PGA-worthy Glacier Club brings top-notch golf to Detroit area
WASHINGTON, Mich. -- The Glacier Club, located near Van Dyke and 27 Mile road in north metro Detroit, is a first-class golf experience.
(based on 12 reviews) There is a great grass driving range and a huge practice green for putting and chipping, along with a practice bunker. The 7,000-yard Billy Newcomb design features five sets of tees, allowing numerous choices for varying the difficulty of play.
The opening hole (a long par 5) will catch your attention. Keep it in the fairway, and be happy if you reach in three.
After an easy par-4 second, the par-3 third requires an accurate shot to the correct section of the green -- or you will have a tough uphill/downhill lag on the tiered putting surface.
The Glacier Club's fifth hole is of signature quality, demanding an accurate lay-up and a long fairway wood or iron on your second shot.
A birdie or par can be had on this reasonable par 5. Holes No. 7, No. 8 and No. 9 are challenging, requiring accuracy and length, with unenviable approaches if you land too far left or right.
Overall, the front nine presents an opportunity to score well if you can keep your ball in the fairway, as the rough is extremely strong and penal.
The Glacier Club's back nine
The The Glacier Club's back plays a little tougher, with some tight fairways and doglegs to challenge your shot making ability. The par 5s at No. 11 and 14 are particularly interesting, with huge greens and considerable trouble lurking.
Number 16 is a beautiful par 3 surrounded by bunkers and plays over a narrow marsh. Seventeen gives you a last opportunity for a birdie, playing quite easily if you can put your drive in the fairway. The par-4 18th is a great finishing hole, where par is a good score. The water on the left is sneaky close, and the bunker fronting the green is one you will want to avoid.
Be sure to take notice of the pin placement on your approach. The entire course is well marked, with a very good pin placement system (different colored flags) in place.
Glacier has been home to many US Open and amateur qualifying events. The quality and speed of its greens is quite different from most of the area courses. Be sure to arrive early and make use of its expansive practice green, which runs very similar to the ones you will encounter on the course.
The most telling number, however, will be how many fairways you hit. Stay out of the rough, and you have a good chance of scoring your handicap or better. Visit the rough often, and you will pay far less per shot to play this course.
June 24, 2002
Mark "Sparky" Honey, Contributor
Mark "Sparky" Honey is the U.S. Editor & Marketing agent at Two Guys Who Golf.