South Bend Area

[bigmoneyp]

Gonna be staying in the South Bend area for a couple days.  Coming down from GR.  Gonna play Harbor Shores & Hawks Head on the way down.  What's the best bang for your buck in South Bend?  I was thinking of playing Blackthorn?  Thanks!

[Chrismydawg]

Warren GC (Notre Dame) is the best public in the area. Its just pure class with all that ND money behind it.  Better than Blackthorn imo. Blackthorn gets a ton of play, Warren seems to be easier to get a tee time along with the fact its just a better course. You cant go wrong with either course.

 

If you want a sneaky cheaper course I would check out Elbel. Municipal course but it has a good layout and greens are usually pretty slick.

 

 

[bigmoneyp]

Glad to hear can't really go wrong with either course!

[Chanceman]

Studebaker 9 holer

[Florida Gator]

I’m in SB and SW MI for work quite a bit.  The Warren Course is the best in SB, Coore Crenshaw design that hosted a SR US Open a few years ago.  If you get on at The Dunes, worth it, Tom Doak private built in the dunes of Lake Michigan.  Lost Dunes is another private worth trying to get an in to play.  Harbor Shores is cool, but definitely a cart course.

[mjguzik]

Will chime in and second both Warren and Blackthorn for public courses.  Warren holds over Blackthorn for layout and interest.  Blackthorn's easier of the two courses in my opinion and gets quite a bit of play.  Also, there are a lot of great private courses in the South Bend area and just across the state line.  If you can get on any of these you won't regret it.

[bigmoneyp]

Well now you guys got me leaning toward Warren.  Can anyone elaborate a little bit more on why you'd choose Warren over Blackthorn?  Anyone like Blackthorn more @BG5?  Thanks for all the help.

[BG5]

Both are amazing courses and you cannot go wrong with either.  The Warren course is ranked higher and its a Coore/ Crenshaw design which some people prefer.  The course is really really tough but I always enjoy playing it.

 

Blackthorn is another amazing course that is a must play if you are in the area.  Its a bit easier but with that being said its still a tough track.  

 

In my opinion you need to play both 🙂

 

With that being said I have always enjoyed Blackthorne more than Warren.....Warren is just a really difficult golf course so if I had to make a choice then I personally would play Blackthorne over Warren.

 

But both are outstanding and you cannot go wrong with either

[knickerbocker]

6 hours ago, Florida Gator said:

I’m in SB and SW MI for work quite a bit.  The Warren Course is the best in SB, Coore Crenshaw design that hosted a SR US Open a few years ago.  If you get on at The Dunes, worth it, Tom Doak private built in the dunes of Lake Michigan.  Lost Dunes is another private worth trying to get an in to play.  Harbor Shores is cool, but definitely a cart course.

 

Lost Dunes is a Doak course.

 

The Dunes Club was designed by Dick Nugent. 

 

Both are great tracks, but the Dunes club is my favorite of the two.  Such a unique experience. 

Edited April 26, 2021 by knickerbocker

[Florida Gator]

17 hours ago, knickerbocker said:

 

Lost Dunes is a Doak course.

 

The Dunes Club was designed by Dick Nugent. 

 

Both are great tracks, but the Dunes club is my favorite of the two.  Such a unique experience. 

This is why I should proofread before I hit submit reply!

 

thanks for catching that, great courses for sure.

[mjguzik]

I'll choose Warren over Blackthorn for a couple reasons.  Blackthorn gets more public play than Warren which at times affects pace of play.  When the heather is up at Warren it becomes even more challenging.  USGA also made a few modifications from the Senior Open a couple years ago creating a few additional fairway hazards than was there before.  Blackthorn, which I understand is a Pete Dye course, had some bunkers removed and the fairways expanded pushing long grass farther away from when it first opened.  Both are fun and you should play both if your stay permits.

[bigmoneyp]

Are both of these courses better than Hawks Head in SW MI?  I'm def playing Harbor Shores but wondering if I should drop Hawks Head or not?  

[mjguzik]

Played Hawks Head a couple times and its primary defense is the wind off Lake Michigan.  More of a links type golf course.  Great vistas and better views than Harbor Shores in my opinion.  Fairly straightforward layout, yet a couple holes where you cannot see everything in front of you on the first time playing.  Always enjoyed it.

[mjguzik]

HawksHead would hold over Blackthorn.

[mckennwa]

I preferred Blackthorn. Warren is very flat, especially on the front, and Blackthorn has some interesting elevation changes. Warren definitely has the better pedigree if you’re into that, and to be fair so played it in the rain, so I likely didn’t get the full experience there. 

[Timbo Slice]

I'd personally would pick Blackthorn over Hawkshead.

[ND2005]

Warren has a soft spot in my heart.  
 
played it sporadically throughout college. 
 
After I graduated I stuck around SB for 4 months to take an extra summer school credit I needed for med school and studied for the MCAT. 

Got into a daily routine of studying all day and going out for a late 9 or 18 every night. Played 18 every Saturday Sunday. 
 
probably have logged 150 rounds or so out there, half of them in that one summer. 
 
It was also my gateway drug to Coore/Crenshaw design. 
 
 

[Chanceman]

2 hours ago, ND2005 said:

Warren has a soft spot in my heart.  
 
played it sporadically throughout college. 
 
After I graduated I stuck around SB for 4 months to take an extra summer school credit I needed for med school and studied for the MCAT. 

Got into a daily routine of studying all day and going out for a late 9 or 18 every night. Played 18 every Saturday Sunday. 
 
probably have logged 150 rounds or so out there, half of them in that one summer. 
 
It was also my gateway drug to Coore/Crenshaw design. 
 
 

Way to go !!

[Chrismydawg]

You just get off to a painfully slow start at Blackthorn. Short par 4 1st, Driveable par 4 2nd, Par 3 3rd, Reachable par 5 4th.

 

Always seem to be backed up by the time you reach 3 or 4 and never recovers after that. Its a great course that I would play everyday if there weren't so many people.

 

 

[geochitown]

Mike Keiser's Dunes Club (private) will accomodate public play as long as you call them and be respectful and try not to play on a weekend, or prime time, best to give a range of dates. they will try to accomdate

 

You have to pay a greens fee and the caddie fee (per Michael Keiser himself), both mandatory, and one can play one of the best 9 hole courses in the US.

 

Looks like its 45 minutes from South Bend.

 

Just wanted to throw that out there.

 

If you look for the Erik Anders Lang interview with Mike Keiser, Mike lays out all of the above.

[knickerbocker]

The Dunes Club is a special place.  

[Chanceman]

Anyone played the Studebaker 9 ??

[propman]

On 4/24/2021 at 9:20 AM, Chrismydawg said:

Warren GC (Notre Dame) is the best public in the area. Its just pure class with all that ND money behind it.  Better than Blackthorn imo. Blackthorn gets a ton of play, Warren seems to be easier to get a tee time along with the fact its just a better course. You cant go wrong with either course.

 

If you want a sneaky cheaper course I would check out Elbel. Municipal course but it has a good layout and greens are usually pretty slick.

 

 

Played Elbel Park for 1st time yesterday. Great hidden gem, imho.

[BC33]

I also played Elbel last week for the first time, pleasantly surprised at the layout.  Greens were fairly quick for a muni.

 

Played Meadow Valley in Middlebury and the Warren also.  The Warren was in fantastic shape.