Sanctuary Lake Golf Course (Troy, MI)

There’s some valid criticisms here but turning a landfill into a golf course is an excellent way to repurpose a piece of property that aesthetically would have little value. The routing is a little awkward, specifically the walk from one green to two tee which is the entire length of the second hole, but overall, there’s plenty of fun shots and good holes. 

The centerpiece is the large hill that once was the top of the landfill. Both one and ten tee off from it while six and eleven bring the player back up. Holes seven, eight, and twelve play off the backside. With seven holes consuming this mountain, there’s a definite sense of community as you’re able to watch play at multiple viewpoints. In the summer, the ball fields are teaming with kids playing baseball below, another reminder of the connection between the golf course and the city. 

(The 417/402 yard first hole plunges downhill to a wide fairway. The green is offset towards the left and favors a shot coming in short of the fairway bunker. The putting surface is wickedly sloped so make sure five is the worst you’re going to score.) 

(The 186/165 yard ninth is a beautiful par three across the water. Anything short will kick back into the hazard. The putting surface is full of bold slopes so don’t play too conservatively.) 

Courses built on landfills have a specific look and style to them, and Sanctuary Lake fits that genre. It’s heavy handed with a lot of mounds and earth moving. If you look at the green complexes, you’ll notice abrupt fall offs, moguls that present terrible lies, and recovery shots that are very difficult to get close. These short shots are where you’ll lose most of your strokes. It also has some very sloped greens that are borderline. (My playing partner said the pin positions are never in the spots we were playing in the summer) I’m skeptical that a mid or high handicap can match their index. It’s a tough course. Thankfully the par fives offer a little relief. All four are good birdie opportunities. I do like the variety in the par threes, especially seven (133) and twelve (215) which look similar but have an eighty yards difference. I can’t forget the driveable seventeenth. It’s at a length that even I would give it a go. It’s only 260 yards from the men’s tee, a yardage that is truly reachable for the majority of players. I give a 4 (above average)(worth driving 30-40 minutes to play). 

(The 522/477 yard par five eighteenth doglegs right while playing slightly uphill. There’s a lot of room to maneuver your ball into position to make a birdie.) 

[Sanctuary Lakes has the most elevation change among the metro Detroit courses, a characteristic that makes this a popular choice. It’s also in very good shape. It’s on the higher end of the price scale which is surprising since it’s a muni.]

(The 290/260 yard uphill par four seventeenth has an interesting looking fairway. The tall grass on the right is complete death so it’s risky trying to bomb a driver…
…there’s not a lot of room to run the ball on so laying up is probably the best choice. Regardless, I think it’s cool that you can go for broke so late in the round.) 

Belle Isle Golf Course (Belle Isle, MI)

The First Tee of Detroit sits on the eastern tip of Belle Isle. It’s a six hole pitch n putt course with a driving range, short game practice area and lovely view of the Detroit River. Unfortunately, the original nine hole course that was located across the street which played along Lake Muskaday closed in 2008. What a shame! It was an Ernie Way design that opened in 1924. It was said to be the course he was most proud of. It opened despite city council’s opposition. Belle Isle is such a grand place that I’m sure he was overjoyed to bring golf there and introduce the game to the public. As for the First Tee, is a pitch n putt course enough? I think not, but this concept is being pushed as a good introductory. Personally, I’d like to see more of the views opened up. Canada is on the other side of the water. 

This is a diagram of the original layout. Note Lake Muskaday is one of three drainage lakes on the island. The Detroit skyline is in view from western end of the lake. 

(Bert Way, who designed Mayfield, Akron Goodpark, and Firestone South, was Ernie’s brother.) 

Cadiz Country Club (Cadiz, OH)

For a course that is routed over the rolling Appalachian foothills of southeast Ohio, Cadiz is very playable and avoids the severe topography that often times dominates these type of locations. It still has all the uphill and downhill shots one wants, but it’s never out of control or feels gimmicky. In fact, the width from the tees accepts every shot shape, and only on the short uphill par four fifteenth is one challenged to be exceptionally precise. 

Built in 1927, Cadiz is consistent with that era,  promoting the ground game with open entrances and sides to the greens.The putting surfaces are extensions of the fairway with several sloping front to back with micro contours defending the best pin positions. If there’s one drawback, it would be the lack of drama, especially on the par threes where topography such as this should create exciting moments, but instead advance the player along. 

(The 180/152 yard par three second hole is the only forced carry and even then there’s plenty of fairway short. The terrain slopes to the left where a bunker will save your ball from going any further.) 

While most of the course flows either up or down the slope, the ninth and twelth play across it. Typically on this type of terrain these are the best holes and it is no different here. Nine is a cool tee shot across a curving valley and twelve has the biggest elevation change as the green sits below you. Meanwhile, the par five fifth is nearly 600 yards long and plays even longer as it climbs up the hill. Both the opening and seventeenth holes tee off close to the clubhouse and boast fun downhill tee shots. Finally, the eighteenth plays uphill to a semi punchbowl green where the player can use the back left to bring his ball to the middle of the putting surface. 

(The 380/375 yard par four ninth plays across the sloping terrain before going uphill to a two tiered green. Golfers should take heed not to get too aggressive since a hook will definitely lead to a big number.) 

(The 439/428 yard par four twelth is the longest two shotter on the course and demands a draw off the tee before playing downhill to this green banked into the hillside. I think the hole would be even better if they trimmed back the trees on the left.) 

Cadiz is not a place you stumble upon. It takes effort to get there. (The drive on state route 250 beside Tappan Lake is gorgeous) Starting at Zanesville and traveling towards Wheeling, I feel there’s some really cool golf to be found. Anyone who has played Salt Fork, Wheeling CC, or Oglebay Jones knows how eccentric golf can be in this region. However, if quirky is not your cup of tea and you’d rather play a more traditional hilly course then I’d recommend playing Cadiz. I give it a 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play). The restaurant attached to the clubhouse serves really good food too.

(I played the white tees at 6,412 yards. I carded a fine 78 but that’s deceiving. I only hit three greens in regulation but I was close enough on several others to have simple up n downs. The short game is so much easier in the spring. Even the 30-50 yard pitches I was able to get close. 10(!) one-putts would usually mean a low 70s score.)

(Sidebar for all the movie fans. Clark Gable was born in Cadiz and you can visit his childhood home. It’s a museum with some of his prized possessions.) 

Raymond Memorial Golf Course (Columbus, OH)

Designed in 1954 by Robert Trent Jones Sr, Raymond Memorial showcases “twin par threes,” an interesting concept that was meant to speed up play by having faster players use the “twin” hole, and play through slower groups. It’s the only time I’ve ever seen an architect tackle the pace of play issue. Obviously the idea never gained traction, I’m guessing because it requires more land, or it could possibly be a safety issue, but the fact the city of Columbus maintains all eight par threes makes the course an architectural anomaly. 

Raymond occupies a flat piece of property with minimal elevation change. A creek winds through on the western half, influencing play on 11-13. While the course is wide open, making it a favorite among all levels of players, the greens are downright treacherous with bold internal contouring. Many of the putting surfaces are defined by mounds with deep, gaping bunkers cut into them. For the high skilled player, it’s an examination of ball striking, and for better or worse, lag putting. There are some confounding slopes where putting even from twenty feet can lead to a three putt. 

(The 175/162 yard par three fifth is pretty straightforward. The twin hole is to the left and has its own tee, fairway, bunkers, and green. Nowadays, they just alternate them to give golfers variety.) 

(The 447/422 yard par four seventh is a great hole that angles to the right off the tee. A good drive leaves a long iron shot to green guarded by two cresting bunkers. An extra club is recommended for the approach.) 

Raymond Memorial is one of the busiest public courses in Ohio with over 60k rounds per year. Wilson Road, an executive nine holer, is literally next door. Like Big Met and Little Met here in Cleveland, they’ve been growing the game of golf for decades. I love these kind of pairings where players can graduate from a lil course to a big course and vice versa as they get older. I give Raymond a 4 (above average)(worth driving 30-45 minutes to play). 

(The 420/405 yard par four tenth only requires one doesn’t hook it left into the trees. There’s plenty of room down the right side to drive the ball. An open entrance allows a run up shot.) 

[I played the front nine on a mild 50+ degree day in March from the white tees at 3,177 yards. The par fives were pretty simple but 2,3,7 were bruiser par fours, especially with the soft conditions. I shot a modest 42 with three pars and six bogeys.]

(The 489/481 yard par five first hole is easy until you get to the green. A steep slope in the front climbs up to the center where a pimple like feature forms opposing pin locations back right and left. The pin in pic is on the very top.) 

(Notice how the mounding defines the perimeter of the green, housing the bunker on the outside, and creating a big slope on the inside for the ball to work back to the middle of the green. RTJsr created some really cool greens here.)