Shepherd's Hollow Golf Club (Clarkston, MI)

I've played more Art Hills' courses than any other architect's designs. The best I've played is Bay Harbor in Petosky, but I've also played Pipestone and Brookledge, two munis in Miamisville and Cuyahoga Falls. Typically with Hills, if you see a bunker, then that is the preferred side and/or angle. 

(Drive the ball over the inside bunker...

....and be rewarded with this view of the green.)

Since I see so many Hiils' courses, I don't get overly excited when I play a new one, but at Shepherds Hollow, I saw some different design features. This piqued my curiosity and made the round more exciting than it normally would be. 

(The par three second is slightly downhill. The bunker that dominates the pic is a good fifty yards short of the green, but it's such a massive hazard that it influences one's perspective and shot selection. It caught me by surprise!) 

Hills has always been good at designing masterful short par fours. He likes to dogleg them, and then give the player the option to carry the corner. (And a chance to drive the green) Here the short par fours are more the drive n pitch variety. 

(The player must really commit to a gameplan on this short par four. With several different options from the tee, one  doesn't wanna get careless and hit into the rough. This small green demands a well struck shot from the fairway.) 

The par five fourth:

(These bunkers are more a directional aid than a hazard...

(...the terrain gathering the ball towards the bowl green. The player who can carry those three bunker in previous pic has good chance to reach this in two.)

(The long par four fifth has a bunker at the end of the fairway signaling the break in the terrain.)

(Look how the bunkering visually sharpens the drive on the par five seventh.)

Strong par fours are sprinkled throughout the round at Shephard's Hollow. One of my favorites is the tenth. 

(The fairway cants left to right, suggesting a draw be hit from the tee. The green is over the hill, and is open in front for a running approach. Beautiful golf hole!)

(Is this a Redan? Possibly. The twelfth caught my attention because the large mound short right can be used to slingshot the ball onto the green. With bunkers guarding the left, bringing the ball in from the right is an attractive option.)

Art Hills has always designed good par fives. The second shot is challenging for both the long hitter and the precision player. 

(There's plenty of room short of the two bunkers in the rough, but for a view of the green, the second shot must carry them.)

(The par five eighteenth curls around the lake, providing many lines of attack. This is a reachable green if you hit a good tee shot. Many different numbers in play for the final hole.)

Shephard's Hollow has 27 holes, making this a great one day getaway.  It's a 3 1/2 drive for me, so playing all three nines would be the only way I would make the trip back up. A few years ago it was ranked #42 on "Best Public" list. 

(The terrain and vegetation is awe inspiring at Shephard's Hollow.) 

The only knock is the limitation of walking. It reminds me of Royal New Kent in Virginia. Great holes with some long walks in between. (Not always but enough) I give the course a 6 (very good)(worth driving two hours). If you're playing all 27 holes, then I'm willing to bump it up. 

(Shephard's Hollow is probably the second best Hills course I've played, just slightly ahead of Longaberger.)