04:00

The Pines Golf Course
5050 Byron Center Avenue SW
Wyoming, MI 49509
18 holes, 5542 yards
Scorecard/Map
www.pinesgolfcourse.com
GolfCourse.com Review

The only thing this golf course lacks is length. The fairways are well-maintained, the greens are fast, the landing areas are precise, and the trees are often a factor. But there's only room for 5500 yards of playing length. That's plenty to test my shaky game, of course. 9/15

The area is lucky to still have this course; a report in the Grand Rapids Press this summer quoted the co-owner as saying, "I'm getting one or two calls a week from developers. Does it make sense for us to keep it as a golf course? No." He said he was committed to keeping the course from going condo, but The Pines' days are probably numbered.

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18-S

Slice Solutions

2005-09-13T09:14:00.000-04:00

I have a severe slice. I've been tempted not to worry about it because 1) I never hook, which is a case of reassuring reliability and 2) if I aim far enough right (as a lefty) I can more or less accommodate the fade. The problems are when 1) my release of the club is too slow through the impact zone, and I start the ball straight or left instead of right, or 2) the hole is too narrow to accommodate shot shape, as with 14 at Kaufman, for example.

So I need to shoot straighter. Here are some of the standard solutions for correcting a slice.

1) A one-plane swing. Slide your back foot under your back shoulder for an extreme correction.
2) Keep shoulders closed at impact (and head down to enforce this).
3) Release wrists through impact zone so that the club face is square at impact.

I think there's one more. But the thing is, in my round at Kaufman, one of my partners thought my solution was 1, the other thought it was 3, and I thought it was 2. With 1, I'm worried about over-compensating and starting to hook; with 3, I'm worried about having too "handsy" of a swing and flopping the club over to produce more shanks. But I don't think 2 is enough to straighten my slice. So what do I do? And how do I keep from trying to do too much with my swing, and think too much when I'm over the ball? Questions to keep me up at night...

Major winners of the last 10 years

2005-09-09T09:29:00.000-04:00

from SI.com:

2005 Tiger Woods Michael Campbell Tiger Woods Phil Mickelson
2004 Phil Mickelson Retief Goosen Todd Hamilton Vijay Singh
2003 Mike Weir Jim Furyk Ben Curtis Shaun Micheel
2002 Tiger Woods Tiger Woods Ernie Els Rich Beem
2001 Tiger Woods Retief Goosen David Duval David Toms
2000 Vijay Singh Tiger Woods Tiger Woods Tiger Woods
1999 Jose Maria Olazabal Payne Stewart Paul Lawrie Tiger Woods
1998 Mark O'Meara Lee Janzen Mark O'Meara Vijay Singh
1997 Tiger Woods Ernie Els Justin Leonard Davis Love III
1996 Nick Faldo Steve Jones Tom Lehman Mark Brooks
1995 Ben Crenshaw Corey Pavin John Daly Steve Elkington

U.P. Gem at GolfCourse.com

2005-09-03T20:06:00.000-04:00

The Greywalls course at Marquette Golf Club is today's Featured Course from the editors of Golf Magazine.

Two links to flush from the right navbar:

Epinions - GR courses

TwoGuys - Michigan courses

Kaufman Summary

2005-09-03T18:31:00.002-04:00

I'm glad the weather was Michigan-fall-perfect today, because other than that I want to get this round out of my system. I had nothing off the tee--I would have been better off overhand throwing the ball, and I had bad mind games going when I couldn't get the feel for my swing anymore. I take solace in the fact that my short game was quite sharp around the green and my putting was shaky but not disastrous. And I relish the fact that this is one of the most beautiful courses I've ever played, on one of the most beautiful golfing days of 2005.

Score: 55-49=104; Putts 22-14=36; Woods E; long irons D-; short game B; putting B-.

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Kaufman 18

2005-09-03T18:31:00.001-04:00

18
Par 4, 372 yards

The creek is in play at the 240-250 mark, but the cart path up a slope on the left side forces you to play it right--closer to the creek.

Another thin 4-iron--I don't want to flirt with the creek. I carry it with my 5-wood and take to pitches to get on. A two-putt for a 6.

But at least I broke 50 on the back. My swing wasn't much better but my short game was far sharper coming in.

Kaufman 17

2005-09-03T18:31:00.000-04:00

17
Par 3, 193 yards

A tricky tee shot to a narrowly-bordered green. Better to leave it short, with no bunker in play and a wide green to work with.

My 7-iron is still off-duty and I don't even carry the little canal. My pitching wedge flies on me and I'm off the back fringe. From there, with the front pin placement, I have enough green to work with to take out my sand wedge, and just hope to leave myself a makeable putt. My sand wedge pops and lands 6-7 feet in, and I don't think it will release. But it does, and starts rolling toward the cup, lazily, and just keeps going. There's more of an incline than I thought. It casually approaches the cup and darn near drops. Heckuva bogey 4.

Kaufman 16

2005-09-03T18:30:00.001-04:00

16
Par 5, 505 yards

This hole is miserable for my lefty slice. A long branch just past the ladies tee won't let me shape it, and no-person's-land long grass waits to the left. Up ahead, a fairway tree obstructs most second shots.

I slice my 3-wood into the long stuff and hack out with a 5-wood. The hackwork is just beginning. After another 5-wood and a 7-wood I pitch into a bunker, then slam my sand blast so hard the ball actually catches the tall lip and caroms sideways onto the apron. I two-putt for my second snowman of the day. 8.

Kaufman 15

2005-09-03T18:30:00.000-04:00

15
Par 4, 346 yards, dogleg left

A complicated tee shot, with trees and fairway bunkers waiting at the 210-220 range, and then more bunkers guarding the green.

I hit my driver thin and then power a good 3-wood to within pitching distance. My pitching wedge is short and I two-putt from 12 feet for a 5.

Kaufman 14

2005-09-03T18:29:00.001-04:00

14
Par 4, 389 yards

The signature hole at Kaufman, as far as I'm concerned, but also one of the most treacherous. Armies of pines stand at attention on either side, leaving no place to lose your tee shot. If your tee shot is straight down the chute, the approach should be ordinary, but if not, plan on a punch.

I catch a 4-iron well but on the right side of the fairway, where the branches are in play. Sure enough, my 7-wood catches them and thuds straight down. Then my 6-iron is soft and I'm lying 4 with a 50-foot pitching wedge, which I catch too strong and place on the back left fringe. I have a tricky downhill putt from there and am glad to get out with a 6.

Kaufman 13

2005-09-03T18:29:00.000-04:00

13
Par 3, 154 yards

One of the most scenic par-3's, at the doorstep of the gorgeous 14th hole. The pines lining the 14th tee are the backdrop here. Bunkers on each front edge demand you carry them, and there's green to catch a long tee shot in the back.

My 7-iron is off-duty today; I hit it 100 yards. I choke my sand wedge, then leave another sand wedge within three feet for a bogey putt, which I sink for a 4, and a 6-4-6-4 start.

Kaufman 12

2005-09-03T18:28:00.002-04:00

12
Par 5, 507 yards

Despite paralleling 52nd Street--an unwelcome reminder of the outside world--this hole is scenic, with a slight decline in the fairway bending back up toward the green with a belt of fairway bunkers (they look greenside to me, but there's 20 yards between them and the green.

I hit a controlled slice short and power my 3-wood to within mid-iron approach range. I choose 7 to carry the bunkers, but catch it flat and land in the left-most trap. I shovel out with my pitching wedge, then take another pitch to get on the green. I have a tremulous 20-footer coming down the hill with slight break to the left, and hope somehow to leave it within 3 feet of the cup. I send it and worry that I've given it too much oomph. The break is good and the ball curls toward the cup. It's either going to sink or roll off the green. It crawls in the cup. 6.

Kaufman 11

2005-09-03T18:28:00.001-04:00

11
Par 4, 327 yards

A blind tee shot up a hill forces me to go iron again, and again I catch it thin. A 7-wood gets me to within three paces of the green, and I play a perfect sand wedge to within a few fee and sink the putt. After my lousy front nine, it feels good to sink par. 4.

Kaufman 10

2005-09-03T18:28:00.000-04:00

10
Par 4, 364 yards, dogleg right over a creek

After a handful of par-4's on the front with few frills in their layout, this tee shot will make you think. The creek is from 210-220 yards from the tee, so the play for the average player is to leave it short with a 5-wood or low iron, then cross the creek with a mid-iron to get to the green.

I flub my 4-iron off the tee, and worry my front nine swing woes have made the turn with me. I cross the creek from the back edge of the fairway with a 7-wood, but don't get much farther than that. I leave my 9-iron short and chip to within 10 feet, then two-putt for a 6.

Kaufman 9

2005-09-03T18:00:00.001-04:00

9
Par 4, 425 yards, dogleg left

The tee shot must be placed to the right, free of the steep hill and fairway bunker to the left (the water hazard to the right, 275 yards away, isn't in play.

I need GPS to locate my swing, which disappears on this hole. I hack my way onto the green in four and then three-putt for a 7.

I'm out in an ignominious 55. But worse, I've lost the feel for my swing.

Kaufman 8

2005-09-03T18:00:00.000-04:00

8
Par 3, 200 yards

The terrain is intimidating here--the hole lies low over a hill and to the left, with a sizeable bunker grabbing misses to the left. The rest of my foursome all leaves it right and makes a mess coming back; I leave it short and left and am OK.

I take 7-wood off the tee and curl it perfectly over the hill and to the front edge of the green next to the bunker (nearly in it). But my sand wedge is too strong from there and I launch it to the bank fringe. But I save a good 20-foot lag coming back and come out with a bogey 4.

Kaufman 7

2005-09-03T17:59:00.001-04:00

7
Par 4, 453 yards

The tee shot is blind over a hill and the trees tight along both sides. The green is quite elevated, so the tee shot has to be far enough to leave an approach with loft. Bunkers guard the front, but the green is huge so there's room to land it towards the back if you can stomach the possibility of a putt of up to 40-50 feet.

This is where my swing disintegrates. I slice it way to the left and have to punch out with an 8-iron. Only I can't commit to a punch--I try to carry a tree along the left side of the fairway, but leave it under that tree. I launch a 5-wood from there and pop a good 9-iron well onto the green. But the 40-footer gives me the creeps and I 3-putt for a 7.

Kaufman 6

2005-09-03T17:59:00.000-04:00

6
Par 4, 386 yards

An out-of-bounds fence around a broadcast tower juts into play off the left rough. The right rough has a forgiveness area from about 210 to 225. The green is wide and guarded on the front right by a bunker, but don't lose it off the back.

I catch my 3-wood thin and then borrow a 7-wood from my neighbor, a fellow lefty I'm playing with today. I strike it true and am left with a three-quarter 9-iron, which I scuff and send off the back of the green. This is the worst possible place to be today because the pin is back left, and I have no landing area to work with. But I strike a good 8-iron chip and sink the 5-footer for a bogey 5.

Kaufman 5

2005-09-03T17:58:00.001-04:00

5
Par 4, 390 yards

I slice my 3-wood left, but find a forgiveness area, from which I power a 5-wood back onto the fairway to within 15 yards. I choke both my sand wedge and 8-iron, and take a two-putt. After recovering well I've surrendered two strokes on my tentative short game. 6.

Kaufman 4

2005-09-03T17:58:00.000-04:00

4
Par 3, 156 yards

A steep slope up to the green necessitates good flight off the tee. Big bunkers on the front left and front right are trouble--better to be long than short.

I shank my 7-iron badly and barely make the apron. My sand wedge misfires and goes way right, to the fringe, 30-plus feet away on this vast green. A three-putt from there leaves me with a double-bogey 5.

Kaufman 3

2005-09-03T17:57:00.001-04:00

3
Par 4, 364 yards, slight dogleg right

Trees and boundaries along the left keep my woods in my bag.

But my 3-iron goes left on me. I recover with a 5-wood, though I aim it right, expecting it to slice, and it goes straight as an arrow. That leaves me even with the green some 40 yards to the right. I send my pitching wedge through tree branches, which dump the ball 18 feet from the cup. I blast my par putt past and can't come back. The three-putt gives me a 6.

Kaufman 2

2005-09-03T17:57:00.000-04:00

2
Par 5, 463 yards

The hole is straight ahead, but there's trouble left and right. Bunkers skirt the green. Better long than short on your approach.

I pull out the driver and control my slice but hit it low and short, leaving me forever to the hole. I flub my first 3-wood then tag another 3-wood well but slightly left. Luckily it's playable, though under a tree branch, because there's a severe slope off the left. I punch an 8-iron and leave it just short of the green, then plop my sand wedge 8 feet past and lip the putt. 7.

Kaufman 1

2005-09-03T17:55:00.000-04:00

1
Par 4, 362 yards

You have to leave your tee shot short and left of the water on the right, which is no sweat for me with my lefty slice. The green is elevated and guarded by bunkers, but reachable in two or three for the average player.

I shape a decent 5-wood off the tee. With 180-plus to the green, I don't think I can make it with an iron, but the incline and slope of the green make me want to keep my woods in the bag, as long as I carry the pesky creek on the right side. I duff my 6-iron and shank my 8-iron, then come short on my pitching wedge and watch my sand wedge roll one to the back fringe. It's a 3-putt from there, and an inauspicious snowman to start the round. 8.

Kaufman Intro

2005-09-03T17:52:00.000-04:00

L.E. Kaufman Golf Course
4807 Clyde Park SW
Wyoming, MI
18 holes
Scorecard & Map
Course Guide (1-2-3-4)
www.accesskent.com/...
GolfCourse.com Review

Kaufman is a major league course, but short enough (6,388 yards from the white tees) for the average player to at least have a chance. It's scenic, well-crafted through the trees and making good use of hills and slopes. The greens are fast but fair. I played on an early September day, and the course had been well-maintained through a dry summer.

My goals for the day are to keep the ball in play, underhitting if I need to, and to have my short game firing. With a more rolling course and firmer greens than I'm used to, my short game will be more important than ever. 9/2/05

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18-S

Golf Course on a Gypsum Mine

2005-09-03T17:09:00.000-04:00

Public Golf Course Opens on Old Grand Rapids Mine Site
Matt Campbell
WZZM13.com
Updated: 8/19/2005 7:11:55 PM

Grand Rapids - A new public golf course opened today on Grand Rapids'
southwest side - on the site of an old gypsum mine.

The owners made that heritage alive in its name - calling it The Mines Golf
Course.

The facility at Covell Avenue and O'Brien Road took up the site, which was
once considered as a zoo expansion site

The Mines Golf Course, Grand Rapids (public). Opening: July.
Although only five minutes from downtown Grand Rapids, the former gypsum
excavation that took place here thirty years ago gave rise to unique landforms
and elevation changes normally associated with courses in northern Michigan.

Also uncommon is the shared fairway between the fifth and ninth holes, a vast
greensward uninterrupted by trees or rough. Salvaged mine-shaft timbers serve
as directional signs, and other relics adorn the clubhouse.

Architect: Mike DeVries. Yardage: 6,744. Par: 70. Greens Fees: $45-$50. Tee
Times: 616-791-7544

http://www.theminesgolfcourse.com/

http://www.wzzm13.com/news/grmetro_article.aspx?storyid=43164

Michigan Golfer on Grand Rapids

2005-09-03T17:02:00.000-04:00

Destination: Grand Rapids
by Kelly Hill

Dear Golf Buddy,
Thanks for your recent letter. So, you've got two weeks of vacation this summer and you want to come to Grand Rapids to play golf. What you've heard about Michigan being golf's Capital during the summer months is absolutely correct. Although the distinction is often applied to the plethora of beautiful courses in beautiful Northern Michigan, the greater Grand Rapids area abounds with challenging, well-manicured public golf courses. If you are willing to drive no more than an hour outside the G.R. city limits your choices are multiplied.

Since your vacation is still a few weeks away, I thought I would send you something to peruse, something you can read and reread, something that might make your days pass more quickly until you get here and get golfing. Here's a rundown of most of the better public golf courses in the greater G.R. area and within an hour's drive of the city.

When you've poured over all this material, I'm sure you're going to have additional questions about several or all of the course. My suggestion is that you call them yourself, so I've included a telephone number for each course. And remember, the area code for each is 616.

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ALPINE GOLF CLUB
Located north on what has become one of the busiest streets in the city, Alpine is aptly named as it is a hilly course that will demand numerous blind shots to relatively small greens. But it is an entertaining course to play, however, and is easily accessed from downtown. And the greens are usually in great shape. Call: 784-1064.

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CEDAR CHASE GOLF CLUB
This course, which opened its front nine for play in 1993 and the back in '94, plays 6,196 yards from the white tees and features bent grass fairways and tees. "People compare it to the courses of north," is what Cedar Chase pro Tim Covell said of the course. "It's a challenging course and the fairways are tight." The 11th hole here is a par-5 that plays 61 yards through the trees. One of the Grand Rapids golf writers (No, not me), said that No. 11 "is so narrow a dog can't stand in the middle of the fairway and wag his tail." This course, located in nearby Cedar Springs, is a Bruce Mathews III design and has played host to the boys high school regional tournament last fall and hosted the girls regional event this spring. Call 696-2308.

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GLENEAGLE GOLF CLUB
Formerly a 27-hole layout located in Hudsonville, 10 minutes southwest of downtown G.R., Gleneagle is now an 18-hole course that plays 6,505 yards from the championship tees. While condominiums are being built to eventually occupy the area surrounding the course, area that was once the other nine holes, the remaining 18 holes have also received some smart reconstruction. The greens, some of which are tiered or rolling, have received most of the attention during the course's reconstruction. Call 457-3680.

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GRAND HAVEN GOLF CLUB
About 45 minutes west of Grand Rapids, in the resort city of Grand Haven lies Grand Haven Golf Club. Named by Golf Digest as one of the country's top 50 golf courses, Grand Haven remained in the top 75 until just last year. Desgined by 93-year-old Bruce Matthews who still owns the course and who lives in Grand Haven, this stellar course has built a reputation on tight fairways and intimidating tee shots. That reputation has mellowed somewhat recently, however, as more than 1,000 trees have been removed from along the fairways in an effort to make the course more forgiving. While some of the trees have gone, water has been added at Grand Haven Golf Club. The hazard on No. 17 has been expanded and a water hazard has been added to the fifth hole. Call 842-4040.

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HAWKSHEAD LINKS
Of all the courses you will read about here, this is the longest drive from Grand Rapids as it is located north of South Haven, about a 50 minute drive from downtown GR. Opened for play late last August, this wind-swept, Art Hills-designed links layout has been received with excitement and its repeat players are many. Unlike many of the Northern Michigan courses that can beat up the average player, HawksHead is also a bargain. "We want to give people a good show for the money," pro Steve Chapman said. You can play HawksHead for $25, with a cart, after 3 p.m. Call 639-2121.

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L.E. KAUFMAN GOLF COURSE
Owned by Kent County, in which Grand Rapids is located, this busy course is also a Matthews design that lies on the southern edge of the city and plays 6,338 from the white tees. The site of the Kent County Amateur Championship as well as the West Michigan Junior and Senior Amateur Championships, this premiere public course is subtle. Jim Guertler, the golf pro there told me, "It has relatively large greens with subtle breaks. Shot placement is important here." Call 538-5050.

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LAKE DOSTER GOLF CLUB
Jeff, I couldn't tell you about this course without telling you about the "li'l Monster." That's what they call the third hole on this course. The hole is only 88 yards from the white tees, so how tough can it be, right? Let me tell you, no chip shot will ever get you in more trouble than your tee shot on the "li'l Monster." Water, rocks and trees are only a few of the hazards your tee shot might encounter. Of course, though, Lake Doster is more than one hole. As the former site of the Super Senior Pro-Am played in conjunction with the First of America Classic, G.R.'s stop on the Senior PGA Tour, Lake Doster plays 6,112 from the white tees and according to course pro Roger Marquardt, "The nice thing about it is that it's a fair course. It's tough enough that you won't be bored because it has a little bit of everything. Call 685-5308.

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THE MEADOWS
Located on the Allendale campus of Grand Valley State University, about 15 miles west of Grand Rapids, The Meadows features a golf academy which is one of the best teaching facilities in the G.R. area. In its third full season of operation, The Meadows plays 6,300 yards with a slope rating of 27. "We get high marks for service and conditioning," says course general manager Terry Sack. "It is a links-type course and you have to use course management here. We have some strong par-3s and some par-5s that are reachable. You will use every club in your bag here." Call 895-1000.

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THE PINES
Located in the southwest corner of the city, not far from L.E. Kaufman, the Pines is a public course with split personality. After you play an open front nine and finish with a dogleg left on which you will be tempted to, and probably will, cut the corner, you will embark on a back nine that plays shorter but is much tighter, more scenic and much more difficult. It's also home to a fine junior golf program. Call 538-8380.

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SASKATOON GOLF CLUB
Located southeast of Grand Rapids, exactly 22 miles from the heart of downtown, Saskatoon features 36 holes that are distinguished by color. The Blue nine is the narrowest of the four layouts, the White is the longest, the Red is of average length and challenge and the Gold is a Scottish links-style course. When playing 18 holes at Saskatoon, the Blue and White form one track and the Red and Gold form the other. According to Director of Golf Carol Farquhard, if golfers have time for only nine holes, the Gold is often the nine they request. With course lengths varying from 5,300-6,100 yards, the ever popular Saskatoon is home to several area high school teams and frequently hosts the O-K Blue Conference girls golf tournament. Call 891-9229.

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SCOTT LAKE COUNTRY CLUB
One of the older Bruce Matthews designs, this course, located just north of the city, opened its front nine for play in 1962, the back opened in '65 and a new nine is currently under construction and is expected to be ready for play next summer. A par-72 course that plays about 6,000 yards from the white tees, Scott Lake features mature trees in a scenic, rolling countryside. "This is where golf is fun," said Jeff Hoag, who owns the course with his brother, Paul. "Some courses you really don't want to play. We make a strong effort here to give people what they're looking for, and good golf conditions, too." With greens that are not overly large, occasionally elevated, of medium speed and occasionally tiered, Scott Lake is indeed a pleasure to play. Call 784-1355.

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THE GOLF CLUB AT THORNAPPLE POINTE
Jeff, this is probably the first course you'll see upon your arrival in Grand Rapids since it is almost impossible to arrive at Kent County International Airport without flying directly over this course. The first course you might see is also the last G.R. course on this list to open as Thornapple Pointe first opened for play in mid-May. Located on a scenic piece of property in Cascade, the course features a mile and a half of footage along the Thornapple River. "There are a lot of golf courses in Grand Rapids but none of them have the appeal that gets people to travel to play courses like those in Northern Michigan," said Thornapple Pointe general manager Dave Manes. "We felt that if we could build a resort-style golf course with high quality maintenance and a high level of service, there is no reason why it can't be in a metropolitan area." A completely spikeless facility, Thornapple Pointe plays 6,821 yards from the back tees. Call 554-4747.

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THOROUGHBRED GOLF CLUB
This course is almost an hour's drive from G.R. in the small town of Rothbury, but when you get to Thoroughbred, it's not likely that you'll remember the drive. This layout, which opened for play on the Fourth of July in 1993, plays 6,900 yards from the back tees, with a 147 slope rating. "The greens are very undulating, not at all flat," said Thoroughbred head pro Jeff Howland. "The greens are ideal resort speed." Voted one of the top three new resort courses in 1993, Thoroughbred is considered by Golf Digest as the No. 1 upscale public course in Michigan and is No. 33 in the country. Situated on 350 acres, "this is a very unique piece of property," Howland said. The property features a dude ranch, a pine forest and three private lakes. Call 893-4653.

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WALLINWOOD SPRINGS GOLF CLUB
Located in Jenison, which is a suburb southwest of the city, Wallinwood is in its sixth season of play. This course, which measures 6,271 from the white tees, is best known for holes 15 and 16. No. 15 is a par-3 with a peninsula green and No. 16 features a peninsula tee. A Jerry Matthews-designed course, Wallinwood is nestled within a quiet condominium community. Call 457-9920.

Jeff, I hope this gives you some idea about what awaits you and your clubs when you get to Grand Rapids. Obviously, unless you want to play every day, all day, we will never be able to play all of the courses in the area, so give it some thought and let me know which courses you want to play. You can always come out here again to catch the ones we miss on this visit.

See you soon,
Kelly

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GrandRapidsGolfDeals.com

2005-09-01T13:04:00.000-04:00

2-for-1 deals available at www.grandrapidsgolfdeals.com.

Indian Trails Summary

2005-09-01T13:00:00.000-04:00

I threw away a good four strokes with my short game, but other than that my play was stable today. At my level of play , you just hope to hit the ball cleanly and keep it in play, which I did. And I'm happy with my swing, for a change.

Score: 48. Putts: 19. Woods A-; long irons B; short game C-; putting D.

I-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18

Indian Trails 18

2005-09-01T12:59:00.001-04:00

18
Par 4, 280 yards, dogleg left

This tee shot is blind with the fairway sloping up and left. You have to plunk
your tee shot on the top of the hill and go 9-iron from there.

I choose 4-iron off the tee and evade the whole dogleg completely by losing it
in the trees to the right. This gives me a straight shot out of the rough, in view of the pin. My 8-iron goes short and right, but puts me back on the fairway, 50 yards away. A pitching wedge leaves me a pace off the fringe. Then my short game collapses. I flub the chip and then 3-putt, finishing an otherwise serviceable round with a triple-bogey 7.

Indian Trails 17

2005-09-01T12:59:00.000-04:00

17
Par 4, 277 yards, sharp dogleg right

I don't have a yardage to the turn on this hole, but I don't dare to take a wood, especially with my slice to the left. I'm curious if righties try driver on this hole, and whether they have to fade it.

I choose a 3-iron and whack it well right down the middle. That gives me a nifty pitching wedge that bounces over the front fringe and onto the green. My
12-foot putt is no good, but I make a par 4.

Indian Trails 16

2005-09-01T12:57:00.002-04:00

16
Par 3, 102 yards

This is the kind of hole that you'll only find on a city golf course like this, squeezed into a short distance by the constraints of space, and allowing players to take pitching wedge. (There's about 20 yards behind the green though, before the cart path; maybe the course should use them and make average players hit 9-iron.)The green's elevation is the only hitch; it's guarded on the left by a bunker and on the right and a slope on the left.

I launch my pitching wedge a little left and short and catch the front edge of the bunker. That dooms my short game and I end up with a 5.

Indian Trails 15

2005-09-01T12:57:00.001-04:00

15
Par 4, 365 yards

I catch my 3-wood cleanly but my slice takes it left of the fairway. Luckily I
land at the top of a little incline that gives me a view of the green. I slam a
solid 6-iron to within a few paces of the green. But my short game gets ugly again, and I get out with a 5.

Indian Trails 14

2005-09-01T12:57:00.000-04:00

14
Par 3, 227 yards

This used to be a par 4 when the white tees were back with the blue tees (from
which the hole still plays a light 240-some yards). There's some lattitude to miss it short and to either side, though go long and it's a tricky chip back.

I take 5 wood and start it right, expecting my typical slice. Only it doesn't slice. It goes straight to the right and gets swatted down by tree branches. I plant a 3/4 9-wood at the front fringe of the green. This green is very bald, though--my putt has to cross two or three patches of bare dirt, and without any sense of speed I power my putt 10 feet past. 2 more putts later I have a 5.

Indian Trails 13

2005-09-01T12:56:00.001-04:00

13
Par 4, 287 yards, blind tee shot down a hill

The tee shot is intimidating because all you can see is treetops. The fairway is wide, but trees form rigid boundaries on either side at the bottom of the hill.

I'm feeling okay about my woods now and go with a 3-wood. I hit it cleanly, starting it right, but it slices all the way to the left of the fairway. I know there's a wide-open landing area off the left side there, but I've hit it under a tree branch. I punch out a half a 9-iron, hoping to clear the left fairway bunker. I don't get enough of it and just catch the far edge of the bunker. I'm clueless in the sand so it takes me a sand wedge to shovel out and then another one to get on the green. 15-footers are impossible on greens this bare and patchy, and I'm lucky to get out with a 6.

Indian Trails 12

2005-09-01T12:56:00.000-04:00

12
Par 3, 154 yards

7-iron has always been the club for me on this hole, where the creek is not in play but both the tee and green are slightly elevated (though flat). For the first time ever, though, I notice audio from a TV at the adjacent BW-3, which bugs me as I tee up.

My 7 goes just left and lands a couple paces off the green, even with the pin. But my short game abandons me here. I used to like to chip with a 7--I knew I'd make crisp contact and could use almost a putting stroke. But I catch the 7 too strong and blast it across the green just off the fringe behind the pin. So I know I need to adopt my 9-iron as my new chipper onto the green. But I'm too tentative and leave myself a 10-footer. The greens are really bald and a read is nearly impossible. I read break but there's none. 2 putts for a 5.

Indian Trails 11

2005-09-01T12:55:00.000-04:00

11
Par 4, 399 yards

The landing area is narrow so I go with a 5-wood. I catch it perfectly, slicing it subtly and curling it onto the right side of the fairway. (This in front of spectators no less--I'm playing through.) I hit a 6-iron thick and have a 7-iron to clear the creek and get to the green. I shank it off the bridge and behind a tree. I scoop another 7-iron pitch attempt but then place a perfect pitching wedge within a
foot and a half of the hole for a bogey 5.