FEATURED COURSE
Trying to describe the Golf Club at Yarrow in an article is like trying to describe the Sistine Chapel by interpretive dance. It’s impossible to put into words the view from the first tee, the brilliance of the fifth hole, the green on eight or ten, the sloping contours and pristine quality of every single fairway, or the sheer enormity of the greens. The entire staff at Yarrow also deserves every single accolade they receive. From the grounds crew to the desk staff, they have already put Yarrow on the map as one of the best courses in the Midwest.
Yarrow Golf & Conference
Center |
It helps to have one of the finest course
architects in the country, Ray Hearn, design your course. Hearn
took what was mostly forested land, and made it into a course
that is a work of art. The fairways are ginormously (gigantically
enormous) wide, and more rolling than an ocean preparing for
a hurricane. If you miss the fairway by two or three yards,
you’re in thick,
ankle-deep rough. But, miss the fairway by more than three yards
and you’re in what the locals call, “the wheat”.
Of course, it isn’t wheat, it’s fescue – and
it’s up to your waist, thick, and virtually impossible
to get out of. Then again, you’re the one who missed a
60 yard wide fairway, so don’t blame Mr. Hearn.
Number
one is possibly the most intimidating first hole on any Michigan
golf course. A 550+ yard par five that is all up hill once you
get off the tee. From the tips, I challenge any big hitter to
get home in two. The second is a short par three, protected well
by bunkers and “wheat.” The enormous
green (and this article with be lousy with redundancies in describing
greens … but they’re huge), slopes back to front
and, in places, right to left. Number three is a medium length
par four with a three-tiered green (it’s very large, by
the way) with collection areas and bunkers surrounding it. If
you don’t find the correct tier on your approach, good
luck. Number four is a slight dogleg right, with trees on the
right coming into play on your drive. This sizeable green slopes
back to front with two tiers. Number five is one of the most
challenging holes in the area. The tee shot offers infinite options
on whether or not to bring the water into play on your drive.
Big hitters may even decide to go for the green from the tee.
The sixth hole is a par three with a green the size of most National
Parks. It is possible to be on the green and have a 50 yard putt.
Get it close, or you’re in for a ride. Number seven is
a breath-taking par five with a dramatically left to right sloping
fairway. The big hitters can go for the green in two, but bunkers
protect the front from any roll-up attempts. Number eight is
a great par 4. Your tee shot must navigate around (or over, or
stay short of) a bunker. From there you will have a mid-iron
approach shot to a green you can’t really see … but
you’d better take a look before you hit it. The green (which
is substantial) slopes dramatically away from you, with a second
tier on the back that is at least three feet below the front
tier. What a hole! You’ll finish the front on a medium
length par four that slopes downhill and plays perfectly for
a draw. A short to mid iron approach to a (you guessed it) large,
sloping green could leave you with a great birdie attempt.
The
back nine starts with a rolling par four with a fairway that
slopes to the right (funneling slightly errant drives into the
wheat on the right). But the story of ten is, of all things,
the green. Sure, it’s gigantic, but it also appears to
have been built over the back of a Mastodon. A huge plateau in
the middle of the green makes even a two foot putt a great adventure.
The eleventh is a par five with a generous fairway. A solid drive
will give you a chance at getting home in two. Short and right
of the green all slopes to the green, but watch out for flying
it into that area, as it’s been known to deliver some nasty
bounces. The twelfth hole is a par four, dogleg ninety-degrees
right. Make sure to pick the right club off the tee, or you’ll
be ball hunting. Big hitters may decide to have a go at 13. But,
if you miss the fairway you are asking for a big number. The
fourteenth is a short par four with a fairway as wide as the
Mojave. Choose your drive wisely, and it’s a great birdie
opportunity. Fifteen is a par 3 you don’t want to miss
long. A wide, and still big, green offers plenty of opportunities
for pin placements. The sixteenth hole is gorgeous – miss
left and your down a forested cliff, miss right and you’re
on a hill and in the wheat. A decent drive offers most people
a chance to go for it in two, but make sure you find the right
tier of the green or you’re asking for an almost certain
three putt. The seventeenth hole has been a trouble spot for
Yarrow, until recently. This beautiful hole simply wasn’t
getting enough sunlight to keep the young green thriving. After
tree removal and time for the green to take hold, it is now a
beautiful and challenging par 3 that makes Yarrow complete. You’ll
finish your round on the par 4 eighteenth that has a breathtaking
view from the tee, so bring your camera. The hole calls for a
solid drive and precise approach. This final massive green has
subtle slope and is ripe for golfers to sink a long one.
I
can’t imagine golf getting much better than at Yarrow.
The people there are as classy as the course is magnificent.
The course is designed to offer an incredible challenge, without
being unfair. If you hit their enormous fairways and greens,
you should score pretty well. If you end up in the fescue, well,
you did it to yourself. It’s an outstanding golf course,
and an amazing experience. As they say in their advertising,
I would adamantly encourage you to “experience a masterpiece … Experience
Yarrow.”
