Michigan Golf Journal January 2018

design. The creek fronts both the 9th and 18th greens as a visual aid and hazard to cross safely to reach the respective putting surfaces. Bird Creek additionally comes directly into play on Holes 4, 7 and 8 on the front nine, plus Holes 14, 15 and 17 on the back, for a total of eight times crossing the watershed. Five ponds add beauty and challenge on additional holes throughout the layout. At least four holes on the course require strategy off the tee for golfers to decide to lay up or try blasting over water hazards. The surrounding land has a nice, gentle flow to it where fingers of low areas drain water toward the creek. The rolling topography on course gives contrast to the flat farmers’ fields further away from the creek. Matthews designed subtle shaping along the edge of many fairways, but it’s not overdone. Green complexes are straightforward and challenging, with moderately undulating putting surfaces, while avoiding any golf design curse of being tricked up. The most interesting holes to me: • No. 6 with its two ponds angled to fit the dogleg shape approach to navigate reaching the green in regulation. • No. 8, a dogleg right par 4 that allows the big hitters to try clearing the trees and driving the hidden green. • No. 17 as it goes along the creek off the tee before turning left to reach the green on the dogleg par 4. • No. 18, a tough closing hole. The par 5 requires two nice hits to still be short of the creek before popping over it to the green. The surrounding countryside is loaded with DTE Energy wind farms, so that’s an in-your-face clue that wind speed and direction, coming off Lake Huron or Saginaw Bay, can have a huge effect on play and course strategy. Thousands of trees on the property add beauty and some wind protection but there is a reason all those modernized windmills are located in the Thumb. Bird Creek Golf Club is located on Van Dyke Road just south of Port Austin and the Lake Huron shoreline – the same Van Dyke Road that begins in Detroit. It’s a drive north well-worth exploring. Michigan Course Review