Lives
Ann Arbor, MI
Handicap
15-19
Age
35-44
Gender
Male
Skill
Intermediate
Plays
Once every three months

Review Statistics

Average Rating

3.0
3.0
Total 3 Reviews

Rating Breakdown

3 Reviews
5 Stars
1
4 Stars
0
3 Stars
0
2 Stars
2
1 Stars
0
Recommended Courses
1
Not Recommended Courses
2
Helpful Votes Count
4
Not Helpful Votes Count
5
First Review
06/26/2019
Last Review
10/31/2020

Reviews Map

Reviews

3.0
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White Lake Oaks Golf Course

Played On 10/30/2020
2.0
First Time Playing
Cold weather
Used cart

Course is OK, don't like the Chainsmokers

The chainsmoking ranger seemed pleasant enough at check-in, but we knew something was up when he approached us at the 9th tee, of all places, and informed us that "the boss" had decided that the course was going to close at 4:30pm that day, regardless of whether or not we were done golfing, and no rain checks would be offered. After we finished the 18th, we were greeted by an angry version of the chansmoker, who was upset that we were 15 minutes past the time he told us, and that we had to hurry the carts in to have them sanitized (a dubious claim, considering the 3 workers were out the gate and to their cars all of 5 minutes later than we were).

Look boss, I'm sorry that you had it in your head that morning that since it was cold, you would be home before 5pm that day. You took our tee times, you accepted our collective $300 in greens fees, and let us tee off on the 1st without a word. At that point, your work day ends when the last group of golfers finishes their round, not at some arbitrary closing time that you have in your head.

As for the course, after getting away from the first two holes that run along a busy road, it was a nice enough stroll through some pleasant wooded landscape. The course is short, so you definitely won't use your whole bag, and the greens are pretty bland with your typical back-to-front tilt and few other features, but the par 3s were enjoyable, and the rest of the holes were decent enough for a nice late fall round. There were two S-shaped holes on the back 9 that were quite terrible, but they weren't enough to kill the round.

Overall we had a good time, and we appreciate being able to golf this late in the season, but we're not all Chainsmokers fans, ok?

Conditions Average
Value Fair
Layout Fair
Friendliness Poor
Pace Good
Amenities Fair
Difficulty Fairly Easy
2.0
Previously Played
Wet weather
Used cart

Bad Design

For the second year in a row our group played the Tradition, Premier, and Masterpiece (in that order), and for next year I will be recommending that we skip the Masterpiece. The conditioning was quite bad this year, and when combined with some really poorly designed holes, it's just not an enjoyable experience.

My main issue with the course is some really bad holes. It starts with the 3rd hole, where the fairway in the driving zone is domed and ejects all shots. Playing less than driver off of the tee is really the only option, leaving a mid- to long-iron into a sliver of a green. Despite a rainy spring, the greens played very firm, and this green kicked every one of our approach shots to the back section. This green does allow for a run-up shot, though, unlike many of the other holes. However, it's still one of the more difficult approaches, which is forced by the lack of options off of the tee.

The next hole, the par 3 4th, has been altered with a new green, as the original green has been turned into a practice area. The shot into the practice green is beautiful and framed perfectly by the woods. The alternate green, on the other hand, is a 180+ yard forced carry uphill with no fairway or run-up option, and surrounded by condos. The hole is unfinished, exactly as it was a year prior. It's a bad hole, and even more disappointing that nothing has been done to it in a year.

Up next, the par 5 5th is among the worst holes I've ever played. The fairway is domed and ejects drives down the right side into the woods, and down the left side into a deep ravine. The amount of holdable fairway on a drive has to be less than 10 yards wide. There is more room if playing less than driver, however the layup area has the same features as the rest of the fairway, kicking balls into the woods right and a ravine left. Because there are so few options for landing a ball safely on the hole, the pace of play bottlenecks here.

That 3-hole stretch is by far the worst, but even some of the better holes have problems. After the confusing blind uphill second shot on the par 5 10th, the 11th is a nice looking hole with an interesting drive around a left-hand bunker. Drives down the right side near the woods provides the best angle into a lot of the pins on the left side of the green. The firmness and ridge in the middle of the green make it near impossible to hold an approach, though, even with a wedge, negating any advantage from playing a good drive. The massively uphill green prevents any run-up shots, which would be required here.

The greens were in brutal shape, making it near impossible to hit a true putt. Some of the blue tee boxes were also in rough shape, or laughably sloped and uneven. I don't recall it being in bad shape last year, so this may be a temporary thing and doesn't bother me that much. Combined with the bad design, though, and I was ready for the round to end early.

Like the Premier and the Threetops course, there are some holes here with large downhill drops and great views, including the par 3 6th, and the short par 4 15th. For an extended first-time stay, I would recommend seeing the course and deciding for yourself. One play was enough for me, though, and two plays was too many. I'm hoping we won't come back to this one.

Conditions Poor
Value Fair
Layout Poor
Friendliness Good
Pace Fair
Amenities Good
Difficulty Extremely Challenging

The Tradition at Treetops Resort

Played On 06/23/2019
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Underrated

The Tradition does not have the dramatic views that the Premier and Masterpiece do, but is easily the most playable and subtly challenging. Between those three, the Tradition usually plays as the 2nd toughest behind the Masterpiece.

The fairways are generous and can be deceiving, as you still need to play to the right areas of the fairway to approach the greens. Playing an approach from a bad angle makes it tough to get close to the hole, and the greens have enough movement to make putts difficult. Along with the generous fairways, the max length of 6300 yards says easy course, but it's challenging without bashing you over the head like some of the courses at Treetops (*cough cough Masterpiece*).

The lack of cartpaths does make for a bumpy ride through the rough, but that's the natural side effect of not having cartpaths. I'm not a fan of cartpaths, but on the other hand with the course being so far from the clubhouse and the overall resort being heavy on golf cart use, it seems like the decision to make a walking course didn't really fit the location here.

Other than that, the course was in beautiful shape, the best out of the three we played. I thought this course was subtly good the first time I played it, and it confirmed that opinion again this year. I haven't played the Signature, but out of the other Treetops courses I enjoy this one the most.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
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