Mines Golf Course

USA, Michigan, Grand Rapids
5 (6)
Designer: Mike DeVries
Course Opened: 2005

An inexpensive public access facility in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the Mines golf course was designed by local architect Mike DeVries and offers green fee golfers some real fun and adventure across a petty dramatic golfing landscape. The site itself was a century old Gypsum mine that had been left abandoned and unused when DeVries was given the task of converting it into a golf course. There were some serious site and budget issues here, with a number of the hills and slopes quite severe and little grading work done aside from the building of the tees and greens. The opening holes are squeezed uncomfortably onto a narrow slope across an entrance road, with the rest of the holes routed across a more broad landscape with some really interesting terrain and design elements. Played into a sand dune and built with a large green with a rolling tier, the par three 8th is a terrific hole, as are other par threes like the valley 11th and the drop-kick 7th with its green cut into a hill.

Despite its drama and the quality design work of DeVries, who was able to incorporate the natural crests, saddles and sideslopes well into his holes, the land here is ultimately a touch severe in places for great golf and budgetary constraints and a reliance on golf carts prevents conditioning for perhaps reaching its true potential. That said, for the price this is top line golf and at any price is a really fun and interesting public golf course.

 

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