Mystic Creek Golf Course

I started golfing last year and have not let my relative low skill level stop me from playing some really great courses. Friends told me that the Jackal at Mt. Brighton was too hard for me, I had no business playing the Legend at Shanty Creek - you either know or can guess the drill.

I played them anyway, and I'm glad that I did. Yesterday I played two of the three nine hole courses at Mystic Creek in Milford (actually within the Camp Dearborn property). I paid a three dollar entry fee which was refunded at the Pro Shop. I decided on the Meadows and Woods courses since I figured the Lakes course would be too cool and breezy. Excellent courses, both. Low use at this time of year, so you have no pressure to keep up or speed up your play. The on-cart GPS was great for me since I had never seen the holes before. It gave tips at every tee box which was greatly appreciated.

This course is really great and a good value, too. A few of the greens had been punched as part of the fall maintenance, but overall it was in excellent shape. A small army of groundskeepers were seen darting around doing chores, and I actually played pretty well on the Meadows. That fell apart when I got to the Woods, which is a slightly longer course, and more challenging.

Lately, I'm striking the ball much better. I actually beat my son for the first time last weekend. He wasn't thrilled, but at least I loaded him up with some new golf balls that I found on sale, and that I really like. They're Nike SFT. I found them on sale at Dick's Sporting Goods, a two dozen box for $25. I didn't expect much at a buck a ball, but they seem to play very well for me. I'm not a monster hitter from the tee, a typical drive is 180-200, and a great drive is 220 or so. But these SFT's seem to work better for me than anything else I've tried.

I hope to get in a few more rounds before the snow hits. Not sure what I'll do this winter, other than visit the outdoor but covered and heated tees at Deaton's in Howell. That may give me my golf fix until Spring.

Golf Bug Bites Hard

Last year I finally succumbed to golf. I had played in a couple of outings (with borrowed clubs) some 30 years ago and never found a thirst for the game. I could watch it on TV, be amazed at the skill of other golfers, but never had the urge to play. That changed last year.

I took four lessons in March & April of 2008, bought a starter set of clubs at the end of April and played my first round at a scramble outing in mid-May. I played a fair amount of golf last year (once a week, sometimes twice) and decided to join a league this year.

As I play more, I want to play even more. Of course, that's not possible since I still work. But I do have a certain latitude with my hours and an early morning tee time allows me to play 9 holes and still begin work before 9:30 or 10am. I like to hit a couple buckets of balls each week, too.

Some days I go to the driving range and hit a bucket of balls instead of eating lunch. Actually, I think that's been good for me as I notice lately that my belt is being fastened at the end notch, a place I haven't been for some time!

As I hit better shots more often, I want to hit better shots all the time. Not realistic since even the pros blow a shot now & then, but hey, it's a goal to work towards. There are a lot of great courses here in Livingston County, and long-time golfers tell me golf has not been this affordable for a many years.

Some of my favorite places are:

Chemung Hills Golf Course. Beautiful, but tougher with a lot of water hazards and subtle, tricky greens. If you can putt here, you can putt anywhere. A big bonus for those living nearby is the best driving range prices I've found at $3 for a small bucket and $6 for a large bucket of balls. Also a very nice club house and good food. I've used their banquet center a couple of times, too, and it's first-class.

Faulkwood Shores, not far down the road, is a great value (see their website for monthly specials) and challenging in a different way. Narrow fairways penalize those who hit 'banana' balls but it is still a 'fair' course, even for golfers of my limited ability. Greens are usually very fast, too.

The Jackal, at Mt. Brighton, is scenic - and tough! I had no business playing this course last year, but I did anyway. (I still have no business playing it, by the way.) I lost a lot of balls, but it was worth it. Elevated tees on various parts of the downhill ski slopes, plenty of water, wetlands and woods to challenge you, but overall one of my favorite courses. Very good food in the lodge and convenient to an I-96 interchange to make it convenient for your friends to play.

Huron Meadows, part of the Huron-Clinton Metropark system, is perhaps the best maintained course on which I've played. Granted, Metropark fees are a little higher, but everything is in great shape from the tee boxes to the greens. Their carts have little 'perks', too - a combination club and ball washer, and a flip-down cleat cleaner on the rear! I love this course. And you don't need a metropark pass to enter if you're paying for golf, so don't let that park fee stop you.

There are a lot of other great golf venues within a 30 minute drive of the Brighton-Howell area, and just because they're not mentioned here doesn't mean they're not worth playing. If you're a golfer with suggestions, leave a comment with your suggestions.