Stonehenge North Course - Gull Lake View Golf Resort (Augusta, MI)

My annual golf trip took me to Michigan this year, and Gull Lake View Golf Resort was the destination. GLV owns six golf courses, and the Stonehedge north course was added in 1995 when owner Charles Scott designed it to compliment the south course. 
(The 157/146 yard eleventh plays over wetlands to a shallow green.  Long is a safe play for those not wanting to challenge the water.)

Stonehedge north has a very unusual routing, and sports six par 5s, six par 4s, and six par 3s. It’s the first time I’ve seen such an arrangement, and I was really curious to see how they connected the property. Typically par five holes are considered the weak holes, and they gobble up the undesirable land that architects want to avoid. 

(The 403/380 yard par four fourth plays downhill to a green fronted by bunkers. Anything blocked right or pulled left will find long grass or a hazard.) 

At Stonehedge north, Scott had one of each in every triplet grouping. With the par consistently changing, golfers are cognizant of the opportunity to attack a new par five every third hole. For most players, it’s a chance to break one’s handicap and to shoot a good score. 

(The 491/481 par five twelfth plays downhill to a green set alongside the wetlands. It’s reachable in two shots but the player must hit a quality shot to avoid all the trouble. There’s so many options here depending on your skill level.) 

I personally find the 6,6,6 to be a weaker design theory because it’s hard to find that many quality par fives. However, what if par changed depending on your skill set, so a par five for mid handicap player might be a long par four for the Tiger player. Or a long par threes could be short par four. The possibilities could actually be quite good. Anyway, there’s only par five that really stands out and that’s twelve. 

(The eighteenth is a 555/527 yard par five that doglegs ninety degrees. If one could hit the drive high enough, then it would be possible to cut off a lot of yardage. The playing corridor narrows the closer one gets to the green. It’s a nice finishing hole.) 

Stonehedge North is a very popular course, and it was in pristine condition when I played it. Combine this with the playability, and it is  a perfect place for the start of a buddies trip. I give Stonehedge North a 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play). 

[One of the ladies from the LPGA was practicing the wheel drill on the putting green. I’ve always felt that was a huge endorsement for the facility.]