This is my favorite course at Treetops and for several reasons. Besides the great vistas, it has a lot of width to it, allowing the player to open his shoulders and drive the ball as far as he can. The bunkering is up to scale with the property, stretched over various parts of the fairway, giving players pause before deciding which line to take. The greens have big contour in them, ridges that section off pinning areas. I was pleased to see all the short grass surrounding most of the putting surfaces, giving golfers options for their approach shots. There’s plenty of greenside bunkers too. I felt it was a strong examination of one’s game.
(The 176/160 yard par three second hole is downhill with a green divided in half by a ridge. Todays pin is just over the bunker, and only the best shots will get close. In my two rounds, I was in both the front left bunker and right bunker, saving par twice with a great shot.)
(The 556/523 yard par five tenth has the hilltop directly in the background. Look at all the fairway which allows multiple shot shapes to be taken off the tee.)
(The 175/164 yard par three eleventh is the most controversial hole at Treetops due to its claustrophobic setting. It was so much different than any other par three including the par three course. I absolutely loved it! Beautiful hole too!!)
Golf Channel’s Matt Ginella listed Signature as one of his top 50 public courses in America. I wouldn’t go that far, but in a golf rich state like Michigan, I think it’s top ten public, challenging for a possible top five. Considering places like Arcadia Bluffs, Greywalls, the Loop, and Forest Dunes are perennially being tossed in the conversation for best courses in the country, being in that group is high praise indeed.
(The 485/461 yard par five fifteenth is one of the coolest, reachable holes I’ve seen. It has a wide fairway but challenging the bunker on the left leaves the best angle. Note the tight gap between the saddle of the trees. Don’t even think about hitting the traps short right…
…the two tier green is very skinny and long. I love how you can work it off the steep banks on either side. It’s a really fun hole!)
(The 368/361 yard par four sixteenth is a prime example of the scale of the bunkers matching the size of the property. The entire left side is strongly protected, convincing players to go up the right.)
(The 199/188 yard par three seventeenth sits on the spine of a ridge. The green is well protected, and divided into three pinning areas. It’s a very good penultimate hole.)
The only nit to Signature is it’s unwalkable. When you have eleven downhill tee shots, it’s obvious that the goal was to get to the top of the hill. I personally don’t have an issue with this, but purists frown upon it. Other than that, I think the course is fantastic! There’s five courses in Michigan that I have rated eight or higher, and Signature is at that level in my opinion. It’s a true experience that you’ll remember long after the round. I give it an 8 (excellent)(worth a weekend visit).
(The 363/343 yard finishing hole has a diagonal fairway where the best position is just over the tree sticking out on the left…
…if you can work the ball to that area then most pin positions are accessible with your approach. For those who hit it to the widest part, a sidehill lie will complicate your short iron shot. Enjoy the final view of the day!)
[we were playing a two man best ball with an odd number of players, so I had two eighteen handicappers who alternated between even and odd number holes. Ironically, the player who’s score did not count almost always played better than the guy who did. As a group, we ended up at 68 (-2) which won by five strokes. (I was getting seven strokes). Our 33 on the back nine was the key since it was three strokes better than the next group.]
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