Golf Course Review by: Billy Satterfield

Rankings: 

 

The Takeaway:  Bay Harbor offers incredible eye candy along Lake Michigan and a very unique set of holes. That is offset by a puzzling routing, unusual design features, and little cohesiveness. Ultimately the fun and scenery outweighs the quirks for a ton of fun.  Grade A-

Quick Facts

Designer:  Arthur Hills 1998

Cost:  $145 - $440 Click for current rates

Phone Number:  231.439.4028

Course Website:  Official Website - Visit Bay Harbor Golf Club (Links/Quarry)'s official website by clicking on the link provided.

Directions:  Get here! - 5800 Coastal Ridge Dr, Bay Harbor, Michigan  49770 – UNITED STATES

Photos:  See additional photos of Bay Harbor Golf Club (Links/Quarry)

What to Expect:  Located on the banks of the northern end of Lake Michigan on Little Traverse Bay, Bay Harbor Golf Club is a 27 hole facility with the Links and Quarry nines comprising the most revered 18 holes on the property. If you want views for miles, engaging hole designs, and a memorable golf experience, then Bay Harbor is just the place you need to find yourself. Perched on the cliffs above Lake Michigan, the Links nine wastes no time exposing players to views across the vast body of water as it hugs the left side of the 3rd and 4th holes creating a dramatic set of holes. The Quarry nine is routed through a former shale quarry that boasts 40-foot stone walls, water features, and several risk/reward opportunities before finishing on the coast of Lake Michigan. Throughout the 18 holes you'll find that Arthur Hills does a great job of balancing challenge with fairness with design features ranging from an ant hill green, a hell's half acre type bunker, a virtual island green, some forced carries, and an infinity edge green that appears to fall off to Lake Michigan. The elevation changes throughout the round create some exciting shots to hit and deliver impressive views that you aren't soon to forget. Players will also appreciate the turf conditions as they are kept in great shape with the only exception being a hole or two in the trees that may not drain as well after recent rain. On the positive side, Bay Harbor offers some highly impressive individual holes, tons of variety, and plenty of Kodak moments. On the downside, the routing is atrocious, walking it would be insane, and the holes don't flow all that well together. But from a purely fun standpoint, it is a hoot to play and the pros certainly outweigh the cons.

By the Numbers

Tees	Par	Yardage	Rating	Slope
Brown	72	6845	74.3	146
Purple	72	6427	72.1	143
Orange	72	6228	70.9	142
Blue	72	5951	69.8	140
Green	72	5099	66.0	124
Green (Ladies)	72	5099	69.2	135
Silver (Ladies)	72	4241	64.0	120

Individual Hole Analysis

Signature Hole:  3rd (Links) Hole – 380 Yard Par 4 – Without question, this is one of my favorite holes in all of Michigan. This stunning two-shotter plays along Lake Michigan while featuring dramatic terrain that tumbles downhill towards the green. Longer hitters will take aim at the left side of the fairway that will require 250 yards of carry over trouble to find the short grass while the conservative play up the right side will offer twice as much fairway to hit. A massive bunker encroaches on the right side and will be required to be carried the entire distance to the green when coming in from that side while those that hit the riskier tee shot up the left side will have a clean look at the putting surface. With engaging terrain, a strategic design, and a beautiful setting; the 3rd at the Links course is as enjoyable as it gets at Bay Harbor.

Best Par 3:  4th (Links) Hole – 178 Yards – Staying on the lake one more time before turning inland, the 4th hole on the Links nine at Bay Harbor is a downhill par three that plays to a green that jets left towards the water. It is a forced carry the entire distance to the green with the only bail out area to the right where the raised terrain can help kick balls towards the putting surface. When looking at the land Arthur Hills had to work with when designing the Links, this had to be the first hole he identified due to its stunning natural setting.

Best Par 4:  6th (Quarry) Hole – 332 Yards – Ultimately, golf is a game and it should be fun, right? If you subscribe to that theory, you are going to love the 6th hole. A drivable par four with a quarry wall on the left and wetlands on the right, this risk/reward hole gives players plenty of options to consider. The most fun, but highest risk, option is to take a rip at the green that sits on a peninsula. Reaching the putting surface in one will take some serious game, or luck, to accomplish, but the green is sloped to help hold balls back from scooting off the putting surface at that angle. An alternative play would be to layup short of the fairway bunker on the left side which is located 120 yards from there green. The flattest ground on the hole is found there and will lend itself to a pinseeking moment. Players that layup may choose to get creative and hit their approach shot on top of the hill found just left of the green and watch their ball trundle down to the putting surface. However you play it, you'll have a blast!

Best Par 5:  7th (Links) Hole – 500 Yards – This hole felt to me like it was inspired by the 6th at Pebble Beach with it being an uphill, semi-blind par five with Lake Michigan flanking the entire right side rather than Stillwater Cove. The tee shot plays to a raised fairway where longer hitters will see their ball bound out of view to a bunkerless landing zone. The entire fairway slopes towards Lake Michigan and a hill covered in rough encroaches in from the left side before the fairway wraps back around it to create a two-tiered layout. The approach shot plays well uphill to a green perched on a plateau and fronted by a pair of bunkers that sit 100 yards from the center of the green. Approach shots taken from 200+ yards out need to land their ball just short of the 35 yard deep green and let the ball release onto the putting surface, while those with a wedge or low iron in their hand should be able to hold the green by playing the full yardage. It is an exciting moment in the round hitting a ball to the green without a clean look at the putting surface and then walking up to discover how close to the flag you were able to hit it. After putting out, a look back down the fairway and out to Lake Michigan is highly recommended.

Birdie Time:  5th (Links) Hole – 351 Yard Par 4 – Bay Harbor's version of Hell's Half Acre is found here at the 5th, but if you can stay out of it then you have a great chance at carding a birdie. A short par four that doglegs 90 degrees to the right, a carry of just 210 yards is needed from the back tee to carry the bunker found on the inside of the fairway turn. From there it is a flip wedge to a raised green with a filthy false front. With a scoring club in hand though, a spinning shot that carries to the center of the green should yield a good look at birdie to most pin placements.

Bogey Beware:  5th (Quarry) Hole – 495 Yard Par 4 – A par five measuring under 500 yards wouldn't normally be featured in the Bogey Beware category, but most courses aren't Bay Harbor. Arthur Hills creates a great risk/reward hole here where more players may fall victim to the risk than enjoy the reward. The tee shot is a forced carry over water to a fairway flanked on the left by water and on the right by deep fescue. Players that manage to find the short grass will be tempted to go for the green in two and will need to weigh out their ability to carry the water fronting the green and getting their ball to stop before potentially colliding into the quarry wall behind the putting surface. The green is half as deep as it is wide, so distance control is paramount in finding any level of success here. With trouble at every turn, there are a lot of "others" scored here, but the short distance can yield some birdies to those striking the ball well.