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The Natural - Gaylord, Michigan
The Natural is part of the Gaylord Golf Mecca and this course is one of the reasons that Gaylord is one of the premier golf destinations in the Midwest. The Natural is not a "Grip it and rip it" course you find so often these days. This is a course you had better be thinking about club selection. If you stop and think about your favorite hole on the course you play, it probably will be a hole that makes you use your head and skill more so than just your driver and irons. This course will give you many holes like that. You are far better off using your head.
Jerry Matthews designed this course in the rolling hills and wetlands that surround Otsego Lake and they named it the Natural for a very good reason. Your odds of seeing a deer may be better than seeing a "birdie" here. This is not a long course, a little over 6000 yds from the blues, but between the tight tree lined fairways, doglegs. and marshes you may wish it were shorter. Yes, there are holes you can pull out the driver and let it rip, but choose your spot and be accurate. More often, a shorter more controllable club will save you a ball or two.
The fairways on this course are not all that narrower than those you will find on most courses, it's just that you either have fairway or woods. Here, missing the fairway or narrow rough, is probably lost ball. Of course you will have some doglegs to contend with. These demand that you get your ball into the right area to have a shot at the green. Some will only take a mid-iron to get you into position. Since it is rolling terrain you may have different lies than you are accustom to -- another test of your ability. Of course you have strategically placed sand traps to grab the off line shot. All these nagging little problems and yet you still marvel at the beauty of each hole. Another bonus here is you seldom see any other holes. The hole your playing is your own little playground..
Marshes or water could come into play on about six of the holes. On three of those you will have to make the decision on whether to lay up or go for it. The other three you can play around the edges. The very first hole will get you thinking about club selection. It's also the first time the wrong decision will have you digging out a new ball.
The greens are rather large and should give you no trouble putting. A little joke there! Show me a green that you can't have trouble putting. Large greens mean long putts. The greens are well guarded with bunkers and are slightly rolling so no putt is a sure thing. They are in good shape so that leaves us with no excuse when we miss a putt. Of course we always have one.
They give the women a very good break on this course with the placement of the women's tees. An example is the first hole, a par five, The blues play to 545 yds and the reds at 390. Every hole give the women a head start, and in a lot of cases it will take them out of the trouble the men have to deal with. My wife loves this course. Except for about three of the holes that takes a good hit for her to clear the marsh. In most cases a little off line shot of hers won't make the woods. The same off line shot of mine would have me looking for a new ball.
I had just bought a new set of iron's a couple of days before I played this course, so to use them more and to give my wife a better shot at beating me, I used all irons on the back nine. I shot three strokes better than I did on the front. AND I didn't lose any balls. There is something to be said about short and down the middle.
This is a very scenic course you will enjoy playing. Because of the way each hole is laid out you will think you have the course almost to yourself. You will probably use most of the clubs in your bag. If you are playing with your wife you may be first to hit even after you had a nice drive.
After the round and you are setting in the club house enjoying your favorite drink, you may talk about the next time you play the course you will leave the driver in the car. Of course you won't, but ownership of a golf ball is just a temporary thing anyway.
Give this one a try, you'll like it; and bring your wife, she'll love it.
Ken Ducker
Click Here For More PhotosVisit The Natural Website
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