Played the Rick Smith Signature golf course at Treetops in August, and I’ve never been so impressed by one resort having such high-quality courses. Couple that with (what I’d consider) a very reasonable rate, and it’s as good as it gets!
As previously discussed, the courses all open with a bang, and that’s clearly the case here. I decided to play the Blacks, as they were in a good range for me, totaling 6,653.
This downhill par 4 was 447, but it has one of those tee shots that seem to go on for days. Check it out:
The second is a great par 3, with two distinct tiers on the green. Luckily, I didn’t really have to worry about it, as I landed in the deep bunker on the left. I almost got the up-and-down, so wasn’t off to a bad start.
The third hole offers (what looks like) an easy tee shot, but be wary; there’s a lot more trouble than it originally looks like. The bunkers are there for a reason, and can easily come into play, and don’t forget the water on the right.
If you avoid all the trouble, your approach will be one of the flatter lies on the resort, leaving you a great opportunity for a birdie.
The fourth is an all-carry, 186 yard par three. The carry isn’t over water, but natural vegetation. This hole almost seems out of place, with all the vegetation that you’ll see, but it’s a good thing. When playing this hole, you really feel like you’re in “the woods.” We really liked it.
The fifth is a good-sized par 4 at 421 yards, but it’s the #1 handicap hole on the course. As I’ve previously discussed, for whatever reason, I seem to play the hardest holes well and the easiest holes poorly. That rang true here as well, when I hit fairway, GIR, and two-putted for the par. I will say that the green has a lot of tricky spots on it, so be prepared when you arrive. I was pretty proud of my 2-putt; you will be too.
Your cart will whine as you go from the 5th green to the 6th tee, but it’s worth the groans. Welcome to the only par 5 on the front. Lots of room for the tee shot, so let it fly. I remember absolutely killing it, and the bunker in the middle of the fairway didn’t come into play, so go for it!
There’s a little drive to the next hole, and you’ll pass an on-course restroom. As expected, well-stocked and clean; great job Treetops staff!
The eighth hole is the third par 3 on the front, and was the easiest for me, mainly because I had a favorable pin position. If it were on the far right, this hole would’ve played a LOT tougher. There’s also room to bail on the right, so it made for a pretty easy hole.
Even though the cart girl was making her rounds, there is a nice halfway house after the ninth hole. We stopped and chatted with the girl tending it. Very nice and kind, in that Midwestern way that I’ve always liked. (That’s why I still live in the Midwest; hard to explain, but if you’re from here, you know what I mean.)
The 11th hole is a visually wonderful par three. Your tee shot is directly between two rows of trees on either side. It doesn’t necessarily make the hole tougher, but it is very strong from a visual standpoint, and we liked it a lot.
Also, not visible from the tee, is a lot of trouble on the left side of this hole. If you look closely at the scorecard and tee sign, you’ll see them, but they are easy to miss. Be wary; there’s a lot of trouble surrounding this green. Don’t be fooled by the visually impressive trees; they won’t get you, but the bunkers will.
The thirteenth also has some distinctive visual appeal. The tee shot is over some natural vegetation, although not as much as on the par 3 discussed earlier. That being said, I do like the ferns growing up between the tee box and the fairway. It adds a really nice touch to this hole.
The approach is to an elevated green, with some strong bunkering surrounding it. Not being able to see the green always adds a level of difficulty. Note: Be wary of the bunker behind the green, which you can see on the far right of the next picture. It’s easy to try to bail to the right, after looking at the bunkers fronting the green, but resist!
The fourteenth has another elevated tee shot that this resort is becoming famous for (at least to me). I hit probably one of the best drives of the trip on this hole; couldn’t have happened on a better hole.
Keep in mind that, depending on pin position and whether or not you have a draw in the bag, you may want to land that tee shot on the right side of the fairway. There is a single, tall, fat tree in front of the green that will make a lot of approaches difficult. Heed the warning.
The fifteenth is a par 5 (and only 485 from the tips), but the real tough shot here is the approach. It’s much more uphill than pictures can show. The distance makes it reachable, if it weren’t for it being so uphill. Couple that with a very cloistered green, and you have a really tough, short par 5. Now how often do you get to say that? Here’s the approach:
And here’s a view looking from green to tee. Also, this green is two tiers, so be sure to be on the correct one.
The course finishes with a par 4 that is slightly to the left, and trouble in the fairway, in the form of a bunker. There is lots of room right of it and it’s not that long of a hole (363 from Blacks), so it can be avoided. The approach is uphill to a green you can’t see (again), so club selection is everything. This green is very large, so a two-putt is prized.
As you finish the 18th and start driving back towards the clubhouse, you’ll drive past a memorial for someone’s gone but not forgotten friend, Divot Smith. This was really unexpected but a nice touch, and we provided our peace offering, like so many others before us had, and left the course on an upbeat note, glad that someone would make such a great memorial. We never even met you Divot, but we miss you too.
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Dan,
great review of the Rick Smith course! I’ve never played this course or any course in Michigan for that matter and will definitely put it on my list.
R