Course Breakdown: Grandview holes 15-18
GV #15
My goal with these write-ups is to only provide information and my plan of attack. I don’t like to get into course architecture because, whether I like a hole or not, it doesn’t change the fact that I’ll have to play it and try to score the best I can while doing so. That said, I'm not a fan of this hole.
It would really improve with some tree removal, but as of the last time I played this hole, you have to hit a shot with a left-to-right flight or you can only hit at a sliver of the fairway. A straight shot can’t go more than 235 yards, or you’ll be in the left bunkers. With the fairway dropping ~65 feet, that translates to hitting no more than a 220-yard shot off the tee.
It is possible to hit a big left-to-right shot and find the fairway, but take note that in the last year or two, a creek was installed 265 yards from the tee, running right across the fairway. So, make sure to hit something less than 250 yards, even if you are going to cut the corner.
The green slopes right to left and has a bunker short left. Despite the bunker, you’d rather miss short than long. Long slopes away, and a bad bounce can send you into the bush-lined hardwoods. Your ideal miss is short and right.
If I were in charge, I’d remove enough rows of trees on the right so a golfer can see the collection area of the creek off the tee. It’d certainly make this hole a bit easier, but as it currently stands, this is the weakest hole at Grandview.
As of now, I try to hit a hard left-to-right shot with my 4-iron. A perfect drive would leave me 140–120 yards and well short of the creek.
GV #16
Holy cow, back-to-back holes that absolutely kick you in the teeth. This is the second-longest par 5 at Grandview but might play even longer than the nearly 600-yard 6th. There are a few reasons for that.
Like the 6th, this hole is a giant dogleg left. The difference is that this hole starts turning after 200 yards instead of 350 yards. This creates a tougher hole because the bunkers through the fairway are only 210 yards from the tee box, with a forest behind them. For those who hit their drive over 240 yards, you must either hit a shot around the corner or go over the corner of the trees. I’ve accomplished this a few times but have tried many more.
I’ve learned to just hit a layup shot off the tee. Last time I played, I hit 4-iron just to stay short of the bunkers. From here, you’ve got an uphill, kind of blind shot. Just remember the hole continues to dogleg left, and your aim should be just right of the left hillside. I try to blast a 3-wood as far as I can since my tee shot usually leaves me 350+ yards remaining.
The green slopes from left to right and back to front. It is fair to assume that your ball will land softly, so don’t be afraid to fly a ball all the way to the hole on your approach.
GV #17
My typical rounds at Grandview involve me playing 15 holes well and the rest being complete disasters. The 17th has been one of those disaster holes far too many times. It's another really tough hole. The tee box and green are nearly at the same altitude, but everything in between sits about 15 feet below. To find the green, a ball must carry the front edge at 184 yards. Anything landing short will land in the upslope and tumble back towards the low area.
The left side always features a false front, but there is a little more excitement with a bunker anxiously waiting to gobble up anything just left of perfect. Sadly, the right tree line hugs your target line, so you’ll subconsciously aim more left than you probably intend.
Once you finally reach the green, it slopes from the back left corner to the front edge. From the middle of the green to the front edge is an extremely fast putt, requiring you to putt to the ridge and letting gravity do the rest of the work.
GV #18
The finishing hole is a sharp dogleg right that maneuvers around a low area to the right of the fairway. After the last three holes, I always feel the urge to smash my driver as far as I can. This is perfectly fine on this hole since the pine trees through the fairway are nearly 300 yards away. Just take dead aim at the left cluster.
The green is pretty straightforward, with the general slope being left to right. The green gets slightly larger the deeper into it you go, so I tend to err on the side of going long rather than short.
One thing I’ve always appreciated about Grandview is that the first and last holes are arguably the easiest on the course. I think this is great design because it eases you into the round and, hopefully, ends your round on a high note. If I ever owned a golf course, I’d make sure this was the case, as I believe it helps golfers mentally want to return to the game. Nothing makes me want to sell my golf clubs more than making a double bogey on the 18th hole.
In conclusion, Grandview is always worth the trip out to Kalkaska for me. It’s a challenging course that doesn’t always suit my game, but that doesn’t change the fact that I thoroughly enjoy playing it. If you go through and count the clubs I hit off the tee on par 4s and 5s, it adds up to:
7 Drivers
4 5 Woods
3 Long Irons
I only hit the driver on half of the holes where I could potentially use it. Sure, I’m longer than average, but this is from their back tees at 6600 yards. The next set of tees is 400 yards shorter and would put the driver in my hands even less.
I mention this to highlight a key point: just because you’re on a par 4 or 5, it doesn’t automatically mean driver is the correct club to hit. Golf is hard enough—making poor decisions only makes it more difficult.
Stay classy,
Your Hat Caddies
