MSchott

It's worth the trip. I was fortunate to play it in late September, both directions. It's a very cool course and great fun. It played very firm and fast as it's not fully grown in but expect it to be f and f all the time. The fairways are very wide but you have to aim towards one side or the other depending on pin position or potential hazards like the plantings, fairway bunkers and waste areas. The green complexes are what make the course which is typical Doak. There are numerous options if you miss them, bump, putt, chip or pitch depending on where you miss. It's a challenging and fun course.

Played it hundreds of times, it's my home course. Before my son was born in 2010, we had a regular foursome that played FHGC most every Saturday morning for many years. It's a very nice municipal course, always in fine condition. Tough enough and easy to walk. A good value as well. You played in March? That's brave even for down here.

I played only 8-9 rounds all year. But even so, as a single dad sharing custody of a 6 year old son, travel for work and other obligations, the best I could have done is 2-3 more rounds. November weather was favorable for golfers this year.

I don't think the brand matters at all. The brand he chooses will make clubs that meet his likes and specs. The money will be important as even though Woods has been out of the limelight for a few years now, he is still the biggest draw in the game.

Doubtful we will get any more rounds in this season. Golf season starts here in late April although I am hoping to take lessons this winter. My last round was 3 weeks ago.

Thanks Erik.

After playing about 8 times over the previous 5 years my swing has gone from mediocre to worse. This year I was able to get in 8 rounds and hope to play regularly next season but I am tired of playing poorly and need to find a quality teacher to fix my swing. I'm in the western Detroit suburbs if anyone has a recommendation. If not, how would you go about finding a good teacher? There are so many teachers on the web that it's confusing.

How did you like San Juan Oaks? I've played it 4-5 times. It's really nice, especially once you get past the first few holes but it's a very tough track.

I've played a few over the years including Glen Abbey. He tends to build courses that fit his game. This leads to the need for accurate approach shots to greens that are often wide but narrow front to back. He is famous for how high he could hit his irons which works on this type of green. Think 12 at Augusta. These are not hard and fast rules about his style but more about what influenced his thinking. Like many architects he has changed over the years. Look back to his work with Pete Dye at Harbortown to his more recent work with Tom Doak at Sebonack on Long Island. Glen Abbey and of course Muirfield Village are his two most iconic courses.

Do you mean it will be played at Brickyard Crossing Golf Course? This course has holes outside and inside the track. Pete Dye is the architect. It's been around for at least 20 years.

That's great! Good for Bowditch.

Thanks Dave. I edited my profile. No doubt that green complexes are part of the Ross signature as well as the routing. The greens at Monroe have nice bunkering but I doubt they are the original Ross bunkers. These greens are also flat and devoid of features as well as being tiny. They have certainly shrunk from their original sizes. There are also no fairway bunkers on the course and no signs of where they may have been originally. Ross liked to place fairway bunkers to give players options to aim their tee shots for the best angle to the greens.

I'd guess this depends where you live. In the Metro Detroit area the higher end clubs are doing alright but the more marginal, lower initiation fee clubs like these two have struggled. Both of these had been offering cut rate initiation fees well before the great recession. It's no surprise they did not make it. Monroe defaulted on a loan and a new buyer bought the property at auction. He plans on doing some restoration as well which would be great. The city of Monroe is very blue collar with Monroe Shocks and La Z Boy being the two largest employers. Both have moved much of their production from SE Michigan.

With the changing economy many private clubs have fallen on hard times. In my area two formerly private clubs are now open to the public. Monroe Golf and Country Club and Washtenaw Golf Club are now available to play for the daily fee golfer. And at very reasonable prices. Monroe is $39.00 with a cart and Washtenaw is $40.00. I played Monroe the other day (as a senior I only paid $29.00). It's a Donald Ross design from 1918 but unfortunately it doesn't show much Ross other than most of the routing and nice greenside bunkering. Still, it's a nice layout with many good holes and is very well maintained. I have yet to play Washtenaw but I'm told it's a nicer track than Monroe. Is this phenomenon happening in your neck of the woods?

Is this the course you see off the turnpike when going east towards the Streetsboro exit?

Agree. Inbee Park was amazing this week. She even got up and down for par on 18. She played fantastic golf this week.

I was able to attend for a few hours on Wednesday afternoon (start of match play). Oakland Hills South is lush and wet. We've had more rain since. There have been some great matches. The Carlson/Meyer match. Carlson was dead behind the green on 14 and made a very difficult chip which ultimately won the hole.

Tiger's never been "miserable" on the course. He's ultra competitive which manifests in frustration at times.

Isn't the question: "Who's career would you have rather had?" I know the conversation has been further defined but in terms of career IMO it has to be Woods and by a huge margin. He's the second best golfer of all time and in his prime was phenomenally dominant.

Hope the weather is miserable cold and windy. The Open under these conditions is far more fun than the recent trend of warm and calm weather. Dry and windy would be even better.

While these multimillionaires don't need the Olympics I would not say it's a pointless exhibition. Athletes play for love of country all the time. Including the men's BB team. Golf is not a team game in the Olympics but playing for their country is still meaningful to these guys. Not Ryder Cup important but still significant.

This for the most part. He and other pro golfers don't need the Olympics so why assume the risk? I like the idea of golf at the Olympics but Rio is a disaster waiting to happen. The pros would be much more comfortable if the games were held in say, London again.

Never start walking until your entire group has hit. You don't have to worry about the riders getting ahead of you. It's the group ahead of you that will determine your pace of play. The riders will have to wait to hit to the green most of the time.

That's great! I'm glad you enjoyed your round. I haven't payed there in a long time and there was an extensive renovation a few years ago that added a lot of those beautiful bunkers. It's a great walk as well. I had my only eagle ever on the 9th hole.

There is no doubt that it's a Mackenzie design. She was head pro there and worked with Dr. Mac on the design. However, he lived on the 6th hole. You can possible say that it's a MacKenzie/Doak design as Tom Doak did a lot of bunkering work 3-4 years ago. It's a tremendous course, nothing like any muni I've ever played. Amazing greens with tons of back to front slope, meaning do not be above the pins. It's an easy walk. If your bunker play is subpar it will eat you up.