My Quest to Check Off Golf's Best Experiences
The Golf Bucket List
After your round, it's worth spending a moment or two poking around in the clubhouse. Shell's Wonderful World of Golf was played here shortly after the course opened and featured a match between Tom Lehman and Phil Mickelson. There is a little shrine to this event inside the clubhouse that's worth taking a look at. Bay Harbor is an awesome track, and probably a bit underrated in my opinion in the rankings. I'd advice anyone to spend the money and play it at least once. Many people will debate which is the best public track in Michigan between Bay Harbor and Arcadia Bluffs. I'll punt on this debate because I love them both so much, so don't choose one over the other...just play them both! Arcadia is probably more penal to missed shots, and seems to get more play, which nearly guarantees you a longer round. Bay Harbor just seems a bit more peaceful and serene. But, both are such great experiences, that you shouldn't miss either one.
#18, Par 4, 370 Yards
Right after catching your breath from the 17th hole, it's on to the finishing hole at Bay Harbor. This one runs along the water all the way, though it shouldn't be in your way off the tee. However, again, a premium is put on the approach shots out here, and this one is no exception. With the clubhouse up on the hill, you might even have a gallery watching you make this demanding second shot. Finish strong and you've earned your cocktail after this gorgeous but demanding few hours of work/play.
#17, Par 3, 161 Yards
An incredible view and an awesome hole. It's downhill to the green and being this close to the water brings the wind into play. The green is fairly big, but nasty. Don't be distracted by the view, because this hole definitely demands your full attention.
#15, Par 4, 312 Yards
Another risk reward decision. This hole could theoretically be driven in one, but there's plenty of trouble waiting for you if you go for it. The second picture below shows what you'd be aiming at if you pull driver and let it rip....not much! Therefore, I just hit a smooth hybrid down the middle and took an easy par. This is the last hole in the quarry, so enjoy the views while they last.
#16, Par 4, 392 Yards
After playing in the rocks, it's time to make our way back out to the water. A drive over a bunch of junk is the first step. The safest line off the tee if just to the right of the bunker in the middle of the fairway. From there, it's a beautiful shot over a bunker to the green. From the fairway it looks like a shot long will splash into Little Traverse Bay. Not the case, but a great view from here.
#13, Par 4, 412 Yards
An extremely wide fairway awaits here. Just blast away because there isn't much trouble until your second shot. On the approach, a pond guards the right side of the green. A bunker is left of the green, so there isn't much room to bail out.
#14, Par 5, 468 Yards
Bay Harbor is really a second shot (approach shot) golf course and #14 is no different. The drive and layup shot (if you choose) are both rather stree-free. It's only about 235 yards to the bunker on the right, so stay well left of it. From there, the shot into the green will get your blood pumping, both for the potential trouble and the view. The green is backed by around 40 feet of rock wall, so long is really really bad. Water also stretches along the front and right of the green. So, can you get home in two? Yes. Do you have the guts to try it? That's really the question here.
#11, Par 3, 173 Yards
A typical Northern Michigan par 3. Tall trees line either side of this hole, which was obviously carved out of a forest. No sand or water on this one so take advantage while you can...that's about to change after this hole!
#12, Par 5, 523 Yards
The contrast between #11 and #12 is incredible as it's like you just entered a different world. It's time to experience "The Quarry." This one is a long par 5, where I'd recommend playing it in three shots. When played in three shots, the hole is a double-dogleg, going left then back to the right over the end and over a gorge. The green is steeply sloping and two tiered so being on the right level is a must.
The Quarry
#10, Par 4, 353 Yards
Just a tight hole here. The widest part of the fairway is about 210 yards off the tee, so just play for position. Both the tee shot and approach need to carry some areas with tall grass and a large bunker is left of the green.
#9, Par 5, 465 Yards
The last hole on the Links nine is also arguably its toughest. When I played it, this was one of the holes that played as a par 4 from the back tees, but not anymore. Similar to the seventh hole, this one is all about the second shot. The drive can be hit to a huge fairway, but the landing area for your next shot is really small with hazards lining the right side the entire way. Take my advice and play it safe on the second shot, because there's no place to miss around the green.
#8, Par 3, 206 Yards
A long downhill par 3 comes next. Two bunkers protect the left side with OB left of that. Oftentimes this one plays into the wind, so it can take plenty of club to get home.
#7, Par 5, 490 Yards
Your last waterfront hole for a while at Bay Harbor. This par 5 is all about the second shot, so wail away on your drive and pound it down the middle. The second shot is where you need to make a decision. The shot is uphill and plays longer than the yardage. Avoid the bunkers at all costs and keep your ball on the left side to be safe since shots too far right will fall off the cliff. An awesome golf hole.
#6, Par 4, 388 Yards
If you can carry the trap on the right, the landing area is large, however, it sure doesn't look that way from the tee. From the blue tees, it's probably about a 240 yard carry or so, but it's a risky one. Relative to the holes that surround it on the Links nine, there isn't a whole lot to this one.
#5, Par 4, 332 Yards
Time to take a little break from the water. This one is a dogleg right of about 90 degrees to a really narrow green. It's only about 200 yards to carry the sand in front of you (I failed to get it all the way there). Just a hybrid or fairway wood puts you in position to an uphill green and a good chance to score.
#4, Par 3, 151 Yards
A beautiful one-shot hole. The two-level green rolls from right to left. A draw is the best ball-flight, but that's what makes this one tricky, because long and left are not good places to be!
#3, Par 4, 368 Yards
Aiming in the direction of the fairway bunkers in the distance is about right, and it's about 280 yards to reach them for the blue tees. From there, it's a shot over a massive bunker to get to the green. The hole isn't long, so it's an opportunity to score. Ignore my swing below and focus on the view...it's was scary how flat it was that summer! Hard to believe that I still broke 90 with a downswing that was nearly parallel to the ground.
Bay Harbor Golf Club is one of 11 golf courses owned and operated by Boyne, a year-round vacation resort in Northern Michigan. During the winter, Boyne offers downhill skiing, but during the summer, golf is one of the main highlights of a trip to Northern Michigan.
The history of Bay Harbor is a story of its own. The town of Bay Harbor was developed in 1993 on what was formerly a large cement plant owned by Petoskey Portland Cement . David Johnson and CMS Energy saw this 1,200 acre plot of land with five miles of Lake Michigan shoreline (more accurately Little Traverse Bay) and acted on an opportunity to re-develop what is now a beautiful and modern vacation destination. The Village of Bay Harbor includes shops, hotels, restaurants, and a yacht club. However, down the road a ways is the highlight of Bay Harbor from a golfer's perspective--an Arthur Hills gem of a golf course. Bay Harbor as a whole was named the largest reclamation project in North America, in what stood a vast array of chromium brick, asbestos, coal and 2.5-million cubic yards of kiln dust.
The golf course includes 27 holes, with three distinct nines, called The Preserve, The Links, and The Quarry. Most of the attention goes to the routing that includes The Links and The Quarry, and it's this 18-hole strength that is honored in the top 100 public rankings. The Links is not really a links, but it is a great nine-hole loop that starts out East mostly on 100+ foot high bluffs overlooking Little Traverse Bay. After the gorgeous par three fourth, the nine heads back West toward the clubhouse. Making the turn to the quarry is somewhat like making the turn onto a different planet. After a couple typical Northern Michigan holes, the course enters a former shale quarry for four holes, with 40+ foot high rock walls coming into play several times. It's a really unique feel for a golf course, not to mention one in Michigan! After leaving the quarry area, the course finishes with a couple more great holes along the shoreline. This course is behind a guarded gate--bay close attention to some of the multi-million dollar homes that you'll see behind the gate on this golf course....they're second homes for many of the well healed from Detroit, Chicago, and elsewhere.Madonna is one of the celebrities that has a home in Bay Harbor.
Being a resident of Michigan, and having some family in the Harbor Springs area, this wasn't a hard course for me to check off the list. While peak season rates are listed at $195, a patient and cost-conscious golf can get on for far less. Off-peak rates area are more like $99, and I booked a round on golfhub.com, which was more like $85 from my recollection, and that was on July 4th weekend! So, if $195 is a bit much for you, don't give up on this course. It's worth the effort to hunt around a little for a better deal.
Bay Harbor doesn't get its difficulty from its length. Arthur Hills sculpted this course (probably the best work of his career) to length of 6,827 from the tips. When I played it in 2011, it was only 6,762, and played to a par of 70 from all the way back, and 72 from the rest of the tees. The scorecard shown online shows that they extended a couple holes to the current distance, and the course now plays as a par of 72 from all teeing grounds. The back tees (black) play to a rating slope, of 73.0/145, but I chose to play the next set of tees up (blue), which stretch to 6,389 yards and 71.2/141. More than enough challenge for my first time around this course. When you play the Links/Quarry routing, you start with the Links and finish with Quarry. So, let's get started:
#2, Par 4, 420 Yards
A fairly long par 4 awaits here. This one is inland a touch, so you get a rest before heading back to the distraction of waterfront bluffs. It's about 220 yards to reach the first fairway bunker on the left and about 260 to get to the second bunker. After that second bunker, the fairway really narrows so this isn't an easy hole to bully with a long drive, because Hills really asks you hit a drive of about 250 yards, leaving a mid to long iron into the green. The good thing is that there isn't a ton of trouble around the green. A small bunker protects the front left, but a large closely mown chipping area exists on the right side which gives a chance of recovery from an imprecise approach.
#1, Par 4, 405 Yards
A fairly tame opening drive to a fairly large landing area on this slight dogleg right. Take a deep breath, ease your first tee jitters, and rip it right down the middle. The bunker on the right is about a 250 yard carry from the back tees and about 220 or so from the Blues. Once you reach the landing area you get your first view of the blue waters of Little Traverse Bay and the Village of Bay Harbor in the distance. Right of the green is a sizable dune and left is a large greenside bunker. A demanding approach for the first hole, but if you can execute a good shot you can get off to a good start.
The Links:
Bay Harbor Golf Club (Links/Quarry)
Bay Harbor, Michigan
Checked off the Bucket List July 2, 2011
Golf Magazine:
#49, Top 100 Courses You Can Play(2012)
#3, Best Public Golf Courses in Michigan (2012)
Golf Digest:
#65, America's 100 Greatest Public Courses (2013-2014)
#14, Best in the State of Michigan(2013-2014)