Rippling Rapids Golf Course Assessment

Rippling Rapids Golf Course Assessment

Rippling Rapids Golf Course
Cheboygan, Michigan
Grade: D
Academics’ Feedback: An area course that wants some work.

At some degree it’s refreshing to discover a low price Mother-and-Pop course in Northern Michigan among the many scores of resort programs with their resort-course costs. It not less than partially solutions the query: The place do the locals play, as a result of I can’t think about they’re commonly paying $80 a spherical (for these exterior of Michigan, you should perceive that $80 is an costly course. Sure, we’ve got it good.)

Among the many 300 some programs I’ve performed and reviewed, there are a number of dozen unpretentious, value-priced programs serving each small cities and huge the place I’ve left considering: I can’t suggest anybody journey any nice distance to play at that course, however the locals are fortunate to have it.

Rippling Rapids may be very clearly geared toward an area golf market, however on this case, with slightly extra work, the locals can be higher served.

The course is former farmland — broad open, with occasional stands of timber, an irrigating creek and a farm pond. If there was no signage or constructing, one may drive by and see solely acreage left fallow.

Rippling Rapids’ holes are largely straight forwards and backwards affairs. The routing takes good benefit of what curiosity the land affords in finding a number of tees and greens on rises and by incorporating a pond in entrance of a tee field. The pond is of little consequence, however it’s the thought that issues.

On the draw back, I had a number of actually befuddling moments the place I used to be fully not sure the place I used to be purported to hit the ball. On a pair others, I had no concept the place the tee field was situated. This was notably perplexing on one gap the place after ending on the inexperienced, I needed to traverse again down the size of the opening to get again to the subsequent tee. They have been parallel, however not sequential.

A lot of the issue was that the whole subject gave the impression to be minimize to a uniform top: mid degree tough. The fairways have been mowed to not less than the peak of a typical first minimize of tough. And so was the tough. Worse, the identical vegitation (largely not grass) that lined the tough comprised the fairways. All of it seemed the identical to me.

Rippling Rapids may vastly enhance that state of affairs by letting the areas between holes develop out a bit to outline the fairways. The bunkers may additionally use work.

And whereas I’m making ideas, I’ve a pair extra: 1) add some extra indicators to assist with instructions and a couple of) get aggressive with the timber on the again 9.

About that again 9: 5 of the holes are throughout a creek in a semi-wooded space. It’s a pleasant change of tempo, however timber blocked the road of play on a number of holes. Or perhaps they didn’t. As I nonetheless had issues realizing the place the tees and fairways have been, I could have been aiming within the incorrect path.

Rippling Rapids is a par 70 that is available in at 5, 060 yards.

Within the last evaluation, I can’t suggest a visit to Rippling Rapids. I’ll observe, nevertheless, that there have been a number of teams out on the day I performed and so they gave the impression to be having enjoyable. Rippling Rapids additionally has a restaurant and bar that have been busy.

The Rippling Rapids golf course assessment was printed December 28, 2024 from notes and pictures taken on a spherical performed in the summertime of 2024. For all of GolfBlogger’s golf course evaluations, observe the hyperlink.

A photograph tour of Rippling Rapids follows: