Grand Haven Golf

[reperna]

Me and some of my chicago buddies decided to settle on grand haven as a meeting point. Looking for three courses to play. Preferably within 45 minutes. Cost isnt an option, just looking for best courses! Anyone have any advice? 

[postfold]

Since Grand Haven Golf Club is closed and its replacement American Dunes won't be open until May, you'll have a little bit of traveling to do.  My picks:

 

1.  Meadows at Grand Valley State, Allendale

2.  Ravines, Saugatuck

3.  Macatawa Golf Club in Holland, though it's not one of my favorites. 

 

If you stretch out your distance just a hair, you could play Pilgrim's Run north of Grand Rapids.  One hour from Grand Haven. 

 

If you have any country club connections that would get you on, Muskegon Country Club is a great course.

[dobesbsoon]

I’d echo postfold’s comments, especially since they are closest in proximity and good quality, but I’ll also yell you that if you expand your drive time to an hour each way, it opens a bunch of great options.  
 

- Heading north on the 31 corridor from Muskegon there are many good courses including Thoroughbred Golf Club, Grand View, Oceana, Colonial, Old Channel Trail
- Pilgrim’s Run north of Grand Rapids, a favorite of many in West Michigan and on these forums, as postfold mentioned

- Many public options in metro GR including Kaufman, Thornapple Point, etc

- Back south is Hawkshead Links in South Haven

 

The private options are also excellent if you have access via current membership or your local pro has contacts, with Muskegon CC being the top of the list IMO. There’s also Spring Lake CC, Wuskowhan, many in GR. 
 

Enjoy your visit to west Michigan!

 

END

[cpeck12]

Ravines is a great course. One of my favorites in the midwest... We have a place in South Haven and I try to play it every time I'm up there. Hawkshead in South Haven is also a solid track.

[postfold]

22 hours ago, dobesbsoon said:

I’d echo postfold’s comments, especially since they are closest in proximity and good quality, but I’ll also yell you that if you expand your drive time to an hour each way, it opens a bunch of great options.  
 

- Heading north on the 31 corridor from Muskegon there are many good courses including Thoroughbred Golf Club, Grand View, Oceana, Colonial, Old Channel Trail
- Pilgrim’s Run north of Grand Rapids, a favorite of many in West Michigan and on these forums, as postfold mentioned

- Many public options in metro GR including Kaufman, Thornapple Point, etc

- Back south is Hawkshead Links in South Haven

 

The private options are also excellent if you have access via current membership or your local pro has contacts, with Muskegon CC being the top of the list IMO. There’s also Spring Lake CC, Wuskowhan, many in GR. 
 

Enjoy your visit to west Michigan!

 

END

 

Commenting on some of these -- Thoroughbred is a good Arthur Hills design iirc but conditioning isn't great.  Lots of crabgrass.  Played there a few weeks ago.  I haven't played Grandview, Oceana or Colonial this year but Grandview and Colonial fall into the category of fine but not special or great IMO.  Oceana was undergoing some renovations, don't know the status.  It's a quirky layout.  Also in the Muskegon area you have Lincoln GC which was in great shape when I played it last, they have very good greens.  The design is kinda meh.  Chase Hammond is right off 31 and a decent course though the greens have suffered from the hot weather.  I completely forgot to mention Stonegate GC which was in good shape a few weeks back and would be a very solid choice that's not far from Grand Haven.  I'd personally play that over Macatawa, but I'm not a Mac fan.

 

Kaufman in suburban Grand Rapids is a very nice course that was in really good shape when I played a few weeks back.  Can't comment on other city options.

 

Hawkshead is a very solid track.  I have been hearing good things about the Beeches in South Haven but haven't made it out there yet.

 

[cpeck12]

Beeches is very solid course. I played there for the first time this past summer and really enjoyed it. It’s priced like the Ravines and Hawkshead, but I’m not quite sure it’s on the same level... definitely worth checking out though. 

[HappyGilmoresBoots]

Macatawa and Wuskowan are private, aren't they?

Meadows at GVSU is an amazing course - still one of my favorites.  I haven't played Terra Verde in Nunica, Pigeon Creek in West Olive, or Crestview in Zeeland, but I've heard solid things about 'em.

 

Wallinwood in Jenison is a perennial favorite of mine, as is Maple Hill in Grandville (though Maple fills up really quickly).  Kaufman in Grand Rapids is a bit farther out, and shocked me at how long it was.  Super fun course though, I want to go back.

[postfold]

Macatawa is semi-private, owned by Watermark I believe.  Haven't had issues getting on.  Wuskowhan is very private.

 

Pigeon Creek and Terra Verde are fine, though they'll never make any best course list.  

[HappyGilmoresBoots]

On 9/5/2020 at 6:49 AM, postfold said:

Macatawa is semi-private, owned by Watermark I believe.  Haven't had issues getting on.  Wuskowhan is very private.

 

Pigeon Creek and Terra Verde are fine, though they'll never make any best course list.  

Oh, I didn't know that.  A buddy of mine used to be an assistant pro out there, and talked a good game like he was letting me on a members-only course last summer.  This is good to know though, I had a terrible round last summer and want to redeem myself!