Muskegon Nation Membership Evaluate – GolfBlogger Golf Weblog

Muskegon Nation Membership Evaluate

Muskegon Nation Membership
Grade: A+
Academics’ Feedback: I might play Muskegon CC day-after-day for the remainder of my life.

I don’t typically get the prospect to play personal golf equipment, however due to the Golf Affiliation of Michigan’s “Golf Days” program and the generosity of Muskegon CC in internet hosting the occasion, I used to be ready to soak up this lovely traditional course.

A traditional parklands course, Muskegon CC is routed over gently rolling hills — historical sand dunes, actually — inside a stone’s throw of Lake Michigan. You’ll be able to’t see the lake from any level, however on the clubhouse hill, you’ll be able to see Lake Muskegon, which is simply off Lake Michigan.

Muskegon CC’s unique designer was Tom Bendelow in 1908. Donald Ross subsequently started a redesign in 1920. Then, as typically occurs, the course was tweaked through the years, most notably by Michigan’s “First Household” of golf architects, The Matthews.

Nonetheless, I feel it probably that a lot of Ross’ design stays. It actually “feels” like a traditional course.

The routing takes full benefit of the pure terrain. The 2 nines head out from – and return to — a hill on the north facet on which the Clubhouse is perched. Ross described it as a “fan” with the clubhouse because the axis and the holes because the spines.

Holes for probably the most half run parallel, separated by ridges and stands of timber. As shut because the holes are, with the embankments, woods and tall fescue, they typically really feel remoted.

I think that the ridges are pure extensions of the principle hill that Bendelow and Ross used advantageously. I doubt they’d the type of earth transferring capability utilized by far too many architects in later years.

You’ll be able to see a number of the gap separation within the slideshow beneath.

Certainly one of my favourite issues about traditional designs are open inexperienced fronts that invite quite a lot of method pictures. Given the gear of the day, I feel it unlikely that folks within the Nineteen Twenties have been utilizing a wedge to lob a ball in from 150 yards and spinning it again. A extra probably situation is that the majority membership golfers have been hitting decrease, runnng pictures that may roll up and on. Muskegon CC’s open fronts accomodate that, however typically improve the issue with openings pinched by bunkers, or with greens that flip at an angle to a straight line down the golf green.

There are simply two actual doglegs, however with the rolling terrain, I didn’t notice it till I checked out a satellite tv for pc photograph. It appeared to me that on almost each gap, I used to be requested to attempt to angle a shot to at least one facet or the opposite to keep away from — or make the most of — a slope, a constriction, or a fairway bunker.

It’s the form of course the place there’s a lot to study. Whilst straight because the holes seem from above, on the bottom it’s way more advanced.

With so many good selections, I discover it exhausting to determine only one favourite gap. If pressed, nevertheless, I might say it was the par 5 fourteenth.

From a barely elevated tee, the golf green is initially framed by a slight knoll of fescue on the proper, and pinched by bunkers on both facet. Left appears to be the play right here, for a stand of timber within the distance can restrict ahead progress from the proper (ask me how I do know).

As soon as previous the timber, the golf green dips down, proper and to the inexperienced, tilting barely up and down on the sides because it goes. The opening to the inexperienced is pinched barely by three bunkers.

It’s a wake board journey of a gap.

The eighth additionally was notable. On this comparatively quick par 4, the golf green kicks barely downward from the tee shot touchdown zone, then rises once more to the inexperienced.

That inexperienced is evil. It sits perched on a slight rise, falls off on all sides and has a bunker on the left. Select your method iron properly.

Probably the most spectacular view on the course, although, is from the again tees on the fourth. The entire course seems to be in a little bit of a bowl between two excessive dune-hills.

I can personally attest that Muskegon CC is a troublesome championship course. I can normally make my manner effectively, if not spectacularly, round a course. Muskegon beat me up and took my lunch cash.

I might do a lot better, I feel, on a return play. If they’d caddies, I’d take one. It’s the form of course the place I feel you could possibly save a half dozen pictures with expertise or steerage.

From the again tees, Muskegon performs to a 6, 697 with a Ranking of 73 and a Slope of 139.

Circumstances on the day I performed have been proverbial nation membership high quality. Every little thing was in tip high form. Of observe, I assumed, have been the massive expanses of tall fescue that contrasted beautifuly with the prim and correct fairways and greens.

If you happen to get an opportunity to play Muskegon Nation Membership, don’t cross it by. I’m grateful to the membership and to GAM for the prospect to play however would like to return to stroll a spherical (we needed to journey on the GAM day).

The Muskegon Nation Membership golf course assessment was first printed February 15, 2025 from notes and pictures taken on a spherical performed throughout the 2024 season. For a listing of all of GolfBlogger’s Michigan golf course opinions, comply with the hyperlink.

A course tour of Muskegon Nation Membership follows: