LETHAL30LEFTY

For those that play this course regularly know it just keeps getting better every year. The greens are plush except for a few dry cracked areas on maybe 2 of them. The fairways and roughs are some of the best turf I've seen here in years. No weeds anywhere. Tree removal has been steady recently to allow better growth and it shows. I love this course. I thought 45 was a bit steep on a twilight rate and I know peak is $62. Super tight, tree lined tee shots and approaches. A fine northern Michigan design.

Had always heard great things about this resort and the 4 courses on site. My hopes and expectations quickly vanished as I saw the first fairway on Swamp fire. Weeds galore. Brown fairways. Weedy tee boxes. Slowest greens I've ever played. Clover everywhere in the roughs. Complete lack of maintenence and attention to detail out the window. I will never return and the $45 "special" wasn't even worth it. $25 might have been better.

Driving north from Kalkaska, it took about an hour+. GPS had us on 2 lane highways instead of I75 . We arrived 30 mins before our tee time. The staff was able to accommodate us by holding off a group of 12 and letting us play first. It was a slight hurry but no problem. The morning sun hadn't even risen over the pines so it was indeed feeling a little Black and gloomy in the trees.

Overall, great course!! The all woods layout separates nearly every hole and your nestled away 1-18. Some seem a bit repetitive. Very challenging green complexes and par 3s. Good fairway forgiveness. Immaculate condition and phenomenal sand. We paid 49 bucks on a Monday. Huge burger and slaw hit the spot post round.

Assuming this course used to be a gem, found out the hard way that its not. $40 for 18/cart was ridiculous and I wouldn't have paid knowing the conditions. There was literally more crabgrass than fairway grass. It was everywhere in the rough and tee boxes and fringes. The greens were nice and smooth, mostly because nobody plays here. Parking lot was empty on Friday afternoon.
The front 9 is open with uphill green complexes and hilly terrain. The back 9 is closed up with overgrown wetlands, swamps, and much of the same grass quality. Seriously, drive another 45 minutes north and play Pohlcat for $35 Monday-Friday after 2pm. That course is picturesque. This course needs a major supply of weed killer and fertilizer.

Visited this course 2 days prior to playing, to get the gist of the layout and details, since we were staying nearby for vacation. We heard it was CARTPATH ONLY because of "astronomical" rains during the spring and immediately pinned our ears back. Unfortunately, ALL of the courses in the area had the same rule. We decided to play anyways.
Discounted greens fee which was a plus, but it was for the aerated greens. Nice layout, first 6 holes are flat with lots of water, then cross the street and get into Hilly terrain. The winds were brutal but thank god for warm air. The fact that the majority of the course was BONE DRY had me scratching my head as to why it was cartpath only. Typical uptight setting, city owned course. Didn't see a beverage cart until the 14th hole, major disappointment. Had to call the clubhouse TWICE to request it. 36 hole Complex, probably need more bev cart drivers. All in all a cool layout with 6 par 3s, some over 200 yards, but nothing spectacular as I fully expected being in the SMOKIES. Only got to play once during the week due to sub-par temps. Hope to return to the area in the future and check out other tracks.

Enjoyed a chilly round in late October, but for $35 and minimal wind, it was hard to pass up. I was the only one on the course, so it made for a 2.5 hour round with no holdups.

The Touch screen GPS in the new golf carts are slick and by far the best feature. The course was in fantastic shape and they do a GREAT job of clearing fallen leaves from the entire course. Fairways and Greens were still lime green this late in the year and made for an awesome round.

Full Bar & Menu for all your drinking and feeding frenzies. I usually play here a couple times a year, mostly because it'll cost 65 during the summer and that's out of my range. Twilight $45.

This is my last chance to boast and brag about The Natural. I've done a few reviews on here, but I'm leaving 5 stars this time.
It was a damp day with minimal wind but the course was in the BEST condition I had seen it, especially during the peak of the autumn season. I can't gloat enough about the fall colors bursting everywhere. I spent more time taking pictures of the orange and red leaves than I did focusing on my game. Barely any leaves in the fairways, greens, etc. It was excellent.
Had the entire course to myself which was not a surprise given the weather conditions. I managed to shoot under 80 with three penalty strokes on front 9. This course is a GREAT VALUE in the Gaylord area and I will always return every season until if conditions ever detereoriate. I doubt they will!

Thoroughly impressed with this place. Upon paying a reduced rate of 40.00, I was given a voucher for 2 drinks, breakfast & one lunch menu item. Great value.

Heathlands course is wide open, true links style. Grip it and Rip it and no need for much strategy to get around this track. Nice white sand bunkers were eye candy, the greens had been aerated weeks before, and it was noticeable, but they rolled excellent. Couple holes had trees, other than that WIDE fairways.

Would love to check out Parklands & Moorlands.

First time playing here as it was my first trip to Myrtle Beach since I was 15 (31 now). Paid 78.00 for my greens fee, that was too much.

Course is well maintained tee-green, but the layout is nothing special. Greens were like velcro and very slow. Fairways too soft for any kind of rollout. Supposedly the first therefore the oldest course in the strand, but I wasn't impressed. Very crowded as is to be expected, but was fortunate enough to be paired with 2 older gentleman, locals, and we had a great time.

Par 70 layout with 7-8 par 4s measuring 430+. Tough track, a little undesirable IMO.

Having 12 holes is nice for when 9 isn't enough and 18 is too much. Fairly forgiving layout, not terribly long from white tees. Tee to green expertly maintained, as the course is owned and operated by Hawk Hollow.

First 3 holes doglegs. #4 over water par 3 is very tough. The next 5 holes are back and forth like a country club setting. The greens are very puttable which is what I love.

The last 3 holes, and the newest designs, are much more mounded with massive greens and demanding shots required.

Pace of play was slow but I was solo chasing 4-somes. Price is a bit high for only 12 holes, not much for food or beverages as clubhouse is a tiny shack.

Purchased a $59 Unlimited pass because David Smith, course owner, claimed the course was getting back to its original beauty. I was surely fooled on this one.

The #1 Fairway on BF had numerous bare spots with live traps to rid them of a skunk problem. Multiple fairways were brown and cracking, while most of the greens had bare spots, brown, weeds, etc. Un-puttable. The rough hasn't even been mowed what looks like since the season started. Some areas its 8-12" tall. What a joke.

I used to love this course 10 years ago, and it's sad to see the point it has reached now. David Smith told me upon arriving that it was better than it was back in '15 when I thought it couldnt get any worse. I was wrong again. I will NEVER return to this course and not spend another dime there. I almost feel bad taking the time to write a junk review.

The only glimmer of hope is if this course closes to the public while the original gem is restored. But thats a long shot.

Assuming the course finally shut its own doors, bankrupt, etc??? Just curious because the website is no longer in service. Any feedback would be helpful

First time playing here and I was very impressed with the conditions of the greens and fairways. Greens were very fast and rolled so nicely. Some tough greens with heavy sloping. Fairways were mowed beautifully, although the rough was brown due to recent drought.

The layout cuts through stacks of maples and oaks on both sides, and pines. Some holes wide open. Medium difficulty throughout.

Paid $25 for 18/cart with use of Golf Show voucher. Come play here, you won't be disappointed.

Paid $22.50 for 18/cart as part of their 2-For-1 Wednesday deal, no complaints there. Tee to Green is meticulously maintained and putts roll smooth and true everytime. The layout is gorgeous, elevation changes throughout, and surprises await at every tee box.

My only complaints are the green complexes can be a bit Tricked up, with massive mounding, and what appears to be elephants buried under a few of the greens. Also, many of the sand bunkers sit many of feet below the green surfaces. Also, the lack of Red, White, and Blue yardage posts was my biggest gripe, sometimes searching frantically through the fairway for yardage got to be a nuisance.
ALL and all, its extremely challenging and a great value.

18 hole layout spread over 120 acres. Decent fairways and pretty nice greens gets my 3 star review. Tree-lined fairways keep the holes separated. Only problem is the trees are very bushy and cluttered, with no chance of recovering once you enter those areas. Major TURN-OFF.

The price is a bit steep ($25/9 holes) but given it was a sunday I guess its understandable. We were the only ones on the course around 10am which was a surprise, so pace of play was perfect. Short layout from white tees, play blues for more Driver friendly golf. Decent course, but if you want a bit nicer for the money, go play Grandview just 5 miles away.

I have NOT played either course in a couple years and based on one review of the Black Forest it seems as if its still the same as it was then. I'm looking for some truthful feedback regarding conditions of The Valley course. When I played back in June '15, the fairways and greens were brown, dry and very crispy, TERRIBLE. I'm hoping things have changed but I have many doubts.

The layout is spread out over 1100 acres, so its hard to be disappointed with the dramatic elevation changes from tee to green and the long secluded cart rides. For $49.00 it wasn't a bad deal, but I would never pay prime-time prices. The fairways were plush for Memorial Day weekend, but the greens had moldy, bare patches (although the pins were accomodating to green grass). The sand traps were weedy and very rough around the edges. I enjoyed the course alot, mainly because I shot 76 from the Blue Tees(6600 yds). Apparently, they lost their liquor license recently, so bring your own bevs because there was no bar-cart or even a halfway building to buy stuff (There is no turn to clubhouse after the 9th.) Have a great time, but if you want to pay 75+ dollars, go to Treetops, or Black Lake.

A new twilight special of $20.00 after 4/5pm will get you UNLIMITED golf til dark. What a fantastic price.

The Greens were so smooth and rolled so true I couldn't believe it was the week before Memorial Day. I really like how there isn't an overabundance of sand traps on the course, but just enough for a challenge.

Alot of elevation changes and very challenging holes is the reason I keep coming back. And it's only 15 miles from our summer home. I try to play here at least 5 times a year, any more is a bonus.

Come check out this course and see where they get the name, GRANDVIEW!

I reviewed this course back when I played it in October 2016, but wanted to write again. Something about it keeps bringing me back. The fresh asphalt cartpaths constructed last year really make things SMOOTH. Also, the removal of many trees has really opened up some areas for sunlight to boost some growth (especially behind #2 Green and along-side #13 Fairway, always a tricky hole). The GREENS were putting very FAST and TRUE even with wet conditions as I endured all day. Bring your A-game to this A+ course.

Nestled in between tall Pines and Hardwoods, you'll want to keep it in the fairway on this mid-Michigan gem. It's very well maintained with some quicker greens and very intriguing layout, but can get into tough spots if you stray from the fairway. 4 sets of tees for any difficulty.

Will cost you $60 Prime-time, but always available for specials. Give it a shot.