#56 TOP 100 PUBLIC USA GOLF MAGAZINE
#81 TOP USA RESORT COURSES GOLFWEEK
Being relevant in the golf resort world means having multiple courses, and hopefully, different architects to give each one their own personality. In the ultra competitive state of Michigan, it is no surprise that Arcadia Bluffs added a new course two years after Forest Dunes unveiled its reversible track The Loop. In stepped Dana Frye, and his imagination conceived a concept that was just as revolutionary. Using the Chicago Golf Club as his inspiration, the South uses only squares, rectangles, and diamond shapes. There are no circle or oval features. The geometric design is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.
(The 361/295/260 yard par four second is just on the edge of being driveable but the pin position dictates everything. Today’s pin is quite accessible, but when it gets pushed to the far left, or even the far right corner, the player must weigh how much to pitch it and run it up those slopes.)
The South plays firm and fast, and the first bit of advice the starter will tell you is don’t fly the ball to the pin. Frye designed the course to be about angles and working the ball along the ground to access the slopes. It’s the type of golf that is not common in America, but seems to be gaining traction as developers find better pieces of land. At Arcadia Bluffs, Frye breaks up the line of charm with long narrow fairway bunkers that play perpendicular to the tee box. They come across the fairways at different yardages, creating confusion on the proper line, hiding the ground behind for those looking for a safe haven. The traps are flat bottom so the ball runs right into them, but the mound behind will prevent one from advancing too far.
(The 490/420/393 yard par four fourth plays downhill to green that slopes back to front and left to right. The massive movement in the green coupled with the steep fall to the right means balls that catch the putting surface will work their way to the back right corner. )
The greens are epic! Averaging 9500 square feet, the scale and size are a sight to behold! As large as they are, they play small. They have false fronts and crowned sides. Many are sectioned or quartered by distinct tiers. The middle is usually the safest place to land the approach, but two putting from there may be difficult. There’s so much to know, and it takes a long time to figure out the nuances. It’s really designed like a private course.
(The 540/474/437 yard sixth is the shortest par five on the course but the diamond shaped green is a vexing target. This pic of back right corner shows how it sheds balls at the four points. The middle is the only real safe spot to be. Today’s pin wasn’t bad in the front, but anything to the sides is nasty.)
(This is a side view of the 167/128/108 par three eighth. From this angle, one can see the green slopes away, but a false front misleads people into carrying their shot too far. I played the front twice and both times I went long. My playing partner hit his on the upslope where it took a hop and stopped for a kick in birdie.)
(The 461/398/366 par four ninth is a beauty with the spectacle bunkers staring you in the face. It’s a doubled plateau green with raised terraces on each corner separated by swales and troughs. When you see this putting surface from the clubhouse, you cannot believe it. There’s plenty of room past the sand to run it on. Par is a great score.)
There is plenty written about Arcadia Bluffs South, with most of it being positive. The Fried Egg guys lauded the front but were taken aback with the back nine. They felt that certain holes could have emulated the Macdonald /Raynor templates. Ron Whitten however raved about it, and he especially loved the green complexes that weren’t the template style. Many also commented on the the complexities of the greens, and how the player who calls this home has a decided advantage over the visitor. While I do agree with this, I also recognize the difficulty some of the shots require. When I played the last two holes on the front with the caddy (I caught up with him on seven green), I commented that some of the pin positions I would never take on. I d hit it to the middle, and take my chances on two putting. He wholeheartedly agreed with me.
(The horseshoe shaped green on 189/150/131 yard twelfth is where many disagree. Ron Whitten loved it, saying it reminded him of a giant magnet. The key is using the back of the green to funnel the ball to the proper section. The front third of both halves is a false front, so an extra club is prudent.)
(One of my favorite holes is the 447/385/356 yard par four thirteenth. It doglegs right off the tee before sliding uphill. Another pair of spectacle bunkers stares you in the face, but the punch bowl green is what separates it. When the pin is front, like it is in this pic, the play is to flirt with the sand and land it just past so it scuttles onto the front section. The middle is where it should always go, while the rear has sideboards to corral to the flag.)
There are no trees on the South, and while it does have elevation change in the northeast corner, most of it is on flattish land. The clubhouse is two stories, and I’d guess 90% of the course is in view from the upstairs. This makes the design more impressive because it is entirely the imagination of Frye that gives the course it’s features. One review I read stated that when he was driving in, he thought about turning around and heading to the Bluffs course. It is true, the South lacks the raw beauty and sense of place that the Bluffs possesses, but once one starts hitting the shots, the pureness of the game comes to life.
(This view from the 376/314/279 par four fifteenth shows the panoramic vistas seen at Arcadia Bluffs South.)
(The 246/215/175 yard par three sixteenth possesses a green shaped like a wedge. The right and rear edges are straight, meeting in the right corner, while a long arc defines the left side. A valley of short grass catches the ball should one err on that side. It’s a cool hole with a multitude of interesting pin positions.)
Arcadia Bluffs South is a unique course, especially since most of us will never set foot at the Chicago Golf Club, or here in Ohio at Camargo. This places it in a rare category, and one that I think puts it on par with The Loop at Forest Dunes. Geometric architecture is a lost style, and this is a chance to see the modern interpretation of it. For an architectural buff like me, I found it to be very fascinating. I give Arcadia Bluffs South Course an 8 (excellent)(worth a weekend visit).
(This is the view of the church pew bunkers that guard the seventeenth fairway. It’s an interesting rendition as they staircase up the hill.)
[Sidebar:
The push for fast and firm courses that play like links is the big design tenet in today’s golf world. Michigan has three such places, and if one wanted to experience this type of golf, then I recommend taking a long weekend and seeing for oneself Stoatin Brae, Arcadia Bluffs South, and The Loop (spend the night and do both Black n Red). It may not be a trip across the pond, but it’s a good copy. ]
(The 492/428/392 yard par four eighteenth hole finishes on a classic note. Look how the front is plenty open with the bunkering on the sides. One can use the fairway short of green to his advantage and run the ball onto the putting surface. Today’s pin in the front is one of the more accessible locations, but anything located in the rear must crest the rise and stop before falling off the back.)
[Arcadia Bluffs original course, now called the Bluffs, is ranked as a top 20 public course in America, and is #1 in Michigan. It is a magical place with views that are simply breathtaking. Midwest golfers are very fortunate to have such a destination only hours away.]
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