Stoatin Brae - Gull Lake View Golf Resort (Augusta, MI)

Stoatin Brae put Gull Lake View on every golf aficionado’s radar. Even before opening, pundits were eagerly discussing it. Tom Doak’s Renaissance Group was designing it, but without Doak. He was able to persuade the Scott family to let his associates do it because he was already involved with The Loop in Roscommon. Intentionally or not, this created a buzz in the golf world, and possibly a competition between what would be the best course. 
(The 336/313 yard tenth uses the brow of the hill perfectly. The player who can hit his ball over it will access a premium position for his approach.)

What the Scott family was getting with Eric Iverson, Don Placek, Brian Schneider, and Brian Slawnik was four men who had helped collaborate on some of the best courses in the world. It may have been a gamble, but it was a calculated risk. And it turned out to be an absolute win!

(The 359/326 opening hole leads to this pedestal of a green. The front is safe, but as one shoots deeper, the false edges and fallaways quickly disperses the ball to a challenging position. )

Each man walked the property and came up with his own routing. They then compared notes to find the similarities, and what they thought would be the best holes. The property itself was rectangular with most of the land being on a prairie, but the north corner was hilly, and these 45 acres would become the cornerstone of the design, housing six holes that would become 10-15. 

(The 167/161 yard par three eleventh plays over a valley to green draped across the ridge. It sits so naturally on the terrain, like it’s always been there waiting to be found.  This is the style of architecture that’s proven to be so successful.) 

If you’ve played a Tom Doak course before then the greens will look familiar. They’re designed to be played multiple times, and have the player learn all the nuances to various pin positions. The fairways are Kentucky Bluegrass, and provide a very different experience. The ball rolls more on it, and it looks and feels compact. The net result is a game that can be played on the ground, like a links. 

(The 436/405 yard par four third starts the run of three consecutive long two shotters. All three play in a prairie setting with expansive views. The native grasses separate each hole from the other, and while the playing corridors are in excess of eighty yards, a truly rank shot will find it.) 

(The 382/359 yard par four twelfth features this cool drive with the fearsome traps being the perfect guide for your line off the tee. It’s an up n over hole with the green accepting both a low runner or high aerial approach.) 

Standing on the first tee, the native grasses will instantly catch your eye. They’re waist high, and even though there is a lot of room to drive the ball, the fear of hitting a wretched shot will cross your mind. When the wind is blowing, and the tall grass is swaying, I’m sure it’s an impressive sight. Obviously Gull Lake must be vigilant about its impact on the course, and with their experience, I envision the prairie grasses mesmerizing players for years to come. 
(Looking at ten green from the eleventh tee. I love how the fairway wraps around the bunkers and the “eyelashes” on top of the sand. Optics is so important in golf, and Stoatin Brae does a fantastic job presenting the challenges.) 

In an interview with BuffaloGolfer, the architects mentioned several things of note. They built the course to incorporate plenty of width. They wanted the challenge to be about angles and green contours. There are no water hazards, and only a couple holes with minimal forced carry. The bunkering was kept to reasonable number, all with the preface of having a great experience at an affordable price. 
(The short par three fourteenth is 140/130 yards. It’s length should not mislead one into thinking it’s easy. Anything short will spin down the slope, and my putt from left of pin in this pic actually slid by and continued off the green.) 

(The 459/433 yard thirteenth is the longest par four on the course and plays uphill to a punchbowl green. A hard draw at the front left will gather the ball towards the middle. The pin in picture is barely visible from the fairway below.) 

The four men who designed Stoatin Brae have been part of team that has produced four of the top 100 courses in the world, and it is an excellent example of the Renaissance Golf philosophy. The course defends itself with cunning and gile, sporting only a few holes where length is needed. It’s a the type of place where a good short game will standout more than usual. I do think a couple of the greens are over the top (2,18) but they are still playable. Toss in the fact the course is at a price point just tad more than your local muny, and Stoatin Brae becomes one of the best values in the country. I give it a 7 (great)(worth driving 3-4 hours to play).

(Is this one of the coolest halfway houses you’ve ever seen?!! Built into the hillside, you don’t see it til you come off nine green.) 

                   Golfweek 2019 

       Best public courses in Michigan 

                  #5 Stoatin Brae