Arcadia Bluffs - The South Course

Staring out over this expansive property, the South course doesn’t appear to be too hard of a riddle to solve. Then you arrive at the first tee and you see cross bunker here, another there. And you can honestly overthink it.

The scale is massive and width is abundant, meaning you can shotgun-blast driver all day and it would be hard to lose a ball (there is not a single water hazard on the course and the fescue is cut down to nearly nothing).

But I likened my round here to turning the crank of one of those vintage jack-in-the-boxes. Two straightforward pars to begin the trek on the opening holes. Then, on the par-5 third, despite navigating the minefield of bunkers littering the fairway, I short-sided myself when my approach missed on the incorrect side. That’s when the mesmerizing music stopped and a double bogey leapt out of the box.

It proved hard to keep them pushed back in there, too. Never hit a ball OB. Never got trapped in one of those coffin bunkers benched into greens. Yet, still four doubles marred the card.

Fry and Straka lull players into focusing on all the things they should avoid instead of what they should be focused on. The amalgam of hillocks, hummocks and bunkers distract from what one really should be doing: hitting to the center of greens and putting toward the corners.

That strategy proved effective and rewarded me with five straight pars to open the inward half. That strategy, however, relies heavily on three-putt avoidance. Best be comfortable negotiating 40-60 footers. Balls find slight breaks that aren’t readily apparent to the naked eye and just keep rolling until gathered into swales. Many greens have square corners as well, which cause the edges to droop toward closely-mown areas or bunkers (think tablecloth hanging off the table0. I putted a 60-footer off the green en route to one of those aforementioned doubles.

The South is a newcomer this year to the Top 100 public rankings. It is vastly different from the sister course a mile or so down the road, and surprisingly a caddie told me he thinks it’s much harder than the Bluffs course.

I’ve driven past it a couple times and listened to a couple of podcasts about it so I was excited to finally get the chance to play this golden age replica course. However, once I got to play it I would say it just wasn’t for me. The course was in fantastic shape for early November. The conditions were ideal with what I would call light winds for this course (probably 15-20 mph).
What I liked:
Greens ran very smooth and true
Nice wide fairways
Expansive views.
Generally pretty mild slopes on the greens
What I didn’t like:
The combination of elevated , extremely firm greens that ran off an pretty much every side, many with blind approaches. On the down wind holes or holes requiring a long iron or wood on the approach it was almost impossible to hold the greens. You could try and play the ground game but the elevated greens don’t allow a true bump and run and the always windy conditions make it very difficult to judge how far your ball is going to roll. I Had multiple shots run off one of the edges of the green. Then you are left with a chip shot that you have to elevate to get above the green edge that would be next to impossible to stop close to the hole.
Given the opportunity to place this every day and pick up the nuances of playing the ground game to these very tough greens I might learn to love it. But as a play once or twice resort course I just didn’t really enjoy it.

When you roll up to this course your jaw is not going to be on the floor. Its very nice but not stunning. Its when you actually start your round you realize that you are playing a work of art. The course really does play like a true links course (often times course claim its links style golf but its not, definitely not the case here.) There is a ton of bunkers and I was honored to find many of them within the first 3 holes. I loved the modern feel that you get from the architecture with the combination of links golf, its very different to what I am used to playing.

As the round progressed the more the course had me thinking. I had to think about a lot of shots, not just grip and rip. I think that may turn some people off, but I really enjoyed the challenge.

The conditions of the course were outstanding, perfect shape. Not a blemish on the course. The staff is awesome too, they give you a heads up about how the course plays, very firm.

This is a course that if you played it again you would save an easy 5+ strokes just by knowing where to hit the ball, what traps are in play, how the approach shots play, etc. If its your first time playing this course, expect to get your butt kicked a little, especially if its windy. I sure got my butt handed to me, but it was still an amazing round and an awesome golf course.

This course is a great attempt at making a golden age course that the public can play. Course conditions were firm and fast, and the greens were some of the fastest I've ever played. The conditions at the South Course were exceptional and were some of the best I've seen anywhere (I would consider them comparable to Valhalla or Victoria National). I would highly recommend a forecaddie for your first trip around the course, as there are multiple blind tee shots and it can be difficult to know where to place the ball on the greens due to their massive size and slopes.
As amazing as the conditions of the course were, the real stars of the course are the incredible green complexes. The greens feature severe slopes and most feature 3-4 large tiers or mounds. The imagination and skill demanded to play around these greens made for an entertaining day.

Arcadia Bluffs South is a very new golf course, that when it matures, it will provide a wonderful alternative to the Bluffs course. Great layout, long, but it does run firm and fast so it’s still playable. Wonderful RECTANGULAR greens that are firm, smooth, and fast. You will use every club in your bag, and it’s a fun layout. The staff is professional and very friendly. They have golf carts with GPS and this helps with a new course. Caddie’s are available, but I didn’t use one. The greens were hard and mostly unreceptive, but by next year they will be better. But HARD AND FAST is the true links experience, I just prefer a little softer greens (I don’t expect a parkland atmosphere, just no large bounces). I would certainly recommend this course and I will be returning!

Oh, and dinner in the restaurant was outstanding!

The Good: The South Course at Arcadia Bluffs is a beautifully-conditioned Dana Fry & Jason Straka homage to golf courses of yesteryear, particularly C.B. Macdonald’s Chicago Golf Club. With its huge, square green complexes and rectangular, church pew style sand bunkers scattered all over the place, its quite the sight. Excellent course conditions that present an opportunity for firm & fast conditions, the green complexes are the real challenge. Given that the greens are so large, the course can set up different golf courses with 6-8 various pin locations. Good Par 4’s and Par-5 variety, but the real showcase is the extremely demanding and fun Par-3’s. Similar in style and look to the original Arcadia Bluffs clubhouse, the South course’s amenities are top notch. Nice indoor dining area and quaint outdoor seating area with its own Adirondack chairs. One of the finest short game areas I’ve seen on a public course. GPS on carts is a nice plus. Decent value at $130 considering the cost of many other premier Midwestern resort courses.

The Bad: There’s not much change in elevation or variety in the designs, but this is easily forgotten once you step on the crazy green complexes. Some of the pin locations are absurdly difficult when we played and didn’t really allow for even the most skilled of golfers to hit shots close to the green. The greens putt perfectly but were almost too firm for the average weekend golfer. Lack of outdoor dining area, particularly during Covid-19, was a bummer.

The Verdict: While it doesn’t have the lake views of the cache of its older sibling, the South Course at Arcadia Bluffs was the pleasant surprise of my golf trip in 2020. The variety of the green complexes were the true standout and the main reason why many actually prefer to play this course more often than the Bluffs. A Top 5 Michigan course I’ve played.

Best Hole: Even though it led to a triple bogey, the Par-3 5th hole is an 190-yard demon that I can’t wait to play again. A very tough green that is hoisted well above the tee-area, its has a huge fall-off to the left if you miss the green.

8 buddies on a golf trip thoroughly enjoyed the South course. Walked with caddies. Easy walk and a fun layout. Course and practice facilities were immaculate! Our caddies ( Travis & Ty) were really great. I’d definitely come back here again. My only complaint was that I requested individual caddies for each person in our group. When we checked in we were told we would only have 3 caddies. Only 2 caddies showed up.

Played this course a couple days after playing the Bluffs course. I have to say, this course is extremely difficult. I would say as of right now, it's almost set up for the pros because it is so firm; thus, increasing the difficulty.

Regarding the conditions... I said excellent because the course is pristine but here's the full scoop. The fairways are very very wide so there is some freedom to spray the ball but once in the fescue, it's best to just chop out. The fairways are still very firm and this will give one significant roll off the tee and when approaching the green (it's a smart play to land the ball short of the green and get it to bounce and roll onto the green). The greens are incredibly firm, which means that spinning a lob wedge from 80 yards with a full swing will yield a bounce, and no check (surprisingly). The greens are incredibly fast and that makes for some great putting! The greens all have false sides and hitting to the middle of the green is the safest play. The green-side bunkers have a ring of "rough" around them so if can leave a tough shot where the ball is stuck in the rough instead of the bunker (I wished they rolled into the bunker instead of staying the in the rough).

Overall, it's a great, very difficult course to play and I would recommend you play once (at your own peril lol) to say that you've played it but I would wait a couple of years until the conditions soften up.

Really enjoyed the layout and course conditions and the practice areas, first class! Now for the not so great. Paid my money but no directions to the practice facilities. Another minus was they said there would be a beverage cart out. We did not see one all day and it was toasty!
The final negative is that as a single I was stuck in between 2 foursomes. The foursome let me through, but the three some in front of them did not ask me to join them?
Pace of play?
It is a GREAT NEW COURSE TO PLAY!

I thought that the South Course would have been polarizing and reviews would have a love it or hate it showing. I am pleasantly surprised that all reviews are favorable. I would have thought that an old school architecture course with firm fast conditions, ground game emphasis, massive contoured greens and no water in sight would have been hated by plenty. I am glad that I am wrong; instead, it has been nothing but love by reviewers and add me to that list.
The course itself is all that is mentioned above and then some. Very Linksy firm and fast golf here. Take 15 yards off your approach shot and watch the roll. It is also very strategic as plenty of fairways have bunkers in the middle of them or cross bunkers. Both of these force decisions and accuracy. I've only seen this at links courses, but they are prevalent in Golden Age Private courses in the USA. The style of golf is mentally engaging and shotmaking is emphasized. Using slopes to bring the ball towards the pin happens frequently. Thinking about the run that your drive will have forces different lines on tee shots. In the end, you are going to have a lot of fun. I wish that I had time for 36 as things are learned in the first round that would help with future rounds. This could be a course for a lifetime as different pin positions and wind will demand different angles and shots.
Off the course, they have a driving range, putting green and chipping green. There is a temporary clubhouse which really just has a proshop and small restaurant but it has a good menu. (They are building a full clubhouse and maybe some lodging) The drive from the main lodge is only 10 minutes so not a big deal. Pace of play was great as I went out as a single and only had to play through one foursome. I was done in about 2.5 hours. Twilight rates make it reasonable. I also think that this course is quite walkable and the only walk of any type of distance would be between the two nines.
Over all this is a can't miss if you are in Michigan. Any golf trip to Northern Michigan should have this on the agenda. A unique, wonderful and fun public course experience.

Started off the 6 course, 3-day weekend with 20 bros at the South course. The training facility was pristine with everything you could imagine, use the bunkers because you’ll need the practice to slay this beast.

On to the course, it was in great shape but I feel like the rough and fescue need to grow a bit. My playing partners consistently blasted it, what one would guess is, outta bounds but no balls were ever lost and they had quite a day scrambling around the pitch.

The greens played a bit slower than expected. Be wary, every hole there is a trap waiting 250-290 yards in the fairway ready to eat your ball. The greens don’t get friendlier as most are better protected by bunkers than Fort Knox is with barbed wire.

Good luck, be ready for beach play

I had the chance to play the brand new South Course twice over three days. I played from different tees in a different wind direction but walked both times. It's a very intuitive and walkable routing, something that can't be said for the more dramatic Bluffs course up the road.

The design here was a real treat and is sure to get a lot of attention as it matures. The site is certainly not showy like the Bluffs course but architect Dana Fry made the most of it, delivering something totally unique and unexpected given what seems to be the trends in resort golf these days. The angular, Chicago Golf/Seth Raynor-inspired shaping makes each shot engaging. I had a blast on it.

Each nine has a killer stretch of holes. On the front, Nos. 5-6-7 are great, and on the back, I especially love nos. 15-17. For those who think the Bluffs is too penal for them, it's really hard to get into too much trouble on the South.

What was especially impressive was the turf quality of the 007 bent grass, probably an 8.5-9/10 in terms of where they want it to be. Despite two days in a row of big storms, the fairways still rolled nicely and you could putt and bump-and-run shots into the green. Give the fescue areas another couple summers to really pop and make this place light up.

Arcadia hasn't made the big splash some other modern resorts have but they have slowly and methodically created a first-class destination over 20 years and now with two courses to play, a stay-and-play here is a real no-brainer.

Four of us had the real pleasure if playing this new Dana Fry creation, inspired by renowned Chicago Golf. It is A+ in every sense and highly recommend playing it next season.

This is probably the most mentally engaging course I have ever played. Every shot makes you think about where you want it to land. It was drizzling almost all day when I played this course, and the greens were still extremely firm and fast. There is almost no hope of having a ball spin backwards on these greens. You need to use the undulations to feed the ball towards the hole which makes for some very fun shots.

The greens. These are what make the course great. They roll perfectly, and have crazy undulations without being unfair. Each one is so unique.

Off the tee the fairways are pretty wide, but you do have to navigate the nasty fairway bunkers. If you go in one there is almost no shot of hitting the green. All of the bunkers were in perfect shape, even after a good bit of rain.

Some of the best holes:
Hole 2 is a short par 4 that is reachable for longer hitters with a severely undulating green. My buddy drove it and 3 putt for par.

Hole 5 is an uphill par 3 that may as well be an island green. Miss left and you are in a 6 foot deep bunker, miss right or short and your ball will roll 30 yards off the green.

Hole 9 is a long par 4 with a large false front in front of the green. The green is massive with two plateaus in the back right and left making two putts difficult if you are on the wrong tier.

Hole 12 is a Lions Mouth green which means it is shaped like a horse-shoe around a bunker in front of the green. Severely down hill off the tee, fun shot.

Hole 13 is a long uphill dogleg right with a pair of snake-eye bunkers 40 yards short of the green. The green is a giant punch-bowl style green funneling all shots towards the middle of it.

Hole 16 is a 230 yard par 3 that played into the wind for us, miss short or left and your ball will funnel into a collection area 15 feet below green level.

Hole 17 pays homage to Oakmont's famous church pew bunkers. DO NOT miss into these bunkers or you may be playing out straight sideways.

There is no clubhouse built yet at the South Course which was my only low mark from my experience there. There is no driving range but a really good putting and short game area. Pace of play was average, but I imagine the rain slowed everyone down a bit. You definitely need to add this to your must play list.

I'm going to start this review by saying for the most part, I will not be comparing the South course to the Bluffs course. There is such a huge different between the two that I don't believe it's fair to compare them. That being said, this is some of the most fun and challenging golf I've ever played.

Despite being inland, with no views of water and only two trees on the course, the views are captivating. The landscape rolls gently in some places and very harshly in others. The sun hitting the native grasses is gorgeous and the bunkers provide a delightful contrast amidst the greens and yellows.

The course plays very fast. Low shots will be your friend, especially off the tee and around the greens. It's in your best interest to roll your ball where it needs to end up instead of carrying it there. It's a play style that I've only ever had to use at the Kingsley Club, and it's one I thoroughly enjoy. It requires a lot more thinking and planning than the average golf course (especially around the crowed greens). The bunkers are strategically placed to gobble up your miss-hits. It's tough to make par after ending up in one, but it's a fun challenge. I don't think I've ever had to think this much while playing golf. It makes me want to play this course over and over.

With the opening of this course, I believe Arcadia Bluffs should be one of the top golf resorts in the Midwest. There are not many places where you can play two courses so uniquely different, both with breathtaking views. I love playing the Bluffs course, but the South course makes me want to come back just as much. I didn't think a new Arcadia course could possibly stand up to its older sibling, but the South course surprised me. Do yourself a favor and come play one of the most fun and unique golf courses you'll ever play in your life. I'll be back soon!