Course Breakdown: Elmbrook holes 6-9
Hole 6: 370 yards
The most picturesque hole on the course offers stunning views of both East and West Bay of Grand Traverse Bay. The hole itself is just as captivating, with an elevated tee shot that gives you a great view of the equally elevated green, set in a ravine between two hillsides. The right hillside is steeper than the left and is also the preferred miss. I see no reason not to go for it with a driver here—swing away!
The real challenge on this hole is playing to the uphill green. From the 100-yard marker, the green sits about 25 feet above the fairway. With this much elevation, the uphill shot plays about 10 yards longer than the actual distance. What can drive a golfer crazy is that the uphill shot is often mitigated by the lack of height the ball has when it arrives, causing it to release towards the back of the green. The dilemma is whether to be aggressive and not account for the uphill or to play it safe and accept being long. That decision always comes down to whether you'd rather miss long or short.
Like many of the green complexes at Elmbrook, this one has a false front that denies any ball that doesn't clear it. The green slopes from the front left corner to the back left corner, which explains why golf balls often release forward on approach shots. The rough surrounding the back half of the green is elevated, stopping balls that roll through in a hurry. I’d recommend missing long rather than short, so I’d add at least 5 extra yards for the uphill approach. Aim for the left half of the green, as a slight miss left can kick right onto the green. The right side, however, elevates before falling off into some nasty grass—definitely avoid missing right.
Hole 7: 485 yards
A good drive on the downhill, downwind 7th hole gives you an opportunity to reach the green in two. At just 485 yards, you might think this hole is easy, but much like the 6th hole, the fairway sits about 25 feet below the green, making it difficult to hit the target.
Off the tee, the left side must be avoided. Finding your ball in the left tall grass is a challenge, and even if you do locate it, you’ll be blocked by trees along the entire left side. The right side is also tree-lined, but the grass is shorter and the ground is usually firmer, making it more likely for your ball to kick left, especially if you can carry the right bunkers (230 yards).
As long as I hit a decent drive, I always try to go for the green in two. I take an extra club for the uphill shot and do my best to get up and down for a birdie. If I don’t have the chance to reach the green, I aim to leave myself at least 100 yards for my next shot. Given the steepness of the green, I try to hit the ball as high and soft as possible, which is easier with a full swing. There’s not much difference between missing left or right of the green, but you’ll always prefer to be long rather than short. The green slopes from front to back, so anything past the pin leaves you with an uphill chip shot. The hill leading up to the green is very steep and typically lush, so it’s best to avoid this area at all costs.
Hole 8: 285 yards
The short par 4 8th hole is gently uphill to a green that falls off to the right and back. From the blue tees, this hole is only 285 yards and doesn’t pose much trouble. It’s probably the easiest hole on the course, but it can definitely cause problems if you get out of position.
I typically hit less than driver, aiming to stay short of the green with my tee shot. In my opinion, the biggest risk is missing pin-high left or right. The left side features a handful of trees you definitely want to avoid. I can’t count the number of times I’ve hit a good shot just left of my target and ended up completely blocked for my next shot. Missing pin-high right leaves you about 5 feet below the green surface, in an area that doesn’t get as much water as the rest of the course, so the lies can be unpredictable.
Another area to avoid are the Lake Michigan bunkers from the 3rd hole. These are just off the right side of the fairway, about 215 yards to reach and 230 yards to carry. My strategy is to either hit my 3-wood to carry over the bunkers and avoid this miss or hit a 5-iron 200 yards to stay short of them if I’m not feeling confident with my swing that day.
The green slopes from front to back, and the ball tends to roll out a long way. Generally speaking, you want to land the ball just onto the green and let it release. This hole is one where you shouldn’t chase a birdie at the risk of making anything worse than par.
Hole 9: 172 yards
Man, the deeper I get into this breakdown, the more I realize how challenging the par 3’s at Elmbrook are. The 9th hole is the gold standard when it comes to tough par 3s. From the blue tees, it typically plays around 170 yards, usually into the wind, and always uphill by at least 5 yards. I’ll never forget my high school coach, Dr. Derr, who always urged the kids to use enough club to fly the ball over the green. He’d say this knowing they still wouldn’t take enough club and would end up short. I’m with you, Doc—missing long is always better than missing short!
The elevated green has a false front on both the front and left side, with the severity of the false front increasing the further left you go. You definitely don’t want to be caught with a shot from here. The front half of the green slopes toward the tee box, while the back half slopes toward the back edge of the green. I aim for the right half of the green and select a club that gives me a better chance of missing long rather than short. On a windy day, I’ll use my 200-yard club or even more to ensure I hit it where I want.
