Ye Nyne Olde Holles

$10 (cart included), played on Saturday, September 2023 at 1:30pm

Staying at a Thumb Lake camp and was told by another "Fellow Golfer" that if I like older courses, you can't get any older than, Ye Nyne Old Holles. Being one of the first courses built (Designer Unknown) in this area in 1923 it still has great bones to test any level of golfer, in these modern times. With the Clubhouse built halfway up this huge hill, it offers many challenges in elevation changes (up & down), reading putts and all with great views. They now have three (3) sets of tees to choose from starting with Blues @ 3,073yds, White @ 2,951yds, Yellow @ 2,562yds, Red @ 2,351yds on this Par 35 hilly layout. Conditions here today from fairway to green were surprisingly pretty normal for a Public considering the Junior play that I saw today. The greens (divot repair needs to be enforced) were very true and firm that were rolling a solid 8 today. The sand trap were well groomed/fluffed making playability a joy I experienced three (3) times today. They waste no time getting to the Hpc 1 hole as #1 Par 4 a 406yd dogleg right (240yd to corner) with a sidehill, narrow uphill blind green shot, into the SW wind, covers a lot of those challenging golf points. The #2 is a straightaway downhill 336yd Par 4 with ALOT of left to right wind coming across the fairway once the ball gets past those lefthand trees. The #3 Par 3 looks short on the scorecard at 174yds, hitting uphill (into wind) about 100' above the tee box added three (3) clubs to my selection after hitting three (3) balls. This is also the view from the #3 green you see in the description of this hole, over looking Lake Charlevoix. The #4 is a uphill blind tee shot on this 278yd Par 4 that plays better from the right-side of the fairway, because of a long sand trap located on the left side. The #5 is a downhill 530yd Par 5 with nothing in the way but a lot of green grass to the slightly elevated green, with three (3) traps. The #6 is a flat 163yd Par 3 that requires a Draw tee shot because that small lefthand tree they left in 1923, is now 150' tall and blocking part of the green. The #7 is a dogleg right 391yd that gets its Hcp 2 ranking by having the last 150yds uphill like #1 blind green location. The #8 is a 402yd downhill Par 4 that sweeps left to a "Concave" designed green that holds whatever you can throw at it, putting is another story. The #9 at 393yds is a slight "Double Dog" that favors a 210-250yd cut drive (LH trees) so you have a shot at hitting the tipped right green. Really enjoyed walking and playing this 100 year old course, but will take a cart next time so I don't waste time catching my breath before hitting the ball. Ended up shooting 40 w/16putts and thinking a lot about those that played with lesser equipment than I had today.