The four dogleg right par fours at 5,7,13,14 seem to stick out the most in my mind. It’s a key stretch in the middle of the round, and by themselves, are strong holes, but together they get repetitive. The player with a power fade in his bag will have a decided advantage. Fourteen is the best of the bunch. It doglegs around a valley forcing one to pick his line and successfully make the carry. It’s also the shortest and can lure the long hitter into driving it as close as possible.
(The short par three eighth is backdropped by Meadow Brook Hall to the left and is the highlight of the front nine. The green is ringed by four bunkers and demands a very precise shot…
…the gorgeous stone and brick structure offers tours for those who enjoy architecture.)
The back nine is where Katke Cousins really shines. It starts out strong with two very fine par fours and finishes with three excellent holes in 5-4-5 sequence. The sixteenth is one of the coolest par fives I’ve played. It tumbles downhill into the valley before abruptly climbing uphill where the green is tucked beside a large tree. The key is to ascend the hill in two shots otherwise the third is uphill and blind. Seventeen follows with water left, right and crossing 260-280 yards. It’s the ultimate tee shot with nowhere to miss. Eighteen finishes the round off with a 619 yard uphill into the wind par five that stops just short of the beautiful white clubhouse. It is an absolute beast of a hole!
(The eleventh drops into a slight valley with the green backdropped by a pond and waterfall. Today’s green light pin position is fun to attack but not so much when it is in the rear.)
The Katke Cousins is only the second collegiate course (after University of Michigan) to host the Michigan Open, a tournament that has been around since 1916. It’s also held many qualifiers and PGA sectionals. For the single digit golfer, this is the course you want to play. It’s the epitome of tournament golf with narrow fairways and tough greens. I give it a 6 (very good)(worth driving two hours to play).
(The par five eighteenth hole climbs uphill to finish the round. The player must be precise especially with his second shot as the fairway is squeezed in by natural falloffs. The green occupies the highest point of the property. A great view awaits once you arrive.)
[we played the Bear tees at 6,299 yards. Between the intermittent rain and gusting winds, I thought we had decent scores sans the few blowup holes. Josh only pays $14 during the week and $20 on weekends to walk both the Katke and Sharf courses. It almost makes me want to enroll myself.]
[This is blog #450! I have my eyes set on the next fifty and believe 2025 will be when I achieve the half millennium mark. We are very fortunate to live in the Great Lakes and I wholeheartedly believe that the best golf courses in America, possibly the whole world, are right here!! Michigan in particular continues to impress me. I’ve played more 6s and 7s here than anywhere else!]
Oakland University Sharf Course Review
Well done!
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