Michigan Golf Journal March 2018

Golf Travel dŚĞ ůĂĐŬ ǁĂƐ ƉƵƚ ƚŽŐĞƚŚĞƌ ďLJ 'ŝů ,ĂŶƐĞ ĂŶĚ :ŝŵ tĂŐŶĞƌ͕ the much-acclaimed team ƚŚĂƚ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉĞĚ dŚĞ ZŝŽ ϮϬϭϲ KůLJŵƉŝĐ ŽƵƌƐĞ͕ ĂŵŽŶŐ ŽƚŚĞƌ notables around the globe. ,ŽůĞ ϭ ŝƐ Ă ƐƚƌĂŝŐŚƞŽƌǁĂƌĚ ƉĂƌ ϱ ƚŽ ŬŝĐŬ ƚŚŝŶŐƐ Žī͕ ďĞĨŽƌĞ the par four 2 nd hole tests even the best approach-shot-makers ǁŝƚŚ ŝƚƐ ĞůŽŶŐĂƚĞĚ͕ ƐŵĂůůͲŝƐŚ͕ ůŽŌĞĚ ŐƌĞĞŶ ƐƵƌƌŽƵŶĚĞĚ ďLJ ƐůŽƉŝŶŐ ƌƵŶ ŽīƐ͘ That said, the reference to ͚ƐŵĂůů͛ ŝƐ ǀĞƌLJ ƌĞůĂƟǀĞ ĂŵŽŶŐ the other 17 greens on Black, Ă ĐŽƵƌƐĞ ƚŚĂƚ ŝƐ ůŽĂĚĞĚ ǁŝƚŚ ŚƵŐĞ ƉƵƫŶŐ ƐƵƌĨĂĐĞƐ ƚŚĂƚ are in many cases double the ƐŝnjĞ ŽĨ ,ĂŶƐĞ͛Ɛ ĂŶĚ tĂŐŶĞƌ͛Ɛ ŽƌŝŐŝŶĂů ƉůĂŶ͘ tŚĂƚ ǁŽƵůĚ have been aprons are cut at ƚŚĞ ƐĂŵĞ ŚĞŝŐŚƚ ĂƐ ƚŚĞ ŽĸĐŝĂů ŐƌĞĞŶƐ͕ ĂŶĚ ŝƚ͛Ɛ ƚŚĞ ƉĞƌŝŵĞƚĞƌƐ ǁŚĞƌĞ ŵŽƐƚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŵŽƌĞ ƐĞǀĞƌĞ ŐƌĞĞŶ ƵŶĚƵůĂƟŽŶƐ ĂƌĞ ĨŽƵŶĚ͘ Ƶƚ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĂƚ ŵĂƩĞƌ͕ ƚŚĞ ĨĂŝƌǁĂLJƐ ĂƌĞ ĂůƐŽ ĐƵƚ ƟŐŚƚ͕ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ƉŽŝŶƚ ŝƚ͛Ɛ ŶŽƚ ĞĂƐLJ ƚŽ ƚĞůů ǁŚĞƌĞ ƚŚĞ ĨĂŝƌǁĂLJƐ ĞŶĚ͕ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ŐƌĞĞŶƐ ƐƚĂƌƚ͘ dŚĞ ĞŶƟƌĞ feeling encompasses a bump- ĂŶĚͲƌƵŶ ŐŽůĮŶŐ ƐƚLJůĞ ƚŚĂƚ ĂůƐŽ ƌĞǁĂƌĚƐ ƚĞĞ ďŽdž ĂŶĚ ĂƉƉƌŽĂĐŚ ƐŚŽƚƐ ǁŝƚŚ ĞdžƚƌĂ ůĞŶŐƚŚ ƚŚĂƚ should be club-adjusted for an extra 15-25 percent roll out. &ĂƐƚ ĂŶĚ Įƌŵ ŝƐ ǁĞůů ŝŶͲƐƚĞƉ Ăƚ Streamsong. My favorite stretch begins at Hole 4 and carries through to EŽ͘ ϵ ʹ ďƵƚ ƚŚĂƚ ĚŽĞƐŶ͛ƚ ŵĞĂŶ ƚŚĞ ĮŶĂů ŶŝŶĞ ŚŽůĞƐ ĂƌĞ ŶŽƚ fun. They are, especially the ĚƌĂŵĂƟĐ ƉĂƌ ƚŚƌĞĞ ϭϳ th and ƚŚĞ ĚĞŵĂŶĚŝŶŐ ƉĂƌ ϱ ĮŶŝƐŚŝŶŐ ŚŽůĞ ƚŚĂƚ ǁƌĂƉƐ ĂƌŽƵŶĚ Ă ĚĞĞƉ ƌĂǀŝŶĞ ǁŝƚŚ ǁĂƚĞƌ ;ĂŶĚ ĂůůŝŐĂƚŽƌƐͿ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ďŽƩŽŵ͘ EŽ͘ ϰ ŝƐ Ă ďĞĞĨLJ ƉĂƌ ϱ ǁŝƚŚ Ă ƐƉůŝƚ ĨĂŝƌǁĂLJ͘ ,ŝƚ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ůŽǁĞƌ ƌŝŐŚƚ ĂŶĚ ŝƚƐ ĞdžƉĂŶƐŝǀĞ ůĂŶĚŝŶŐ ĂƌĞĂƐ͕ ƚŚĞŶ ŐŽ ůĞŌ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ŚŝŐŚĞƌ ƟĞƌĞĚ ĨĂŝƌǁĂLJ ǁŚĞƌĞ ƚŚĞ ŐƌĞĞŶ ĞŶĚƐ͘ EŽ͘ ϱ ŝƐ Ă ƉĂƌ ϯ ǁŚĞƌĞ ƚŚĞ ŐƌĞĞŶ could be the highest point on the course. From the tee ŐŽůĨĞƌƐ ĐĂŶ ďĞ ŝŶƟŵŝĚĂƚĞĚ ďLJ ƚŚĞ ĞŶƟƌĞ ƌŝŐŚƚ ƐŝĚĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ tall green complex – a huge ŚŝůůƐŝĚĞ ĨĂĐĞ ƚŚĂƚ͛Ɛ Ăůů ĞdžƉŽƐĞĚ ǁĂƐƚĞ ƐĂŶĚ͘ EŽ͘ ϲ ŝƐ Ă ĚƌŝǀĂďůĞ ƉĂƌ ϰ ǁŝƚŚ Ă ƐůŽƉƉŝŶŐ ůĞŌ ƚŽ ƌŝŐŚƚ ĨĂŝƌǁĂLJ ƚŚĂƚ ĐĂŶ ĨĞĞĚ ďĂůůƐ ĂǁĂLJ ĨƌŽŵ ƚŚĞ ŐƌĞĞŶ͘ EŽ͘ ϳ ŝƐ Ă ƉĂƌ ϯ ǁŝƚŚ Ă ŚƵŐĞ͕ L-shaped green that could easily ĂĐĐŽŵŵŽĚĂƚĞ Ă ĐŽƵƉůĞ ĚŽnjĞŶ ƉŝŶ ƉůĂĐĞŵĞŶƚƐ ;ĂŶ ĂƌŐƵŵĞŶƚ that could be made for many ŐƌĞĞŶƐͿ͘ EŽ͘ ϴ ŝƐ Ă ƐůŝŐŚƚ ĚŽŐůĞŐͲ right par 4 that sets up No. 9 ʹ ĂŶ ƵƉŚŝůů ƉĂƌ ϰ ǁŝƚŚ Ă ĚĞĞƉ͕ ƚǁŽͲƟĞƌ͕ ƉƵŶĐŚͲďŽǁů ŐƌĞĞŶ͘ DŽƐƚ ŇĂŐ ƉůĂĐĞŵĞŶƚƐ ĐĂŶŶŽƚ be seen from any approach ƐŚŽƚ ƉŽƐŝƟŽŶ͕ ƐŽ Ăŝŵ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ŽůĚ ǁŝŶĚŵŝůů ďĞŚŝŶĚ ƚŚĞ ŐƌĞĞŶ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞŶ ŐŽ ĮŶĚ LJŽƵƌ ĂǁĂŝƟŶŐ ƉƵƩ ĂŌĞƌ ĐůŝŵďŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ĐůĞĂƌŝŶŐ the tall front lip of the green complex. dŚĂƚ͛Ɛ ũƵƐƚ ŽŶĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ surprises to be found at Streamsong. Find more at ǁǁǁ .streamsong.com . Photo by Larry Lambrecht