Few Things in Life
More Enjoyable than Timber Ridge Golf Course
By Kiel Christianson,
Senior Writer
EAST LANSING, Mich. - One of the great legends of the northern
Great Lakes describes how the mythical giant lumberjack Paul Bunyan
and his companion Babe the Blue Ox roamed the north woods cutting
timber. Whereever they stepped, lakes formed. I would like to
take this opportunity to add another chapter to that legend: The
place where Bunyan first swung the odd metal club sent to him
by his Scottish cousin Ewen McBunyan became Timber Ridge.
He went on to take a few more swings with that club in northern Michigan
as well. But for those of us in mid-Michigan, Timber Ridge is our lone
view of a Bunyan-esque course, literally hewn out of the towering red
pines that line, surround, and protect every hole on this lovely course.
All right. So it was really Jerry Matthews who designed Timber Ridge
in 1989. And he has done a fantastic job of creating a truly distinctive
course with a northern Michigan feel in the midst of flat mid-Michigan
farm fields. This fact has been written before of Timber Ridge, but
it is worth writing again.
As you drive just north of downtown East Lansing, towards what seems
to be a buffer of executive houses and trailer parks before reaching
farm land, you turn into the Timber Ridge property, and suddenly you're
in a pine forest, complete with steep hills, deep ponds and, oh yes,
18 golf holes.
Timber Ridge's clubhouse comes complete with pro-shop (where Ed Cashman,
PGA Pro is found), restaurant and banquet facilities. The practice green
is one of my favorites anywhere--not so large, but well-contoured, just
like all of the greens out on the course. It also overlooks the green
of the ninth hole and the pond and fountain fronting that green.
The driving range is a very pleasant place to warm up as well. The
hitting area is elevated high above the landing area, which makes it
hard to judge the distance of your shots, though. Nevertheless, you
certainly FEEL like you're absolutely crushing the ball, thanks to the
drop-off.
The practice range is a good preparation for the first hole, which
runs parallel to the range. The tee is also elevated, so if you're hitting
well on the range, you'll be set for #1. I should also mention that
#1 used to be #10, and visa versa. They switched nines at the start
of last season for a couple of reasons. #10 (the old #1) faces straight
east, so early tee times used to result in blinded golfers.
No. 10 is also a narrow dogleg left, with tall pines--what else?--on
both sides. So if players hit their tee shots awry, the first hole had
a tendency to get backed up. It is very difficult, after all, to hunt
for your ball in the woods after the rising sun has burned your retinas.
So, long story short, the back nine is now the front nine. The only
problem with the change is that number 9 is a really great finishing
hole. In fact the last three holes on the front nine combined to make
one of the most memorable closing stretches in the area. They're not
bad before a hotdog at the turn now, though.
Another change this year is the continued improvement of the bentgrass
greens. I suspect that in recent years, a lack of sunlight due to the
signature pines caused some browning of the greens. Now, aside from
one or two on the back nine (that are coming around as well), the greens
are in great shape. Or should I say "shapes," as this course
has a unique and vexing collection of potato chip, multi-tiered, well-mounded
and well-bunkered greens. I generally don't three-putt more than one
or two times a round, but here I had at least half a dozen.
The course is not so long, at only 6,497 from the back tees, but the
greens force you to hit it near the hole or else. Or else what, you
ask? Besides three-putts, the severe mounding around the greens (e.g.,
7, 9, 12, 18) will shoot long or wide shots off into the surrounding
brush.
Add to this a number of devilishly placed sand traps, as on #12, where
a huge trap lies front left, three others lead up to the green on the
front right, and three little ones hug the back of the green. (Oh, yes,
there's water all down the left side of the 12th fairway, as well.)
According to the Lansing State Journal, Timber Ridge is home to two
of the nine hardest holes in Clinton County. Two more received honorable
mention. The first of these is #9, the hardest hole on the course. It
is a 455-yard par 4. Bunkers line the right side of the fairway, which
bends left around a mound that blocks the view of the green.
It also blocks the view of the pond that stands between your second
shot and the green. Judging by the small bucket of balls I harvested
from the water, I'd say a lot of shots come up short. (Including one
of mine last year which, I swear to God, I fished from the murky depths
this year. I swear!)
The 18th is the other top-nine hole, according to the paper. It is
a 523-yard par five Paul Bunyan wet dream--completely lined from tee
to green on both sides by huge pines. As I mentioned, this green has
mounds on all sides. You can hit the green and roll off and be OK. But
fly over or wide, and you'll need a magical short game to get out of
the woods and back onto the green.
The Lansing State Journal also rates numbers 13 and 14 as honorable
mentions in the "toughest holes in the county" judging. The
14th is a 437-yard par 4. It's tight with a deep, narrow undulating
green. You must hit the fairway here, period.
To be honest with you, though, I don't understand why the slightly
uphill par-3 13th is rated so difficult. As far par threes go, Timber
Ridge's are not that hard, at least according to the handicaps listed
on the scorecard. And number 13 is certainly not the hardest on the
course.
I personally believe 7 to be the devil's own golf hole, however. It
requires a deceptively long 169-yard tee shot from an elevated tee over
a pond and fountain. The tee shot must stick on a tiered strip of a
green that runs nearly horizontal to the tee box. Hit it thin or just
long, and you're across the cart path in the woods, as is any shot left
or short right. Straight but short is wet. I'm no newspaper man, but
if I were to pick a hard par 3 here, I'd go with 7 over 13.
Golf Digest ranked Timber Ridge as 73rd out of the top 75 public courses
in the nation in 1990. Again in 1996 it was ranked by Golf Digest as
number 53 out of the top 75 affordable courses. Upkeep may have been
a problem in the intervening years, but Timber Ridge is definitely coming
back into its glory. The nicest feature of the course is--you guessed
it--the pines.
The few fairways that run parallel are separated by the trees. And
even though the course is situated in a new subdivision, all but one
or two houses are hidden from the golfer's view. While rates may be
high for some ($52 weekends, with cart--but only $35 on Mondays during
the 1999 season), the solitude and quality of play is worth the price.
There are few things in life more enjoyable than getting back to nature
on a course like Timber Ridge --just me, Babe, my trusty blue golf cart,
and my 3-iron ax.
Timber Ridge Golf Course
16339 Park Lake Road
East Lansing, MI 48823
517/339-8000
1-800-TRIDGE2
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