Freeways and Fairways: Eldorado
The Cadillac course along US-131
By Tom Lang
This course review is part of an occasional series that looks at golf courses found along Michigan interstate freeways – those you drive by frequently, or on that annual vacation, but never seem to have time to stop and explore. Here is my assessment:
Eldorado is a golf course that is either blessed or cursed to be right in the easy line of site for golfers heading north on US 131 every weekend because most are driving right past it with visions of further-north resorts dancing inside their dimpled heads.
But maybe you should slow down next time and give it a try. When I did in June, I was paired up with a father-son duo from California, who did just that – and we had a great time.
“We’re taking a day or two to get to our destination (Treetops) and this is one of the spots my dad pointed out on the way up last night and we thought we’d check this place out,” said Chris McKeon of Carlsbad, CA as we stood on the 18th tee. “No expectations. We had no idea what it is, and it turned out to be quite the gem.
“There’s a lot of open space, and there is a really nice look across the course. Very good views, and you can drive the ball without relying on being really tight, except a couple holes on the back nine. But for the most part it’s fairly wide open and you can let it rip. Super big greens, very fun course.”
The open property appears to be former farmland, in part because a clean white home and freshly painted red barn sit across the road to the south. The front nine is pretty wide open, except for the approaches to some greens where it’s narrowed down by trees. The back nine has more water come into play by far. Approximately one-third of the property has marsh land in which the back nine meanders its way to and fro.
No. 8 is interesting in that the tee box is tightly surrounded by trees, but it opens up to a wide fairway, which then squeezes down on the par 5 to a very skinny area at the end of a dogleg left, requiring an approach over the marsh to an elevated green with mounding across the back to catch long balls.
The closing holes 9 and 18 share a combined green that is beautifully shaped and adds a great amount of character to each finishing hole. Hole 18, a longer par 4, requires a solid drive off the tee or you’ll have a layup before going over a large pond to the large putting surface.
“I think it’s awesome here,” said David McKeon. “My son and I like to do these golf trips and have discovery golf, where we just pick a course, drive to it and see if we can get on.
“The people in the pro shop here were fantastic, and I would also say that everybody in Michigan that we’ve met, from dinner last night and the course we played (Bay Harbor), to this one, super people here in Michigan. A lot of nice people who have been so friendly to us.
“Eldorado is very different from what we play back home,” he added. “There’s more trees on this course than any we’ve played in CA. It’s got many forced carries and when you’re a high handicapper it’s been a challenge, but it’s been a blast.”
