Up North Course Review: Hidden River
By Tom Lang
People frequently label golf courses as ‘hidden gems.’
At Hidden River Golf and Casting Club, it’s even in their name.
And it lives up to the ‘gem’ part just beautifully.
“Hidden River is the quintessential Northern Michigan golf experience,” MSU men’s golf coach Casey Lubahn told me. “The combination of tree-lined holes, natural wetlands and meandering water features create as peaceful of an atmosphere as you can find in this game. The routing across the property feels like each hole is its own setting and provides challenges for the expert player while allowing players of all abilities to have fun and enjoy their day. This is highlighted by the challenging 9th hole where precision is at a premium on a shorter par three,” which has a massive elevation drop from tee to green.
“I also love the 16th hole – a challenging par 4 that requires a gutsy drive followed by a semi-blind approach into a green neatly tucked (high) into the trees. I believe great courses require a variety of shot shapes and where risk is rewarded with good execution. Hidden River is a classic and a must visit.”
Both holes 9 and 16 jumped out to me as well, for exactly why Lubahn shared.
The newer owners are John and Becky Duffey, who are philanthropists to MSU sports and to orphanages, among other charitable support.
“I had played Hidden River a few times before I bought it, and I just fell in love with the place; it’s just beautiful out here,” Duffey told me after we finished 18 holes. He had heard a few years ago about another local course that had closed down and didn’t want to see that happen here.
“I really like holes 12-15,” he said. “You’ve got a couple par 3s in there, and two par 4s that are challenging. You have to hit over ravines, while one is a dog leg left and one is a dog leg right. Those are my four favorite holes.”
It’s a good sign when people share a variety of favorites. It usually means there are a bunch of candidates that will provide an overall great day on the course.
My favorite stretch is holes 14-17.
Hole 14 is a gently turning right dog leg with a pond at the end of the fairway before reaching water. Golfers then hit their approach shot over that pond to a slightly elevated green – which is possibly the most undulating one on the course.
Slide over to the 15th tee and you’re looking downhill on a large green that runs on a diagonal from front left to back right. Mounding on the right side could help or hurt any wayward shots depending on what part of the mounds it hits. Hole 16 is flat the first two thirds of the way before reaching about 100 yards out, where the base of a huge hill begins. The green is perched at the top of the hill and from almost all angles is a mostly-blind shot.
Then you turn the corner to 17 and you have a par 5 starting with one of the most elevated tee boxes on the course, looking out over a long fairway that is heavily bunker with waste bunker sand the entire left side. Woods protect the right side off the tee, plus there’s a half dozen bunkers guarding the right side of the green. It’s a picturesque medium length par 5 where birdies are getable but not easy.
Hidden River is getting all new high-end carts this fall, after already investing in a new pavilion area at the bag drop and a wonderful food shack at the turn with great tasting treats. For after the round, Trovato’s restaurant in the clubhouse overlooking the Maple River is a very unique Italian fair restaurant serving great meals that also attract area patrons that are not golfers.
More information at: https://hiddenriver.com/
