Top 10 Public Courses in Metro Detroit
By Carlos Monarrez
Editor’s Note: this top 10 list was compiled by Detroit Free Press golf writer Carlos Monarrez in late 2022 and the summary is reprinted here with permission.
The Free Press has released its full countdown of the Top 10 Public Golf Courses in metro Detroit for 2022, curated by sports columnist Carlos Monarrez, and we've compiled the entire list in one spot below. For a detailed breakdown of each course, enjoy the "read more" links to each story (if you are a Free Press subscriber).
The Free Press ranking is based on criteria that takes into account a course’s overall attributes, like challenge, playability, versatility, condition and beauty. They did not account for price − there are too many variables involved in estimating value. Only courses in southeast Michigan were considered.
No. 10: Coyote Golf Club, New Hudson
Website: coyotegolfclub.com
Opened: 1999
Course architect: Scott Thacker
What you need to know: The 2023 season might be Coyote's last, with a developer proposing a 310-housing unit. The layout meanders through woods, ponds and marshes, with the course opening up on the back nine with a demanding final stretch. The par-5 18th hole requires two different forced-carry shots, including an approach over a pond to a wide, slippery green, sloping back-to-front.
Read more: Coyote Golf Club — which may close soon — has a strong 5-hole finish
No. 9: Moose Ridge, South Lyon
Website: mooseridgegolfcourse.com
Opened: 2001
Course architect: Ray Hearn
What you need to know: Beautiful piece of secluded property nestled in woods on a former raspberry farm and paintball battleground. The rare metro Detroit course that can truly claim an "Up North" feel. Challenging course that will make you pay if you're spraying the ball, but eminently playable if you're hitting it decent. Shelve the driver on the plethora of shorter par-4s. The par-5 fourth is among the longest holes around.
Read more: Moose Ridge's Up North feel is rare in southeastern Michigan
No. 8: Stonebridge, Ann Arbor
Website: stonebridgegolfclub.net
Opened: 1991
Course architect: Arthur Hills
What you need to know: Great conditions, swans and diligent owners are some of the reasons Stonebridge makes our rankings. One of three Arthur Hills original designs to make our list, Stonebridge presents some challenge but mostly serves as a straightforward test that never frustrates a player and always keeps the traffic moving. It’s probably no coincidence half the holes that aren’t par-3s are dogleg rights, complementing the trajectory of most amateurs’ tee shots.
No. 7: Lyon Oaks, Wixom
Website: oakgov.com/parks/golf/lyon-oaks/Pages/default.aspx
Opened: 2002
Course architect: Arthur Hills
What you need to know: Lyon Oaks is owned and operated by Oakland County, which makes it the only municipal course on our list. The words “muni golf” usually conjure thoughts of cheapness at an unchallenging course with sub-par conditions and low rates. But nothing could be further from the truth at Lyon Oaks. The course and facilities are upscale. The star of the show is the layout set on 230 acres of hardwood forests and wetlands. The consistent design cues of fairways carefully carved into the terrain and clean lines formed by the beveled edges of ponds provide a sense of familiarity without the feeling of redundancy.
Read more: Why Lyon Oaks is the best muni in metro Detroit
No. 6: WestWynd, Oakland Twsp.
Website: westwyndgolf.com
Opened: 2002
Course architect: Craig Schreiner
What you need to know: The final three holes are laid out in a funky fashion, but it makes WestWynd unique and wondrous. The 16th and 18th share a double green, yet are equally daunting and beautiful, and essentially give you two finishing holes that mirror each other around a large pond. The course lacks a driving range, yes, but has an upscale feel, thanks to brick-paved cart paths and a course manicured and maintained to a spotless degree. There are streams and elevation, well-placed hazards and fluffy sand in the rugged-edged bunkers.
Read more: Brick-paver paths, ‘two’ closing holes part ofWestWynd's charm
No. 5: Eagle Crest, Ypsilanti
Website: eaglecrestresort.com
Opened: 1989
Course architect: Karl Litten
What you need to know: Eagle Crest pulls off the rare feat of being home to a Division I program and also a resort course. Eastern Michigan calls it home and a Marriott is on the property. Situated along beautiful Ford Lake, Eagle Crest offers a mix of elevation and great views, with some of the fastest public-access greens in metro Detroit and one of the coolest ranges, hitting downhill towards the lake. Several holes border its banks, but no hole makes better use of its spectacular vista than the signature 16th hole, a 531-yard par-5 that is beguiling as it is beastly.
Read more: Eagle Crest, a rare metro Detroit resort golf course, is well-deserving of No. 5 spot
No. 4: Greystone, Washington
Website: golfgreystone.com
Opened: 1992
Course architect: Jerry Matthews
What you need to know: The layout makes excellent use of an old quarry, which the final three holes − a par-3 and two par-4s − wrap around for a difficult but exciting finish to your round and one of the best closing stretches in all of Michigan. It's as tough a finish as you’ll find, but also gorgeous, which makes the holes equally fetching, fearsome and frustrating. They wrap around a water-filled quarry that has become a 35-acre lake. The shimmering presence of that water comes into play on each hole, starting with the 209-yard par-3 16th, which plays downhill to an island green.
Read more: Epic finish around old quarry makes Macomb County golf course a must-play
No. 3: Shepherd’s Hollow, Clarkston
Website: shepherdshollow.com
Opened: 2000
Course architect: Arthur Hills
What you need to know: Tucked into rolling, wooded terrain shared by a park-like retreat for Jesuit priests, Shepherd’s Hollow takes full advantage of its serene and secluded setting. Even driving the long path through the pine forest that leads to the handsome clubhouse presents a sense of occasion and anticipation – a little like driving up Augusta National’s Magnolia Lane. Three distinct nines make up 27 holes on 350 acres along Oakland County’s second-highest point. Yet the aspirational nature of the entire facility sets it apart.
Read more: This serene Top 10 public golf course lets you play ‘Up North’ just 45 minutes from Detroit
No. 2: The Orchards, Washington
Website: orchards.com.
Opened: 1993
Course architect: Robert Trent Jones Jr.
What you need to know: Built on 525 acres of an apple orchard, the unique layout, variety and playability means you'll never tire of playing it. It's not too hard or too easy and provides the perfect blend of challenge and fun. Senior amateurs can enjoy this course that features few forced carries to the greens, but also provides plenty of scoring difficulty for PGA Tour pros as the site of the Rocket Mortgage Classic’s Monday qualifying tournament. Stand on the first tee on a clear day and you can see − even 35 miles away in this northerly suburb − the Detroit skyline and appreciate the history of a 300-year-old city that continues to remake itself.
Read more: Famous architect’s only Michigan golf course is a subtle masterpiece
No. 1: University of Michigan
Website: umgolfcourse.umich.edu
Opened: 1931
Course architect: Alister MacKenzie; renovated by Arthur Hills in early 1990s.
What you need to know: One of just two designs in the state by one of golf's greatest architects, the surprising elevation and tactics on the U-M Golf Course bring a small taste of The Masters to Michigan. MacKenzie's military camouflage techniques helped inspire his designs, and that's true here. Truly no one hole resembles the other, and rare boomerang greens on the drivable par-4 sixth and par-3 14th offer a glimpse back in time and demand thoughtful strategy. The 18th displays a view of Ann Arbor and plays downhill to a large pond guarding the green − it's one of the best closing holes in the state.
Read more: No. 1 public golf course in metro Detroit brings some of The Masters to Michigan
