100 Years: Gaylord Country Club
By Robert McIntyre
Former golf coach at Grosse Pointe South High School
Overview: A good time for all skill levels. The course is straightforward and fun.
So many positives to this 100-year-old club that’s open to the public. Entering the property there is a full range on the right. The clubhouse looks pleasant and the pro shop fully functional. So far, good stuff.
The bar was reasonably priced to provision my cart with essential fluids. Yes, not gouged at all. How rare is that?! The staff was polite and helpful. The patio seating was pleasant. You know, nice. It was what everyone should expect from car to cart.
I will say to a golfer who is looking for a self-loathing round, you should not come here. If you are a +1 and want to have fun with your friends, it’s a good time and you will still have to make some shots. If this is one of the three times you are dusting off your mixed set of clubs this year, no problem. This place even has junior tees! Best idea ever. Our 70+ year old in the group has more scar tissue than professional bull riders (combat vet). He played from the juniors and was able to announce his score in reference to par. That hasn’t happened since the Bush administration.
The course itself initially may seem a little boring. The fairways are wide. The rough isn’t gnarly. The design is simple. There are few targeted landing areas. The bunkers are placed correctly relating to tee and approach distances, but nothing tricky. There are very few points where the optics encourage you to aim incorrectly. Risk reward decisions are present in a mild fashion. There are no blind shots hiding death. It is all right there. When you have enough swing lube going, you can declare you are going to cut that corner knowing that your equation is mostly correct. Mostly.
Only 3 holes remind you of the traffic on highway 32. After the first few holes you relax into the feeling of up north golf. More trees and solitude. The dwellings on the course are sparsely placed. These dwellings don’t cause the worry of putting a ball through a kitchen window or killing a child playing in the yard. If you're hitting near these cottages, quit the game. Plenty of opportunities for $1 long drive bets on the wide fairways. Greenies, camels, snakes ,.. the course is fair to every skill level of compulsive gambler in your group.
Looking on the web site do not be deceived. There is elevation change that is lost on a computer screen. Did I say a little boring, it isn’t. At the same time, it isn’t some intentional rollercoaster of uneven lies so the designer can reflect on their brilliance. No, the variety of lies are fair and playable. In the fairway means a good lie. The greens are so much better than you would think. They are proudly rolled by the recently acquired equipment. Nothing crazy. Maybe a 9.5 on the stimpmeter for a Monday. There is no need for practice rounds, local knowledge or coaching. Sure, it would help, but no need. It’s all right there. It’s fair.
At the turn staying hydrated is not a problem. Again, I didn’t feel like I was being shaken down in provisioning the cart. I caught up to the group in front of us (one of our foursomes). Mr. 110 is on pace to a 104. California Sober is tracking to break 90 for the first time this year. IT guy is really hoping he has a number that can beat me today (spoiler: I kicked his ass... again). I really hope he reads this!
The point is that everyone in the group was having fun. They weren’t ignoring the score. It was as competitive as it gets for us. At the same time, I had not seen so many smiles in a while. The complaining about their game was still there. It just didn’t have the same teeth. There was far less swearing.
All in all, GCC was fun. Isn’t that the point of a golf trip? To have fun with your friends. There are better courses out there. However, I had a great time with my buddies playing this course.
Nice Job Gaylord Country Club.
