Mines Golf Club (Grand Rapids, MI)

Mike Devries’ rise into the upper echelon of modern course architecture has led golf enthusiasts to seek out his earlier work. Grand Rapids is the epicenter of his beginning and three public courses all within thirty miles of each other offers great insight into his philosophy. The Mines was designed in 2005 on a rectangular piece of property divided up into four quadrants by a road and power lines. His routing connects them and shows his ability to cleverly incorporate the landforms that give each hole its individual identity. 

The Mines is located only a few miles from downtown Grand Rapids and is a popular course that has developed a following of golfers who enjoy a fun and clever layout. It was pointed out to me how the course starts across the street with four parallel holes that play nothing like each other. The first two holes are up and over a hill. The first has a deep swale fronting the green while the second has a back to front slope with a tier in the rear and low section front right. The third is a long uphill par four with a fall away fairway that prevents balls from running on putting surface. The fourth is a driveable two shotter with a thumb print in the middle of the green that has several diabolical pin placements.

(The 408/371 yard first hole has a steep swale fronting the green. Any of the front pin positions are challenging…

…note how not one bunker guards the green. Weaker players do have the option to bail out to the side where the fairway is at green level.) 

(The 356/298 yard par four sixth has a two tier green where the upper left is like hitting to a tabletop. A lower right pin is more accessible and is a good birdie opportunity.) 

(The 155/131 yard par three seventh is downhill to an angled green. Selecting the correct club is key but overall being long is dead. It’s a good birdie opportunity.) 

(The 404/364 yard par four ninth plays over the brow of the hill to a wide fairway that it is shares with the par five fifth. The approach is uphill to a green bunkered at its four corners…

…the green has a raised level in the middle that creates variety with the approach shot and putting. It’s a quality hole.) 

After the first four holes, 5-11 and 18 play on the clubhouse quadrant, and unfortunately this section of property is a little cramped. Seven and eight are back to back par threes with the par three eleventh playing next them. All three holes are roughly the same length, unless they use the alternate tee on eleven, and I think this is the weak link in the routing. The power line quadrant has the best holes. 13,14, &16 are all terrific par fours. Thirteen and sixteen are both long par fours that play into the prevailing wind. Both have good tee shots that need to be pounded in order to have a chance at reaching the putting surfaces in regulation. The fourteenth has a hogback fairway where one must decide which kind of lie and stance is favorable for the day’s second shot.

(The 341/321 yard par four twelth is a drive and pitch short par four. The four bunkers guarding the green, especially the two short, makes one pause about selecting the driver. Being in the valley results in a semi blind approach so laying back is an option for a better view.) 

(The 398/385 yard par four fourteenth is one of my favorite holes at the Mines. Look at the amount of slope in the fairway. The spine is the optimal spot but it’s very difficult to find. The fairway to the right slopes just as much too. The bunker ahead prevents long hitters from making this fairway irrelevant.) 

(The 141/122 yard par three fifteenth has a lion’s mouth bunker guarding the front center of the green…
…there are multiple pin placements that can be difficult to get close. The golfer on the far right has a very quick putt breaking to the left. While today’s pin can be seen as generous, imagine if it was slid further back on the plateau.) 

(The 468/431 yard par four eighteenth is a monster finishing hole. There’s a crease in middle of the fairway with a high left and high right flat for the discriminating player…
…the green sits atop a knob with a falloff on the left. This is one of six bunkerless holes where the natural topography is the defining hazard. Par is a good score.) 

The Mines is one of three courses that make up the Devries trio in Grand Rapids. With the routing issue, and the lack of diversity on the par threes, I feel this is the weakest one. That should not be confused with the word bad because this is still a strong golf course. The other two are that good! (Pilgrims Run, Diamond Springs) The Mines is a great value and the locals have a true gem to call home. I give it a 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play). 

Springfield Country Club (Springfield, OH)

How does a golf course barely over 6700 yards host a U.S. Open qualifier? Easy. Turn two of the par fives into fours and have a set of greens that are severe and treacherous. When I say treacherous, I’m talking about greens that are literally sliding off the hills. They are unbelievable. Now some folks believe that makes them great, but I’m not buying it. When you can de-green yourself on several holes, it gets to the point of being silly. Nonetheless, Springfield has solidified itself as a stern tournament course, and for the foreseeable future, it’ll be testing the next generation of golfers. 

Donald Ross designed Springfield in 1922. The clubhouse sits high on the hill with the first and tenth tees in front and the ninth green below a set of Adirondack chairs outside the pro shop. Right from the start, the first hole flips you off with an incredible green that shouts “stay below the hole!”  This mantra will be seen time and time again. There are a couple greens where the corner is very steep and the putting surface races downhill in opposite directions. Pace and line are repeatedly challenged in order to two putt for par. 

(The 422/399 yard opening hole plays over the brow of the hill to a green in the distance. It’s a blind drive with a couple trees as reference…

…it’s a bunkerless green with the trap in pic seventy yards short. The putting surface slopes hard towards the front right corner. One will learn right away to keep it below the hole…
…this view looking back shows the rolling topography well.) 

(The 177/170 yard par three third has a classic foreshortened bunker that hides the ground behind it. Players bouncing it in are playing for a particular spot. My entire foursome hit the same shot with all the balls finishing on the front edge. Four easy pars.) 

(The 412/391 yard par four sixth has a creek fronting the green. It’s another bunkerless green but the putting surface slopes hard to front right corner. With the hazard short, the approach tends to be pin high or even long. This green sees plenty of three putts. A par is a good score.) 

There is a wide swath of flat property at Springfield which houses many of the northern holes. Most of them run parallel to each other and there’s a similarity to them. Both two and five are downhill par fives that look and play exactly the same. In fact three of the par fives play in this area, and it is a glaring weakness. The holes that play in the glacial terrain are the headliner. I specifically liked eight and nine. The eighth is a short par four with crossbunker nudging the golfer to think twice before hitting driver. The skyline green is two bowls divided by a spine. The ninth is a great downhill par three that plays in the shadow of the clubhouse and pro shop. Four bunkers surround the green placing pressure for those trying to get below the hole. 

(The 401/376 yard par four tenth plays parallel to one and has water on the right side. It’s another bunkerless green which is two tiered with a lower right side. The approach must be right of the hole to have a decent birdie putt. Get on the wrong tier and three putting is a concern.) 

(The 380/373 yard par four eleventh is good chance for birdie. The wide fairway leads to an open green. A mid to short iron approach means all pins are accessible.) 

(The 179/164 yard par three thirteenth slopes from high left corner to the right and to the front. That back left corner is tipped to unstoppable pace. My playing partner was up there and his ball went forty feet by the pin…
…this pic shows the intensity of the pitch. Note how the back right corner slopes away. It’s a very difficult green to read.) 

(This is the view from sixteen tee looking over fifteen and thirteen greens. The fifteenth has a punch bowl green where the rear slopes can be used to bring the ball back to the front.) 

(The 196/188 yard par three sixteenth is a long one shotter that plays uphill. It’s well bunkered with a back to front slope. I like the shot through the valley feel.)

(The 597/568 yard par five seventeenth begins with a dramatic blind tee shot over the crest of the hill…

…a good drive hits and runs down to the turn. A miss left is a huge mistake…
…like the other valley greens, this one is receptive to running and aerial shots. It’s wide open so two good pokes will give one a chance to snag one last birdie.) 

(The 412/386 yard par four eighteenth is similar to Manakiki’s ending hole. The green sits above the fairway to a green benched on the hill. It’s one of the few times playing short is not the proper strategy…
…the false front will repel balls back down the slope. A front pin position elicits fears of de-greening with an aggressive putt. A four is a good score.)

I have played multiple Donald Ross courses and I’ve always felt his design philosophy was very playable but Springfield displays how difficult his green locations can be when he placed them on the hillside. In a way it reminded me of Bedford Springs. The holes that moved up the hill were significantly tougher than the valley ones. In his book, Daniel Wexler said Springfield was short on flash, but long on natural, lay of the land holes. It’s a solid golf course that for the Donald Ross enthusiast is a good find. I give Springfield a 6 (very good)(worth driving two hours to play). 

[Springfield was a singles matchplay event played from the white tee at 6403 yards. My opponent was part of the triumvirate from OSU Scarlet course. Both of us were 4 handicaps and I knew he would be a very tough competitor. My strategy was simple. The only yardage I would play to was the front to middle number. This kept me in front of the hole and most times putting uphill. My opponent was more aggressive and that cost him a handful of times. The match decidedly went in my favor when I birdied fourteen, parred fifteen, and then he threw putted sixteen. My conservative strategy paid off with a 2UP win and a solid 78.]

Moraine Country Club (Kettering, OH)

#65 TOP 100 USA (GOLF MAGAZINE)

#73 TOP 100 USA CLASSIC (GOLFWEEK)

Ohio boasts a strong collection of private courses that continually make America’s top 100.  With Keith Foster’s restoration, Moraine has climbed on that list and is challenging to be a top 5 in Ohio, and a possible top 50 in the USA. It has all the attributes of a seaside links as the terrain sweeps and swoops opposed to rising and falling. Many of the greens are placed atop the plateau of the sweeps with large deep bunkers guarding them.

(The 374/364 yard opening hole has a wrinkled fairway that may or may not give you a flat lie for your approach shot. The green crests left center so todays pin front right is not one to play conservatively. Coming from the center to the outer pin locations is always a downhill putt…
…the back tee is located on the far side of the putting green. It’s a very cool start for high level players.) 

(The 205/194 yard par three second plays slightly uphill to a green that’s open in the front. The running shot seems to be the best option although my high cut with a 3hy was the only shot on the green. A par on this hole is good every day of the week.) 

(The 407/359 yard third curves to the green with a high left to low right fairway. If the ball get to the right side then it’s a straightforward uphill shot, but if it stays in the middle then you’ll have to cut it off a sidehill. A spine divides the green in two. It’s not an easy two putt.) 

(The 523/506 par five fourth has a massive hill to play over. It’s possible to reach the top but it requires a big poke and the fairway tapers too. For those who fail to crest the hill, the ball will roll all the back down…

…most will hit over the hill to a topsy turvy fairway that is hard to hit. The green is open in front for a low shot. Note how the green ties in to the fifth tee box behind it…
…looking back reveals the rolling nature of this hole. It’s unique.) 

(The 140/130 yard par three fifth is a lovely hole that requires a delicate shot to have a chance for birdie. The green is deceiving and doesn’t pitch as much as it looks. Be mindful of the wind. Any mishit will be be in the sand.)

For years Moraine flew under the radar but the restoration opened up the views and revealed the wonderful topography. The removal of 2000 trees instantly propelled it into the national spotlight and it’s stock has gone up every year since. The landforms are impressive. There’s a fluidity to it. The views can be extended or they can be cut with multiple rises hiding features and misjudging yardages. 

(The 320/302 yard par four seventh offers the long hitter a chance to reach it in one shot. The diagonal ridge that slopes down to the right can propel the ball towards the putting surface. The green is not an easy target to hit…

…this view short of the ridge offers little in terms of depth perception. The front right bunkers eat into the putting surface and it’s a delicate shot to get close.) 

(This is the view from the back tee on the eighth…

…the 552/532 yard par five is all downhill and plays to the biggest green on the course. The putting surface is two tiered with internal movement that is hard to read. It’s a good chance for birdie.)

(The 429/416 yard par four tenth has not one single bunker defending it. Instead the green has short grass sloping away on all sides.) 

(The 406/370 yard par four fourteenth is a wonderful hole. Golfers drive the ball uphill between bunkers on both sides. The green sits on the ridge with a false front guarding the left. Anything short will spin all the way back down the fairway.) 

(The 161/150 yard par three fifteenth is actually a Foster creation. It had been changed in the ‘50s and he brought it back. Deep bunkers pinch the front making the opening look small. Anything right will go down a steep embankment. Just a mid iron, the player has a chance to get a lost stroke back.) 

(The downhill 382/370 yard par four sixteenth has this tabletop green sitting below the player with deep bunkers guarding all sides. I love the view in the background, and note how the seventeenth tee is connected in the back…

…this is another view from further back in fairway.) 

Byron Nelson won his ninth (his record of eleven straight wins will never be broken) tournament in a row at the 1945 PGA Championship held at Moraine. Back then it was a match play event, and he beat former MLB player Sam Byrd. During the morning round, Byrd birdied the last four holes to take a 2up lead and looked good until four bogeys during the middle stretch on the second eighteen cost him. Nelson eventually won 4&3. Moraine has also held five Ohio Amateur Championships. Some of the winners have gone onto the PGA tour. John Cook in 1979, Rob Moss in 1989, British Open Champion Ben Curtis in 1999, Alex Martin in 2009, and OSU standout Maxwell Moldovan in 2019. 

(The 470/449 yard par five seventeenth is the best chance to snatch a birdie from the course. There’s not much room to run the ball on and the right green side bunker is very deep. The left bunker is a good leave and should leave one with a fine chance to up n down.) 

(The 445/430 yard par four eighteenth drops down into a slight valley before steadily rising to the green. The bunker in the distance is a good aiming point while the tiger golfer can challenge the tree line. The eighteenth and ninth green are separated by a bunker and short grass. A swale cuts into the eighteenth green and one wants to be on the proper side of it. There are several great pin locations that make par a great score.)

Moraine is a great experience. Both nines go uphill and then play downhill to the clubhouse. One can see the action on several holes at any time. The course is in impeccable condition. Having played Inverness, I can say Moraine is at the same level. The only difference is Moraine is more playable. There are more short iron shots albeit with a variety of stances and lies. An invitation here should be accepted as quickly as possible. I give Moraine an 8 (excellent)(worth a weekend visit).

[we played the white tees at 6401 yards. We were playing a team four ball match and both of my opponents are members at OSU Scarlet course. Mr Larson in particular was very impressive! He was -2 with four to play and went bogey-triple bogey on 15 & 16. He birdied 17 and finished with five birdies for a 73. My partner and I were six down after nine lol. My 80 is a bit deceiving. I hit 13 fairways and 11 greens but could not even sniff a putt. I’d have five feet and not even hit the cup. I three putted 5,6,18. Disappointing but I had a great day!]

[there is a championship tee but one needs permission to play it. The yardages are on a separate scorecard. It stretches to 7240 yards.]