Snow Snake Ski & Golf

$26 (cart included), played on Thursday, September 2023 at 2:45pm

Traveling on US-127 to the Gaylord, MI area I saw the "Snow Snake Ski & Golf" facility and decided to stop in for some information. The starter said a big group should be finishing up the Front 9 in 30 minutes if I wanted to play a quick 9 holes. So for $25 9/cart I took off on the Front playing the Back Tees of 3,056yds for a Par 36. They do have Four (4) tees here Back @ 6,138yds / 70.0 / 130 and the Red Front tees @ 2,217yds / 66.8 / 115 on this hilly, treelined meandering Par 36/35. This golf course was designed by Jeff Gorney that opened in 1994 on the back side of the Ski hill James O'Arcy designed/built for the 1940-1950 ski season. This is a great conditioned course from groomed tee boxes, to the fast rolling bent grass greens, with well placed sand traps. Even though the yardage is on the short side, figuring out the hilly yardages and uneven lies, puts one to a real test of their swing. The Front 9 #1 hole Par 4 at 357yds gives you a blind uphill 2nd shot and OB if long. The #3 is a sweeping left 375yd Par 4 that protects its Hcp 7 ranking by being just narrow. The #4 is a 379yd Par 4 that has you hitting to 140yd marker from the hillside green or in the waste ravine you go on this Hcp 3 hole. The #7 is a feel good Par 5 at 479yds thats straightaway, but with a narrow view to the green. The #8 is its Hcp 1 511yd Par 5 that has you teeing off to a raised dogleg left fairway corner that needs a 220yd drive from the White tees and 245yd from the Back tees. Hint: Choose the correct tees for carry required, I didn't. The Back 9 plays a little longer with Back tees @ 3,082yds and Red Front tees @ 2,316yds for a Par 35. This was a real surprise at great conditions and layout for a mostly unknown course and ski area that compares nicely to the more well known facilities farther up North. I will stop in again and play the Back 9 and see how it stacks up to my score of 40 w/17putts on the Front 9.