SStombs89

Every positive thing you've ever heard about this gem of a facility is absolutely true. I've been wanting to play this course for over a decade, but just haven't gotten around to it. I'm moving to AZ in 2 weeks, so this was at the top of my MI bucket list. I played it at 3pm on a Wed to take advantage of the $55 summer midweek twilight rate, and this course is worth at least double the money. Everything, from the conditioning to the layout to the views, everything is just extraordinary. I've played the Treetops Masterpiece course once before, and this course is basically a spiritual replica in the best sense between the immense undulation and elevation changes, along with the sometimes 20 mile views on some of the teeboxes. In terms of difficulty, it's probably the most difficult course I've ever played tee-to-green, but not necessarily the greens (which I'll get to). The heavily forested feel is just beautiful to behold, but brutal if you're at all claustrophobic off the tee. Is the course long? Yes. But I can't recall one uphill tee shot, but there are countless 30+ ft drops which add a lot of extra yardage for you. For as intimidating as the tee shots can be, the greens are very receptive to solid shots and putt slower than they look. I struck the ball very well, hitting 13 GIR, but only made 3 birdies mainly for leaving putts short giving the greens too much respect. Even 3-putted twice doing that. So yes they're a bit quicker than "normal" courses, but nothing like country club fast like they sometimes look, so give them a good run to score well. All in all, this course is worth double the amount they charge, so don't let that be the only thing holding you back from one of, if not THE best golfing experience in SE MI like I did for too long. This course has it all, and you may even go into the clubhouse after the round to beg the asst. pro to charge you full price for a 2nd 18 lol maybe not, but once you play this course once, you won't not want to play it again! This is type of "Pure Michigan" golf I'm going to miss when moving to the Southwest...

I've heard good things about this course from a few friends, and finally decided to try it out. If I'm going out that way, I usually stop at Boulder Pointe (which is a great track), but this was a very pleasant surprise. They sent us off of #10, and my first impression standing on the "first" tee: WOW! I'm probably biased in saying this, because it was my first experience playing this course, but I truly think the nines should be switched because the view from the 10th tee is like a dream and deserves to be your first impression of the course. Huge sightlines of most of the (very undulating) holes of the back nine, and even a few miles past. Like an "up-north" feel combined with rolling hills like something you'd find in the southern states. Speaking of which, I'd have to compare this to Augusta National in terms of the degree of undulation and slopes. Words/pictures really don't do them justice until you see them first-hand. Other than that, the course is difficult, but not unfairly so. I fortunately had my "A-game" and hit a personal best of 15/18 GIR, with only 7/14 FW. My point, even if you're in trouble off the tee, you still have a solid chance of hitting the greens with not many trees obstructing your view of the green. That being said, you have to give all your focus on hitting solid tee shots, and making sure to play away/around the trouble (lakes, in particular). Now, the greens... I hit 15 of them in reg, but only made 2 birdies. I felt like I was putting rather well with good speed control, but the greens are just pretty speedy and have a lot of break. Hard enough just to make a 4-5ft par save, let alone anything over 15-20ft, which you'll get a lot of even if you're hitting good shots. Play twice as much break as you think most of the time. All in all, a very stern yet fair test of golf that's probably as much of an Augusta National replica as you'll find here in MI. In terms of undulation, at least. Enjoy the views!

I was rather pleased with Eagle Eye. I'm a longer hitting (tour length), 3 hdcp, young private instructor who is always looking for a strong, challenging course. Not just length-wise, but strategically layout-wise as well. This course absolutely delivered. At 7,300 yds, it's not the longest course I've ever played, but definitely in my top 5. More than any other course I've ever played, accuracy off the tee on every hole, not just the 4's and 5's, is imperative to scoring well. I can only think of 2 holes here where there's no water in play. With that being said, I hit more long irons and 3-woods off the tee than drivers for accuracy reasons, but also knowing that the course conditions would allow the ball the roll out a little more than normal. Albeit I'm a longer hitter and might have that luxury, but either way no matter what teebox your're playing, we're all generally hitting to the same spots off the tee. It's a true first-shot course in that regard, as opposed to a second-shot course which is more straightforward and wide-open where more distance off the tee can mean multiple club's difference into the green. Anyway, it's a truly Pete Dye influenced track, especially with holes like 1, 7, 8, & 16 where it requires one shot shape off the tee and the opposite into the green. Fortunately I had my "A game" that day and shot a 76 from the tips, which matched the high course rating of 75.9, but I can absolutely see hitting some loose shots here and there and running up a huge number before you know what hit you. Luckily I haven't yet experienced the teeth of this course, but I have a feeling that I inevitably will next time :-/ lol. I have to mention the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass replica; it's an absolute gem and pleasure to play. It is an exact replica of the most famous par 3 hole in golf, and the only other place to experience it outside of Ponte Vedre Beach, FL. It was so surreal standing on that teebox after watching it on TV hundreds of times. It actually looks shorter in person. The nerves definitely started just before I hit, but I found the green and made par. By far the most gratifying par of my life. If you have time and you won't slow down any groups behind you, I'd highly recommend taking your time and soaking that hole in. My only negative about that hole is it's not quite as firm/fast as the original, so the Tiger "better than most" putt (yes, I attempted to recreate it a few times lol) wasn't quite possible but again, was surreal to try. To rap this up, I was very impressed with the condition of this course for being so new (<15 years old), and it could definitely use another decade or 2 to mature into an absolute masterpiece. I'd compare it to, or even slightly ahead of other higher-end new courses like Boulder Pointe, The Orchards, Coyote Preserve, and Shepherd's Hollow. This course is absolutely worth the drive and price, even just for the TPC Sawgrass 17th replica hole alone. You won't be disappointed!

A mainstay for us living in the northeastern suburbs of Detroit. The practice facility alone is basically legendary and has everything you need to work on every aspect of your game. As for the course, it's a bit tricky, or some might even call quirky. Favor accuracy over distance off the tee every time there's trouble in play. Even from the tips, it's not that long of a course, so keep driver in the bag most of the time unless you're like Steve Stricker and hit it on a clothesline every time. The back nine is the more scoreable of the 2, but only if you play it correctly. This means, especially for the longer hitters, KEEP THE DRIVER IN THE BAG! Was that clear enough? I would only ever consider taking it out on #18, but that's a very tight tee-shot, and a risky shot going for it in 2. With that being said, this course will always have a special place in my heart because I was fortunate enough to make an albatross 2 on #18 a couple years ago. Best golfing moment of my life, and one of the most treasured period. Overall to rap this up, if you keep the ball in play and play all of the par-5s as 3-shot holes, then you'll save yourself countless strokes and frustration. Play smart and enjoy!

I've played about a dozen rounds here going back to high school golf where this course hosted our Regional tournament. If it's your first time playing here, it may be a bit of a shock to the system how quick and undulating the conditions are, and how seemingly tight the landing areas off the tee might be. But trust me, the more you play here and learn where you can get away with missing it, the more enjoyable the experience will be. Even from the tips, it doesn't play that long because the fairways run out so much. This means your #1 priority should be putting the ball in the fairway off the tee, rather than automatically taking driver just for distance. Even fairway woods, hybrids, and long irons will get plenty of roll to leave you a manageable length approach shot. The greens are generally large and receptive to well-struck shots, but definitely putt pretty quick. Trust me, play almost 1/3 more speed and almost twice as much break as you think, especially on putts over 10ft. On holes like 6, 8, & 13 which are dogleg right holes with trees/hazard along the right, give yourself plenty of room to aim left and fade/slice it to not roll in there. This is a course where you can miss it sometimes up to 100 yds right off the tee, but generally not left a fraction of that much because of hazards/O.B. Overall, one of the best public courses in Metro Detroit and impeccable conditions. Try to play as often as you can, since it only gets better the more you play it!

I've wanted to play this course for awhile, and finally did as a warm-up for the Golden Fox. It was so much fun! I can't think of another 18-hole par 3 course in MI; even Threetops is only 9 holes. I hit everything from 60* wedge to 6-iron on these holes, so it's a great iron warm-up prior to playing the other bigger courses at Fox Hills, or just as a nice quick, enjoyable round with some friends. As a private instructor, I'm well aware that the golf course business is dropping a bit in participation and revenue, so I'm a proponent for this new Foot Golf craze. They have Foot Golf pins set up on each hole, if you're kicking a soccer ball rather than hitting a golf ball that day, so it's kind of cool to be out on the course with soccer balls flying around too lol. I'd like to try it someday, and this is the only facility I know of that has it around here. Overall, a great fun little stress-free course you need to try!

I've played this course several times, and it's always a solid challenge. It's the perfect combo of what I define as a first-shot and second-shot golf course. It's a first-shot course in the sense that there's so much trouble in play off the tee, that more often than not there's trouble left and/or right of the fairway, so you'd be better suited laying back and getting the ball in play. But it can also play as a second-shot course since there's not much bunkering or intense doglegs to worry about hitting a relatively straight driver into, so if you can hit the driver straight you'll make the course play much shorter and easier to score. From the tips, I've shot everything from 73-82, playing about the same each time. Just goes to show how quickly the course can jump up and bite you with even a slightly loose shot. Overall, a great facility where I'd recommend playing the Strategic Fox 18-hole par 3 course as a warm-up beforehand. Very fun!

I've played here about 4-5 times the past couple years, and it's always an enjoyable experience. I don't know about you, but how often do you get the chance to play a semi-private club with country club conditions for an affordable price? That's what you get here. The course, especially the par 5s, can play rather long since accuracy is at a premium off the tee. There's seemingly always some sort of trouble (usually marshes) lurking off the tee, so take less club and just get the ball in play if you're at all nervy about taking driver. The par 3s can play rather long, especially from the tips, so play more than enough club, swing smooth, and make solid contact to get it there. The par 3 6th is dramatically uphill, so take 2 more clubs than your usual choice. Pack your patience, and a few more balls, but have fun!

This course can be a stern test of every facet of your game. It can play rather long, especially from the tips. It can play rather narrow, with lakes/marshes/lateral/O.B. lurking on seemingly every tee shot. And the greens more often than not, even after rain softens the course, play firmer than expected for some reason and can putt ridiculously quick with tons of break. That being said, if that's the kind of test you're looking for, then by all means give it a shot once in awhile. But if that's not quite your cup of tea, then you'll save yourself hours of frustration and countless golf balls by skipping it entirely. The conditions of this course used to be much better maybe 5-10 years ago (albeit most courses this year suffered "winter burn"), but quite frankly if you're making the drive to this area of town, you'll be much better served driving an extra 1/2 mile up the road to a certain course that I'll refrain from naming that has an apple in its logo because it far exceeds anything you'll find here.

This is a great, rather stress-free course to take driver out on nearly every single hole and let the big dog eat! It seems kind of rare (at least the courses I usually play in Metro Detroit/SE MI) to have literally a wide open golf course with no trees. It's liberating to be able to swing for the fences with driver knowing you can miss it a fairway either way and still have a shortish shot at the green. Conditions here tend to be a little bit wet, or even soggy if it's rained in the past week or 2, since it sits in a bit of a bowl. Other than than, the greens are decently smooth and surprisingly quick for being so soft. This course should always be on your short list if you're looking for an affordable, easy-going round with your buddies. Oh, one more thing, I think it's hole #10 that has a cavernously deep bunker back-left of the green. A.) DON'T HIT IT THERE, and B.) if you won't be holding up groups behind you, it's fun to try at least once to throw a ball down there and see if you can hit it out. It's easily the deepest bunker I've ever seen, probably about 12 ft deep or more, no joke.