Adding Three New Courses To The “Collection”

I recently added three new courses to my “collection” of golf courses played: Lapeer Country Club, Rolling Hills and Kearsley Lake. All are in the greater Flint, Michigan area (residents of Lapeer likely will contest that geographical characterization, but they are closer to Flint — 20 miles — than to any other major city.)

Lapeer Country Club is the standout in this group. The original nine dates to 1927. The second nine was built in 1983 from a design by Larry Mancour.

The architect of the original nine is uncertain, but one source says that it was designed by William Langford. I doubt it, as newspaper articles announcing the club’s opening did not mention Langford. On the other hand, I would not be all that surprised if that was true. The course feels a bit like Blythefield Country Club in Grand Rapids, which was built in the same time period.

In spite of its name, Lapeer Country Club has been open to the public since 1988. It was a terrific bargain, at $26 walking on a weekday.

The course is routed over some very hilly terrain overlooking Lake Nepessing and is quite fun. My legs and my MGI Zip Navigator got a workout.

I would go back to play this one.

Just across the highway US69 is Rolling Hills. It’s a farmlands course, routed over mostly open fields, and through what looks like some relatively recent housing. Indeed, work on new condos was underway as I was playing the front nine.

The course dates to 1966, so I am fairly certain that it was in the middle of nothing but farmland when it was built.

As it is, Rolling Hills is a pleasant, though uninspiring course. I wouldn’t go out of my way to play it (especially as Lapeer Country Club is just down the road), but I’m sure it is popular among locals and especially for leagues.

The last of the three I played recently in the greater Flint area was Kearsley Lake. One of Flint’s municipal courses (the other is Swartz Creek which I played and reviewed last season), Kearsley Lake deserves better conditions.

Kearsley Lake began as a WPA project, and was completed in 1938. I have been unable to find a designer, which is a shame, as I think the course has good bones.

Kearsley Lake felt to me a bit like Cascades, the Jackson Municipal course that was designed by Tom Bendelow. It incorporates a couple of creeks, a pond, a lake and multiple hillocks while playing past some houses on the edges.

Of significant note, the causeway leading from eighteen back to the clubhouse is in such a state of disrepair that I had to backtrack across five holes to get from the eighteenth green to the clubhouse parking lot. Not a problem if you are in a cart, but as usual, I was on foot.

With some significant investment, Kearsley Lake could be an above average course. As it is, it’s a basic muni, and not one I need to return to.

I’ll have full reviews of all these in due course.

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