Patti Engineering Insight

Here is a summary of my memorable 18 Holes: 

1. 1. Bethpage Black – Par 4 – 430 yards – A.W. Tillinghast (1936) – Farmingdale, NY
   2. Genesee Valley Meadows – Par 3 – 213 yards – Ellis, Arndt & Truesdell (1963) – Swartz Creek, MI
   3. Wawashkamo – Par 4 – 336 yards – Alex Smith (1898) – Mackinac Island, MI
   4. LaCosta (South) – Par 4 – 382 yards – Dick Wilson (1965) – Carlsbad, CA
   5. Arcadia Bluffs – Par 5 – 583 yards – Warren Henderson/Rick Smith (1999) – Arcadia, MI
   6. Masterpiece (Treetops) – Par 3 – 180 yards – Robert Trent Jones Sr. (1987) – Gaylord, MI
   7. Oak Quarry – Par 4 – 403 yards – Dr. Gil Morgan (2000) – Riverside, CA
   8. Doral (Blue) – Par 5 – 563 yards – Dick Wilson (1962) – Miami, FL
   9. Indianwood (Old) – Par 4 – 343 yards – Wilfrid Reid (1925) – Lake Orion, MI
   10. Crystal Downs – Par 4 – 395 yards – Alister Mackenzie (1929) – Frankfort, MI
   11. The Orchards – Par 5 – 607 yards – Robert Trent Jones II (1993) – Washington, MI
   12. Shepherd’s Hollow – Par 3 – 226 yards – Arthur Hills (2000) – Clarkston, MI
   13. The Hills (Boyne Highlands) – Par 5 – 570 yards – Arthur Hills (2000) – Harbor Springs, MI
   14. Aviara – Par 3 – 201 yards – Arnold Palmer (1991) – Carlsbad, CA
   15. Torrey Pines (South) – Par 4 – 477 yards – William F. Bell Jr (1957) – La Jolla, CA
   16. Oakland Hills (South) – Par 4 – 406 yards – Donald Ross (1918) – Bloomfield Hills, MI
   17. Oakhurst – Par 4 – 493 yards – Arthur Hills (1998) – Clarkston, MI
   18. The Heather (Boyne Highlands) – 451 yards - Robert Trent Jones Sr. (1967) – Harbor Springs, MI

• Front 9: Par 36 – 3,433 yards
• Back 9: Par 36 – 3,826 yards
• Total: Par 72 – 7,259 yards

Some Facts:

• Old but Good: 10 of the 18 holes are over 40 years old, 5 of the 18 are over 70 years old.
• Favorite Architects: Arthur Hills – 3 Holes, Robert Trent Jones Sr. – 2 (His son also did 1), Dick Wilson – 2
• Back is Tougher: I added nearly 400 yards to the back 9 holes, that sets up for my game as I usually do better on my 2nd nine holes.
• Location: 12 holes are located in the state of Michigan (6 of which are “Up North”), 4 holes are in California (Southern), 1 in NY, and 1 in Florida.
• Demographics: 8 holes are public, 6 are resort, and 4 are private.

Posting about golf for the past 4 months has me thoroughly pumped up for the golf season this year. Right now I am sitting through a Michigan Ice Storm, but I know better weather is coming soon. Opening Day for the Tigers is six weeks away. Shortly after that I will get the sticks out, and start sloshing around the local courses for the spring thaw. See you on the Links.

Everett Kircher bought 40 acres near Boyne Falls, Michigan in 1947. The person who sold Kircher the land laughed at the idea of building a Ski Resort in such a remote location and hence gave him the land for $1. The Resort, known today as Boyne Mountain, was the first resort in the Midwest to have a chair lift. Kircher eventually made money off of several patents for chair lifts and snow making/grooming equipment. In 1964, Kircher bought a 2nd ski resort, known then as Harbor Highlands and renamed to Boyne Highlands.

Boyne Mountain was the first Ski Lodge in the Midwest to offer golf, a course that Kircher built himself. For Boyne Highlands, Kircher hired Robert Trent Jones, Sr. to build the “Heather” which opened in 1967.  The Heather is presently ranked #70 on the list of Golfweek Magazine’s “Top 100 Resort Courses.”

The Heather is a little over 7,000 yards from the Tips and slopes at 141. The finishing hole is a terrific challenge. Playing at 451 yards, and going downhill from the tee to a pond, a long drive from the tee can reach the water. You are going to be left with at least a 160 yard shot over nothing but water going for the green on your 2nd shot. Bailout position is to the left.

Each May I go on an annual golf outing “Up North” with anywhere from 28-40 people. We call it the “Long John” golf outing as we have had to wear “Long Johns” because of the widely varying temperatures in early May. For 7 years in a row we went to Boyne Highlands and always had our last round at the Heather. For the first six years I put one in the drink as a bunch of drunk golf buddies were jeering from the behind the green on #18. I am happy to report, the last time I played the Heather, I was the only one in my group to hit the green, landing one 20 feet from the cup as our group went on to a par, winning the annual outing.

I have had the pleasure of playing Oakhurst more than any other course as we joined there in 2002. The Club has many families with young kids. Children can play (and are encouraged to play) the course with their parents as long as pace of play is kept up. The summer swim program is fantastic as my daughter has participated the past 5 years (And if you allow me to boast a little, she was the 2007 11-12 year old league champ in the freestyle!).

As recently as 2006 was ranked in the top 25 courses in the State of Michigan. It was designed by Arthur Hills and opened in 1998. It plays 7,041 from the back tees. With 6 different sets of tees you can choose how difficult you want to make the course (this is great for me, as the clients I take out there vary greatly in skill level). On 10 out of 18 holes you must carry a hazard at some point, but there is usually a good bit of room to spray your drives. The course is tough but fair.

Hole 7 is the club’s signature hole, but my personal favorite is number 17. I could not find a good picture of 17, so I had to use Google Earth to get a satellite view. 17 is a LONG par 4 which follows the shortest par-4 on the course (303 yards). The hole runs straight down hill so you can get some nice roll on a well struck drive. If you pull your shot you may be lost in the woods to the left. Pushing your shot could lead to O.B. on the right. If you do hit a good drive, unless you get a great roll, you are faced with a 200+ yard down-hill shot to a green that has a hazard in front of it. Many people will play a 100+ yard shot to the hazard, then play a 100 yard shot to the green, thus playing the hole like a par 5.

If you are looking for a great Family Club in Northern Oakland County, give Oakhurst a call. You can call the Membership Department at (248) 391-3300, x137 (and tell them I sent you). I will see you at the pool or on the course!

My office is a twenty minute drive to Oakland Hills Country Club which has two great courses. The North Course, a par 70, 6,660 yard gem, is ranked #19 by Golf Digest in the State of Michigan. The South Course, a beast at 7,445 (par 70), is Ranked #17 in the United States (#2 in Michigan) by Golf Digest.

Oakland Hills was designed by Donald Ross in 1918. When it opened, Walter Hagen was the first club pro. The Club had a major redesign in 1951 when Robert Trent Jones beefed up the course for the the 1951 US Open. Recently, Rees Jones, his son, has lengthened the course from 6,974 yards (1996 US Open) to 7,445 yards. The list of Major Championships held at Oakland Hills rivals that of any course in the country:

• 1922 Western Open – Mike Brady
• 1924 U.S. Open – Cyril Walker
• 1937 U.S. Open – Ralph Guldahl
• 1951 U.S. Open – Ben Hogan
• 1961 U.S. Open – Gene Littler
• 1972 PGA Championship – Gary Player
• 1979 PGA Championship – David Graham
• 1981 U.S. Senior Open – Arnold Palmer
• 1985 U.S. Open – Andy North
• 1991 U.S. Senior Open – Jack Nicklaus
• 1996 U.S. Open – Steve Jones
• 2002 U.S. Amateur – Ricky Barnes
• 2004 Ryder Cup – Team Europe
• 2008 PGA Championship

I have played each course at Oakland Hills once. I played The South Course about 2 weeks after I shot 94 at Bethpage Black. We were to play the Blue Tees (6,819 yards, par 72, slope 133) which rated easier than Bethpage Black, and I was excited at the possibility of busting 90 on the South Course!

I can’t remember my exact score that day, but it was somewhere in the 110’s.  The rough at Oakland Hills is like no other. It completely sucks up your ball and hitting out of it is like launching a marble out of steel wool. The greens have undulations and breaks that you swear defy physics, and if you do read a break right, good luck judging the speed as you feel like you are putting on the hood of your car.

The 16th Hole is the signature hole at Oakland Hills. In 1972 Gary Player hit a miraculous 9-iron from under a willow tree over the pond to about 4 feet to make a birdie. If you push your drive at all, you are in the Hazard. The big boys need to club down as you run out of fairway at 270 yards. Your iron shot must be accurate, as pushing it will put you in the Hazard, and pulling it puts you in bunkers. Hitting out of the Bunkers is extremely dangerous as the green slopes towards the water.

If you come to my area and get an invite to Oakland Hills, I would suggest 2 things:

• Invite me along as I want another crack at the South!
• Try to get through the 16th hole without dropping one in the pond  (I am o for 1).

See you there!