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Hawk's Eye Golf Club
My wife keeps telling me that "You haven't died and gone to heaven, so why don't you just take out the garbage!" I find that hard to believe because I have played three great golf courses back to back, and Hawk's Eye Golf Club, located in the high hills of Antrim County near Bellaire, is one of them . It was designed by John Robinson and a fine job he did. I am not sure what it is about Bellaire but they have some mighty fine golf courses around that small Northern Michigan town.
Hawk's Eye is a work in progress. The front nine was opened in 2003 and the back in 2002. The club house and final paving of the cart paths will be done in 2004, but don't let this fact stop you. Hawk's Eye is ready to play right now and you'll want first bragging rights on this course because it will soon be on everybody's must play list.
On every tee you stare at a wide fairway that you know, you could not possibly miss. This in itelf is a treat that we seldom get on a golf course. We golfers are a cagey lot and it won't take us long to prove we can miss even large fairways. Large fairways mean you have room to use the mowers to turn it into a work of art. Each hole is cut out of the hardwoods that Northern Michigan is famous for but the tree are set back far enough that they will not come into play too often.
The terrain on Hawk's Eye is very rolling so you play up and down gently rolling hills the entire round. They didn't waste any money leveling out the small moguls that go along with rolling terrain; they used them to make this course even better. Unless your ball happens to end up on the wrong side of one, then your not so sure. You will find around a dozen ponds on this course ranging in size from small to quite large. Some will come into play and others just add to the beauty of the course. A good number of bunkers are to be found scattered around the course, not just bunkers but contoured bunkers. They to add to the beauty, especially if your opponent is standing in one. Some could even save your ball from going into a pond.
So now you take the hills and moguls, the ponds and bunkers, then shape and contour the fairway around all of these elements and surround the whole thing with trees and you come up with a golf hole that is not only fun to play but is also a delight to look at. You get 18 of these on Hawk's Eye. As an added bonus you get some great views of the surrounding countryside.
The wide fairways at Hawk's Eye are complemented by large greens, which are contoured, but not flat. They are a true test of your putting skill on long putts. For those of us that are not the best of putters my advice would be, chip close to the hole. Even then it's not a sure thing.
Hawk's Eye is a fun, beautiful, relaxing course to play. This course just feels comfortable, sort of like an old pair of shoes. Just chose the tee's to match your ability -- they have four sets -- and you will have a wonderful day of golf.
Click Here For More PhotosVisit The Hawk's Eye Website
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