Manistee Golf and Country Club (Manistee, MI)

Manistee Golf and Country Club is a wonderful course, especially for the budget minded player looking to experience the thrill of golfing on Lake Michigan. For under $60, one gets to tackle this little gem which has six holes on the shoreline. It also is player friendly with an overall length of 5,651 yards par 70. 

(The 177 yard par three twelth is a beauty! Lake Michigan backdrops the hole while the golfer likely battles the wind to hit the green in regulation. The back of the green is mere feet before the land plummets 150’ down to the beach. Don’t be long!) 

Manistee started as a nine hole course. Tom Bendelow designed it for the railway in 1901. Besides the cliffs, there is a huge sand dune next to the property making for incredible views. The course expanded to eighteen in 1930. Bruce Matthews added nine and renovated the other nine. It was his first course. He had apprenticed with Stiles and Van Kleek. In 1992, 3,4,13,15 were redirected to give the golfer more holes on the cliffs. 

(The 300 yard par four thirteenth is a dogleg left between a couple water hazards. The brave can take an aggressive line and drive the green or place it just short. Others will lay back and hit 110-130 approach. It’s an excellent chance for birdie.) 

(The 284 yard par four sixteenth plays alongside a giant dune. The hole bends slightly to the right so be careful not to hit through the fairway into it.) 

I was turned on to Manistee by The Fried Egg who described the views afforded by the bluffs as stunning. It also commented that the course didn’t take full advantage of its site. I think in its original form it did because old pictures look fantastic. The sand dune had a real rugged look to it and the bunkers blended into the surroundings. Nowadays it’s wall to wall grass. I wonder if the membership likes it better this way. They have a thriving course that’s very playable and is enjoyed by everyone. It also keeps the cost down. The greens are low key, almost at grade. The fairways flow into them. The Fried Egg commented that the greens had shrunk. I saw this on a few holes but overall I felt they were appropriately sized. In short, I think Manistee is great!! We need more places like it!! If you’re in Western Michigan, it is well worth a stop. I give Manistee a resounding 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play). 

(The 383 yard par four eighteenth hole has a narrow fairway with a mogul filled valley guarding the right. The approach is to this small green with sand right and left. The beautiful clubhouse has a appetizing dining room on the second floor for after round drinks and food.) 

(I played the back nine after a long day at Sleeping Bear Dunes. The wind was blowing a solid 15 mph with gusts up to 30mph. Only 10 and 14 played into the wind. The downwind holes like 13, 15 and 18 gave me good birdie chances. I drove the ball within 40 yards on thirteen for my only birdie.) 

Niagara on the Lake Golf Club (Niagara on the Lake, Ontario Canada)

“A good 9-holer knows what it is — intimate, local, welcoming — and knows what it isn’t: pretentious, punitive, grand” 

Where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario lies the oldest golf course in North America;  Niagara on the Lake Golf Club. Originally named Mississauga Golf Links, golf has been played here since 1875. It’s location is reminiscent of the British Isles where wind, sand, and water are the primary challenges. It’s not long in distance, playing just under 3,000 yards, but it more than makes up for it in character. 

(The 323 yard opening hole welcomes players with a glorious view alongside the water. Behind the green is a unique hazard referred to as the moat. Balls that go too far run down into Sandy scrub. Fort Mississauga sits directly behind…
…believe it or not, the second green used to be a blind par three that sat just in front of this structure.) 

This is more than just a golf course. It’s a National Historic Site of Canada. A walking path breaches the interior allowing guests to walk out to Fort Mississauga. It wraps around the shoreline where people walk their dogs and enjoy the beautiful view. Such community adds to the ambiance and vibe of the golf. Add in the wonderful clubhouse and patio that sit directly on the water with views of Fort Niagara across the river, and one can easily fall in love with this place. 

(The 474 yard par five third has a well bunkered green. More importantly, the view of the par three fourth and the tee shot of the fifth, both on the edge of the lake, can distract one from focusing their full attention.) 

(The 301 yard par four seventh doglegs left around a copse of trees. The green has a large roll in the middle, sloping away to the back half. Hitting to a pin in this area requires skill. Note how quickly the terrain falls off towards the water once over the green.) 

I relish cool courses like Niagara on the Lake. I get more enjoyment from them than the big name tracks. The wonderful setting instantly puts you in good mood, and all the intangibles that most people can’t put their finger are vividly in full sight. It’s a reminder that great golf is played in a great setting. Go see this if you’re in the Niagara Falls area. I give it a 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play). 

(I wonder how many of these tee markers find their way into someone’s bag? You’d be hard pressed to find a cooler set.) 

[I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that the eighth green is original and the only one untouched since the club’s inception.] 

Whirlpool Golf Course, Niagara Falls, Ontario Canada

       #91 Top 100 Canada (Score Magazine)

I was a little disappointed Whirlpool didn’t touch the rim of the gorge or even have a view across it. Instead, it played in a park full of deciduous trees and formidable white pines. Stanley Thompson designed the course in 1951 for the Niagara Park Commission. It has an unusual combination of five par threes, five par fives, and eight par fours. The main feature is a hill on the eastern half where one can find the fifth and eleventh greens and the sixth, twelth, and sixteenth tees. Both nine and eighteen have elevated greens too. 

(The 212 (blue tee) yard par three third has a left leaning swale short of the putting surface. With the two bunkers guarding short left and right, reaching the green in one blow will be the challenge.) 

Whirlpool’s reputation rests on its very long and very difficult group of par threes. Four of the five play over 200 yards. The third is by far the best of the group. I would say fourteen is the most picturesque. The other three all play over flat terrain. They look similar and play much the same too. I thought these three holes (6,12,17) ate up the mediocre terrain and allowed Thompson to build more compelling ones later on. It’s no surprise that the key five hole stretch of 7-11 is comprised of par four holes only and bookended by two of the aforementioned par threes. 

(The 210 (blue tee) yard par three sixth plays from an elevated tee to a green defended by sand. The Niagara Falls skyline is the perfect aiming point.) 

The biggest surprise to me were the greens. They had subtle contours in them opposed to what I thought was Stanley Thompson’s style. I wonder if knowing that Whirlpool was a municipal course open to the public encouraged him to build more manageable putting surfaces. I thought they were well done and there were some Sunday pin positions should the course hold a significant tournament. 

(The 513 (blue tee) yard par five fifth is a beautiful hole with the green atop the hill. I love the bunkering and the backdrop of pine trees. It’s a classic hole.) 

Whirlpool is a beautiful golf course and flows seamlessly with short walks from green to tee. It’s very popular being so close to the falls. Unfortunately the helicopter pad that takes tourists for an aerial view is close too and the incessant noise they make puts a damper on the experience. Still it’s a nice option for those visiting Niagara Falls with their family. I give it a 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play). 

(The only short par three is the 154 (blue tee) yard fourteenth. A small pond fronts the tee and the hole connects well with the setting. An open front makes this a birdie hole regardless of pin position.) 

[My son-in-law and I was paired up with a father-son duo from Quebec. They knew enough English to speak golf as we made our way around the course. The two young men played the blue tees at 6701 and Dennis and I played the whites at 6292. The Jykell - Hyde round went to Josh who shot 12 strokes better on the back nine including a two putt birdie on the final hole. 

I played the five par threes in -1. That’ll make any scorecard look good.]