Arcadia Bluffs South Course
When Jon proposed a weekend trip to Northern Michigan almost a year ago, the first course that came to all of our minds was the new Arcadia Bluffs South Course. Being huge golf nerds based out of Chicago, the concept of a Chicago Golf Club-inspired modern course that we could actually access got our blood seriously pumping. Course architect Dana Fry was given a blank canvas on a fairly flat and unexciting piece of land a mile south of the original highly-acclaimed Arcadia Bluffs course. Knowing it would be impossible to match the rolling hills and Lake Michigan views of the Bluffs course, Fry’s solution was to build a challenging and fun course inspired by the classic original designs of C.B. Macdonald and Seth Raynor – two of the godfathers of American golf course design.
Clubhouse
When you pull onto the South Course property, the clubhouse stands out with its bold red roof against a bright blue sky in a wide open landscape. If you’ve visited the original Arcadia Bluffs property, the South clubhouse feels similar but on a more modest scale. A little less “resorty” if you will. The bar and a dining room overlook the 18th green perfectly allowing you to watch groups finishing their rounds. I must have given spectators quite the thrill as they sipped their cocktails by dropping my 65 foot long with 8 feet of break birdie putt to finish 18…
Out on the course, the clubhouse has a modern feel of an original clubhouse you may have seen on a Macdonald/Raynor course 100 years ago. The style, though contemporary, feels traditional and perfectly stated for this course and its atmosphere. As you reach the furthest corners of the property, the clubhouse stands prominently guiding you back home.
We really enjoyed our meal as the sun set over the course and the last few groups wrapped up their rounds. Prices at Arcadia Bluffs are about what you should expect at a high-end resort course, but the food was good and the drinks were unique. I went with a hickory-smoked Manhattan where the presentation was impressive at the very least. (See above.) Oh, and the drink itself was pretty good too. All the cocktails at the table were great and received rave reviews from the group.
The pro shop is well stocked with the usual “resort course” brands and the expected accompanying prices. If you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for, head up to the Bluffs course. Their pro shop is quite a bit larger with more variety.
Arcadia Bluffs South Course Practice Facilities
The Arcadia Bluffs South Course’s practice facilities are a little spread out, but manageable. Hitting balls on the driving range requires a golf cart ride but the practice green and short game area are right next to the first tee.
You immediately realize how flat the property is as soon as you get through the gates, but the practice green offers your first hint that you’re in store for a unique golfing experience. I absolutely love the practice green at the South Course. The green is large, hard, and contoured with signature 90º right angles in each corner – classic Macdonald & Raynor. (To be fair, this wasn’t an uncommon design characteristic in Europe when Macdonald and Raynor started building courses, but became a signature of their American designs.) This exposed practice green will also give you a first look at how the wind will whip around you and the greens will roll quick!
The Course
When you first lay eyes on the Arcadia Bluffs South Course it’s not unreasonable to wonder why this place has generated so much early buzz. As you play the first hole, however, you quickly get brought up to speed on why. There are a handful of interesting characteristics that I feel define this course.
The Bunkers
First, let’s start with the bunkering. Fry did a great job in designing simple, yet unique bunkers placed in strategic areas that quietly punish you more than you thought you deserved. For instance, the fairways often have bunker strips cut into them that run diagonally making it more difficult to play a safe distance. Additionally, many of the fairway bunkers have tall, thick grass faces with tightly cut transitions from the fairway into the bunker. This means a running tee shot could roll down the fairway with speed, into the bunker, and your ball is stuck in one of these faces (or close to it) leaving you no second shot at the green. Just get it out. If you’re lucky and just slip into the front of the bunker, then the second shot may be back in play.
Should longer hitters successfully navigate the various strips of bunkers on the first half of a hole, tough pot bunkers are still in play on many of the holes. This alone may justify the purchase of a yardage book in the pro shop – even with the GPS maps on the cart.
The Greens
Being a Chicago Golf Club/Macdonald/Raynor-inspired course, the squared/right angles of tee boxes and greens were a given. Fry managed to implement sharp angles into the greens while still keeping the overall shapes of the putting surfaces interesting. There are some “perfect squares” out there, but Fry did a good job creating diversity from hole to hole. He enhanced that diversity with complex “swales, ridges, slopes and isolated bumps.” This makes the greens much more interesting and a lot more difficult to navigate, especially with the faster speeds. I believe the challenging approaches and navigating the lightning-fast tough putts to be the greatest highlight of the Arcadia Bluffs South Course.
The 13th is a “non-square” green where Fry combined a Punchbowl with a Biarritz to create a fun putting experience with endless options for pin placements. These greens are firm! Putts and approaches alike will roll and will roll fast. Playing the right lines on the South Course’s greens is critical to scoring well.
Most of the greens also protect themselves with steep drop offs and ribbon bunkers for your ball to roll into. Remember, the South Course is receptive to the ground game, but these strategically placed bunkers will make rolling your approach onto the green more challenging. Again, you need to know your distances and be able to control your ball with accuracy. While the South Course’s greens are generally large, averaging over 9400 square feet, they seem to play much smaller as you try to successfully navigate your way to the hole.
Fairways & Fescue
Generally speaking, the fairways are very wide and receptive. The size allows for multiple approaches to the hole allowing players to be creative with their strategy. Of course, you have to be smart as well. Given the nature of the fast fairways and rolling slopes, the aforementioned bunkers may come into play more than you think. Should you miss the fairways, you still have a little forgiveness in the rough. The rough wasn’t too long when we played and gave you considerable room until you reached the fescue.
Said fescue is typically pretty far off the beaten path, but our group proved it can come into play. The course is still young and the fescue is generally pretty short so you can still play out of it. Don’t worry, it’s still plenty difficult to find your ball in it. I imagine as the course grows up, the fescue will turn into a beautiful golden sea of waves much like the Bluffs course. Not only will the longer fescue add some difficulty, but it will also greatly enhance the aesthetic of the South Course.
Hospitality
After playing both Arcadia Bluffs courses, one of the things I appreciated on the South Course was how much more laid-back it was. The starters and rangers were friendly, insightful, and helpful but “normal.” That seems like a weird way to describe them, but it’s true. They were just normal golf guys hoping you have a good time out there and are happy to talk to you. There’s a certain simplicity in the hospitality at the South Course and I really dig that. Your experience doesn’t get overly complicated and your needs are still adequately addressed.
Side note, it so happened our starter’s son belongs to the country club five minutes from my house – five and a half hours away from Arcadia. Small world, eh?
Final Thoughts – Arcadia Bluffs South Course
I’ve spent a lot of time thinking and talking about the Arcadia Bluffs South Course since playing there. One of our playing partners commented “the more time that passes, the more I love that course. It’s interesting, fun to play, and different than anything we get to play on a normal basis.” (Keep in mind, we’re mostly playing public courses.) As time has passed for me, I think he’s dead on. Playing the South Course is a unique experience that requires creativity and control with a little luck. You have to think your way through each hole.
As great as I feel this modern interpretation of classic course architecture is, I do think the course needs some time to mature. Dana Fry did an excellent job of building his version of “Chicago Golf Club on a Michigan apple farm” (-Jon Heise) and I hope it establishes itself as just that. Should Arcadia Bluffs succeed in living up to that reputation, Michigan will be home to a rare treat not commonly available to the golfing public.
