Michigan Golf Journal March 2018

dŚĞ ůĞĂƐƚ ŬŶŽǁŶ ŽĨ Ăůů DŝŬĞ ĞsƌŝĞƐ ĚĞƐŝŐŶƐ ŝƐ ŝĂŵŽŶĚ Springs, located in remote ĨĂƌŵŝŶŐ ĮĞůĚƐ ƐŽƵƚŚǁĞƐƚ ŽĨ 'ƌĂŶĚ ZĂƉŝĚƐ͘ Ƶƚ ŝƚ ĚĞƐĞƌǀĞƐ ĂŶLJ ŐŽůĨĞƌ͛Ɛ ĨƵůů ĂƩĞŶƟŽŶ͘ With rates averaging under $30, Diamond Springs is frequently referred to as one of the best values in the state of Michigan, especially because it has all the ĚĞƐŝŐŶ ĂŶĚ ĐŽŶĚŝƟŽŶŝŶŐ ĞůĞŵĞŶƚƐ of an upscale course. ͞hŶůĞƐƐ LJŽƵ Śŝƚ ŝƚ ƌĞĂůůLJ ǁĂLJǁĂƌĚ ŝƚ͛Ɛ ĂŶ ĞŶũŽLJĂďůĞ ĚĂLJ͕ ĂŶĚ LJŽƵ͛ƌĞ ŶŽƚ ƐƵƌƌŽƵŶĚĞĚ ďLJ ŚŽƵƐŝŶŐ͕͟ ŚĞ ƐĂŝĚ͘ ͞>ŽŽŬŝŶŐ Ăƚ ƚŚĞ ƉƌŝĐĞ ƉŽŝŶƚ ŝƚ͛Ɛ ĂƐ ŐŽŽĚ ĂƐ LJŽƵ ĐĂŶ ŐĞƚ͘͟ ŝĂŵŽŶĚ ^ƉƌŝŶŐƐ ŚĂƐ ĂŵĂnjŝŶŐ ŶĂƚƵƌĂů ĨĞĂƚƵƌĞƐ ŶŽƚ ŽŌĞŶ ĨŽƵŶĚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ŵŝĚĚůĞ ŽĨ ĐŽƌŶ ĮĞůĚƐ͘ ƚ ůĞĂƐƚ Ɛŝdž ŚŽůĞƐ ĂƌĞ ĂīĞĐƚĞĚ ďLJ Ă ƐŝnjĞĂďůĞ ƌĂǀŝŶĞ͕ ƉĂƌƟĂůůLJ ĐƌĞĂƚĞĚ ďLJ ĂŶ ŽůĚ ŵŝůů ƚŚĂƚ ǁĂƐ ŽŶĐĞ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ůĂŶĚ͘ /ƚ͛Ɛ ŽŌĞŶ ƚŚĞ ŚŝŐŚůŝŐŚƚĞĚ topography feature by most course ƌĞǀŝĞǁĞƌƐ͕ ďƵƚ ĞsƌŝĞƐ ƐŽƵŶĚƐ ũƵƐƚ as impressed by the ground that rises above. “The ravine gets almost all the ĂƩĞŶƟŽŶ͕ ďƵƚ ƚŚĞ ůŽŶŐ͕ ůŝŶĞĂƌ eskers that go across the property are the main land forms crossing the property in sort of a regular ƉĂƩĞƌŶ͕͟ ŚĞ ƐĂŝĚ͘ ͞dŚŽƐĞ ĂůůŽǁĞĚ ƵƐ ƚŽ ƌŽƵƚĞ ŚŽůĞƐ ƚŽ ƉůĂLJ Žī ŽĨ them, across them, over them, up ŽŶ ƚŽ ƚŚĞŵ Žƌ Žī ŽĨ ƚŚĞŵ ŝŶ Ă ůŽƚ ŽĨ ĚŝǀĞƌƐĞ ǁĂLJƐ ƚŚĂƚ ŽīĞƌ ƐŽ ŵƵĐŚ ǀĂƌŝĞƚLJ͘ /ƚ͛Ɛ ƚŚĞ ŝŶǀĞƌƐĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŐŽƌŐĞ͘ dŚĞ ŐƌĞĂƚ ũƵdžƚĂƉŽƐŝƟŽŶ ŽĨ ŶĂƚƵƌĞ ǁĂƐ ƌĞĂůůLJ ŶĞĂƚ ƚŽ ǁŽƌŬ ǁŝƚŚ͘͟ Hole No. 15 is one of the more ƐƚƌŝŬŝŶŐ ƌŝƐŬͲƌĞǁĂƌĚ ŚŽůĞƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƐƚĂƚĞ͘ ^ŽŵĞ ǁŝůů ƚƌLJ ƚŽ ĚƌŝǀĞ ƚŚĞ green of the par four dogleg right but that requires a long carry over ƚŚĞ ƌĂǀŝŶĞ͘ ^ƚĂLJŝŶŐ ůĞŌ ƚŽ ĨŽůůŽǁ ƚŚĞ ĨĂŝƌǁĂLJ͕ ŚŽǁĞǀĞƌ͕ ŝƐ ŶŽ ĞĂƐLJ task either. “We made the green complex ƌĞĐĞƉƟǀĞ ĞŶŽƵŐŚ ƉĞŽƉůĞ ĐĂŶ ŐŽ ĨŽƌ ŝƚ͕ ŝƚ͛Ɛ ƉŽƐƐŝďůĞ͕͟ ĞsƌŝĞƐ ĞdžƉůĂŝŶĞĚ͘ ͞ Ƶƚ ŝĨ LJŽƵ ĐĂŶ͛ƚ Śŝƚ ŝƚ ƚŚĂƚ ĨĂƌ͕ Ă ƉƌŽƉĞƌůLJ ƉůĂLJĞĚ ƐŚŽƚ ǁŝůů ƌŽůů ƌŝŐŚƚ Žī ƚŚĂƚ ĨĂŝƌǁĂLJ ŚŽŐďĂĐŬ ĂŶĚ ŐĞƚ ĚŽǁŶ ĐůŽƐĞ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ŐƌĞĞŶ Žƌ ŽŶ ŝƚ͘ dŚĞƌĞ͛Ɛ Ă ůŽƚ ŽĨ ĚLJŶĂŵŝĐƐ ŐŽŝŶŐ ŽŶ ƚŚĞƌĞ ďƵƚ ŝƚ͛Ɛ ĂůƐŽ ǀŝƐƵĂůůLJ Ă ƚƌĞĂƚ ǁŝƚŚ Ăůů ƚŚĞ ǀĞŐĞƚĂƟŽŶ ďůŽŽŵŝŶŐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƌĂǀŝŶĞ͘ /ƚ͛Ɛ Ăůů ƉƌĞƩLJ ƐƉĞĐŝĂů͘͟ Feature: Designer Mike DeVries COURSE REVIEW: DIAMOND SPRINGS, HAMILTON