Champion Hill Golf Course

$41 (cart included), played on Saturday, October 2022 at 8:20 AM

I was vacationing in Pentwater area and son Jeremy was celebrating his 48th Birthday in Traverse City, so golfing in Beulah was a good choice. Heard about this Jim Cole/Lee Stone 2000 hilly designed layout years ago but never in the area at the right time....until now. As the photo in the insert shows its set on a rolling hillside, generous fairways lined with heather, large fast undulating greens protected by well placed sand traps and all mixed with breath taking views. This isn't a resort course where you relax in your hot tube overlooking the #9 / #18 green or reviewing a 5 star menu with linen napkins and why the 3 forks ?? This is about playing GOLF on a course that plays Blues @ 6,879yd / 72.0 / 127 down to Womens Reds @ 5,090yd / 68.1 / 116 for a Par 36/36 and the Brats are delicious. We decided to play the Whites 2,974/3,130 @ 68.5 / 120 and though the yardage seems short, many of the greens are elevated 20'-40' above the fairway for your approach shots so that proved most challenging. No GPS on the carts so my range finder w/elevation adjustment was used on almost every hole and finding landing areas on the nine (9) doglegs and missing those many fairway/greenside sand traps. The #4 Par 4 dogleg left at 419yds favors the long tee to the corner 220-250yds because your 2nd shot is uphill 2 extra clubs for their Hcp 1 hole. This is followed by #5 Par 5 a downhill 543yd dogleg right that allows a good tee shot (220yd+) to cut the heather filled corner with a 180-200yd shot and land 40-60yds in front of the elevated green. The #7 Par 5 at 475yds was all uphill climb with a dogleg right to hit your 3rd shot to a blind green, looking at the top of the flag stick. The #8 (Great View) was a downhill Par 3 at 198yds a played about 2 clubs shorter to a large green but a tough green to putt on from the wrong tier on this Hcp 3 hole. The Back 9 #10 starts out with a off center downhill tee shot to the way uphill located green on this 423yd Par 4 that rejects short shots to front traps. All of us took 3 shots to hit this narrow green. The #14 is a 354yd sweeping dogleg right and a 220yd drive down the right edge of the fairway will put you inside the 100 with no problem. The #16 is their Par 4 Hcp 2 at 415yds that is a very narrow fairway that eats missed balls up to the elevated green. The Par 5 at #17 is 539-475yds and has a hidden green behind the hill on the right. Playing two (2) good shots down the middle you'll see the green on the back side of the hill. It's possible to fly the hill, right of the only tree if a 215yd+ fairway wood is in your bag, but there are many traps guarding against this shot. The #18 is also a Par 5 at 583-541yds with a hidden green for your 3rd shot with water guarding front left of the green that you can't see. Play for the far righthand side of the green and you might get a friendly kick-on from the downhill bowl shaped hill like I did. We really enjoyed the course and conditions we found here today and will return with learned knowledge. Son-in-Law Kevin took honors in carding a clean 78 w/37putts while I had a 79 w/32putts and Jeremy's 3 O.B.'s left the Birthday boy with a 83 w/33putts but having a great time. If you're in this area you really need to put this course on your play list, you won't be disappointed.

$36 (cart included), played on Sunday, August 2010 at 8am

Great vacation golf. Staff very frendly and happy you're there.

$16 (cart included), played on Saturday, September 2008 at 4pm

Enjoy the nice views of the area while you play golf.