Great Lakes Loops

It’s been a long strange trip to confirming that, yes, Kingsley Club is building a second course, and yes, it’s being designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. After years of being tight-lipped about it, the information was finally officially revealed to members yesterday.

#migolfcourseaerialoftheday Request “Michigan’s oldest continuously played golf course.” Sounds unprovable, true or false, so definitely run with it. The place looks awesome, and has a solid logo to boot. 📸: Google

This is White Lake Oaks, a 1930 design by Don Van Tine. It’s $52 with a cart, or $60 with a scooter. Mostly not great and not terrible. Except for the weird dogleg around the water, which is definitely terrible.

#migolfcourseaerialoftheday Feature 670 This course features Finn Scooter rentals. Cool. Help me out - why is a rental fee more than a cart fee? They are cheaper to buy than carts, and better for the course. Just being opportunistic because it’s a novelty? 📸: Google

This is Lakelands in Brighton. Founded 1922, 18 holes by 1927. Mike DeVries began working with the club in 2019, with construction carried out by Paul Albanese and Chris Lutzke. Jerry Matthews was almost certainly involved with the course, as well, before the most recent work.

#migolfcourseaerialoftheday Request I think it’s been about 7 years or so since the club began working on a renovation master plan? It looks pretty finished to me. Put this down as one I need to see before the end of the season. 📸: Apple

This is College Fields in Okemos, a 2005 design by David Savic ($75). Savic, who is now an associate of Nicklaus Design, said his architectural inspiration was Alwoodley and Crystal Downs (Mackenzie), and Holston Hills (Ross).

#migolfcourseaerialoftheday As a website stickler, I can’t let the claim “one of the most recent golf courses built in Michigan” slide for a course that is 21 years old. Granted only a dozen courses in the state are newer, but… a dozen courses in the state are newer.

This is the Culver Academies Golf Course in Culver, Indiana. It’s a 1924 Langford & Moreau design, restored by Bobby Weed in 2015. It’s a little over an hour maybe from the Dunes Club. Putting two of America’s best 9-holers in Michiana.

#migolfcourseaerialoftheday National request I’ve read about the course. I’ve seen pictures of the course. I feel like I know what needs to be known about the course. Yet I’m still blown away by how good it looks from above. 📸: Apple

Today’s newsletter looks at how we got here, and what we now know. open.substack.com/pub/greatlakes…

It’s been a long strange trip to confirming that, yes, Kingsley Club is building a second course, and yes, it’s being designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. After years of being tight-lipped about it, the information was finally officially revealed to members yesterday.

This is Holly Meadows in Capac… not Holly. It’s a 1996 Don Childs design, peak $50. Besides cornhole, there is a heavy web emphasis on promoting weddings at the club. The course features multiple man made water hazards and wall to wall cart paths, if nothing else.

#migolfcourseaerialoftheday Feature 669 I wonder how many people book a round here expecting it to be in the town that it shares a name with? It’s actually an hour away. And there is a first for everything - the website has a tab solely dedicated to cornhole. 📸: Google 2017

This is the Swampfire course at Garland & the Sawyer 10-hole reversible short course. Ron Otto designed Swampfire in 1987, peak rate of $140. The antithesis of value golf. Kelly Shumate designed the short course, opened 2025, $50. I’ll be keeping a closer eye on Shumate.

#migolfcourseaerialoftheday Feature 668 Proudly advertises that this course features water on 16 of 18 holes. Sorry, but I don’t think that’s a good thing, and this course looks terrible. At least the short course looks cool though. 📸: Google

Here is the Oceana feature from a few weeks ago: greatlakesloops.substack.com/p/oceana-golf-…

This is Oceana GC in Shelby. Built by locals in 1962, purchased by Jason Wenk in 2020, who funded numerous upgrades to the course under the guidance of pro Marc Inglis and superintendent Corey Parmalee. The new range will be a great benefit to the First Tee of West Michigan.

#migolfcourseaerialoftheday If you follow the newsletter, this one should look familiar from a few weeks ago. This is 2025 imagery, with all of the new holes and driving range included. Quite the transformation over the last 5+ years. 📸: Google

This is Shamrock Hills in Gobles. It’s a 1969 Bruce Matthews design that peaks at only $42. There is an island green, because why not? And they say they have a “simulator barn” that they call The Rock, best pronounced in a Sean Connery voice.

#migolfcourseaerialoftheday I’m probably about two months late in this feature, given the name. If you’ve been tracking (I’m sure you’re not), my first feature count also got out of whack. This is officially number 667. 📸: Google