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Hidden River Golf and Casting Club
Hidden River Golf and Casting Club is located in Brutus, just north of Petoskey. This is a course that is a little hard for me to describe. My goal is to give you a feel of what you should expect when you get to a course, but this was a tough one because it is unique -- and I mean that in a good way. This is a type of course that we seldom see, let alone have the privilege to play. It's more of a golfing adventure than just a round of golf.
When you walk into the club house you already start to feel this is something special, but to make a believer out of you, go get a cup of coffee. You will walk through a room that will make any hunter drool in envy. A display of members of the deer family that belongs in a museum, and it doesn't end there. The dining room overlooks a river that almost makes you want to forget about why you came and just set with your favorite beverage and look at the view. In the pro shop is a beautiful mount of a tom turkey in full display, sadly that was the only birdie I would see this day. Even if all you did was take your loved one here for dinner it would be a worthwhile trip.
But we did come here to golf, so lets get at it.
The Hidden River course is laid out on both sides of the Maple River and although the river itself never comes into play you will see lots of water. Four large ponds will or could come into play on almost half the holes, and on some holes, big time. Because it is along a river it is a relatively flat course, but the key word here is "relatively" because you will have enough ups and downs to make it interesting. The holes are laid out in the pines and cedar trees that usually go along with the terrain that rivers travel through, yet trees are usually not a problem. So why do I call this a golfing adventure?
A good place to start any round of golf is on the tee. For the men, we have four sets to choose from that let you play the course from around 5500 yds, (gold) to 7000 yds. (black) The ladies play to about 4700 yds. On this course the most important decision you could make is to chose the correct tees for your handicap. Here it's not just length you add by moving back, but the trouble you may bring into play by doing it. A good drive off the whites will put you where you want to be, but off the blues or blacks it may take a great drive to keep you out of trouble. Not all the trouble on this course is off the tees; there is a good bit of trouble in front of the greens also, so don't let your ego put you on the wrong tees on this course.
Now that we have this tee thing settled we are ready to take on the fairways. The fairways, in most cases, are wide with generous landing areas. Getting your ball in the fairways usually is not the problem, but in order to score on this course, putting your ball in the right area on the fairway is the key. Gentle dog legs combined with trees, water, heather, fairway and waste bunkers give us plenty of decisions to make when it comes to club selection. This course demands we use our head as much as our golfing skills. It is definitely not a grip it and rip it course. How many long par fours or fives do you stand on the tee trying to decide weather to use the driver or a three iron? This course will make you think about club selection from tee to green.
Our goal is to get par or better on every hole we play. Length of the hole is not our problem here, but because of the course design we are forced, on almost every shot, to decide whether to challenge the trouble, be it sand, water or trees, to give us a shorter shot to the green. Or play it safe and leave us with a longer iron to the green. The problem with the safe shot is that it may bring trouble in front of the green into play because now we have to use a longer iron that may not give us the carry we need. You face this decision on most of the holes. You can play this course and take the safe shots and not get into much trouble, but you might not like your score when your done. So we have to challenge the trouble and it doesn't always end up the way we would like it, but that's also what makes this such a fun course to play.
Let me give you an example. Hole #7 is long par 5 that has a large landing area in front of you, unless you hit a drive 230 yds or so, at which point it narrows down with bunkers right and heather left. A smart choice would be to use a long iron to the large landing area. From here you still have water on both sides of the fairway all the way to the green. This forces you to keep your shots under control. Yes you can grab the driver and fairway woods but you had better be hitting them where you want them to go. The smart thing is to back off a little and depend on a good chip shot to save par.
On the elevated tee on #17, a par 5, you face a slight dog leg right with a waste bunker all along the left side of the fairway and trees to the right. Too long a drive left puts you in the bunker, hug the trees right and you may end up in them. I know this for a fact. If you find yourself in the middle of the fairway you face the next shot that still has the bunker left, but the trees are replaced with a pond all the way to the green, and the fairway narrows down. Fairway wood or a more controllable iron? You will face this kind of problems, or decision, on most holes on this course.
The greens on this course are huge and in very good condition. Like the fairways, the greens look flat from a distance, but they too, are deceptively rolling. Some may have a couple of tiers but all have gentle undulations that makes no putt a sure thing. One par 3 has a green big enough to put a nice size house with lawn and garden on it. With the pin to the back and your ball on the front you may not be sure that the putter is the right tool for the job at hand.
Unlike most courses we play this course demands that we use our head as well as our physical skills. It's more of a finesse course than a power course. The little old guy that doesn't hit it far but always puts his ball where he wants to, may kick our butts here; he'll keep it out of trouble.
Even if you don't play your best you will want to come back and give it another try, but you probably will leave the driver in the bag a little more often. This is a golf and casting club, by the way, so if the driver didn't treat you very well, tie a line on it and see if it treats you better while fishing. Either way, after the round, sitting in the lounge overlooking the river will make everything better.
This is a great, challenging, fun course to play, give it a try, you won't regret it.
Ken Ducker
Click Here For More PhotosVisit The Hidden River Website
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