Tip: Always show the ball the green.

Black Forest - Wilderness Valley

So you think you can putt, boy have I got a course for you. Now understand that I have been known to miss a three footer now and then -- and now and then again -- but I can get within three feet of the hole most of the time. But on the Black Forest ---------- no, I can't do it yet. It's to soon to talk putting. I'll talk about the course for awhile and let my nerves settle down.

This Tom Doak course has gotten plenty of press in most of the major golf publications as the "best this" and the "top ten of that" so I guess that some one else thinks is a pretty good course also.

Let's talk about the whole course in general. From tee to frog hair, a great course, scenic, a nice challenge. Once you get over the frog hair you have to putt,-----"dang nab it , it's doing it again." This course keeps bringing you back to putting. It's like the Golf War syndrome, you can't get it out of your mind.

I have to get some soothing thoughts in my mind so lets talk about the fairways.

These fairways are carved out of the forest (they didn't look black to me), but from tree to tree you have plenty of room. Funny thing, though, how sometimes your ball can ignore all of that room in the fairway and find a nice spot in the trees.

The fairways are very rolling to make for some fine holes and interesting shots. They were not overworked and left with the natural contour of the land and are a nice treat to play.

The grass on the fairways is bent grass and is in great shape. The roughs are in good shape and not severe so you should not have much trouble with them.

Sand traps are something that you will see plenty off. Some of them are in the middle of the fairway. Sand around the greens is plentiful but like all the traps on this course do not punish the good shot but stand a good chance of grabbing the errant one. If your luck is bad you can play many holes on the Black Forest from sand trap to sand trap and never hit the fairway or the rough. (Experience talking to you here.)

The thing that I really like about the layout of this course is that the holes are all by themselves. You will not see golfers on other holes. With the large trees that surround the hole, it's like the hole you are on is the only hole in the county. On one par five you will see the next hole but that is across a lake. What a treat it is to play courses like this.

The women get a great break on most holes. The men, on the other hand, can punish themselves as much as they want, because you can add almost 1000 yards to the course if you care to play the black tees. For the realistic, the whites will be plenty and the blues more than enough.

Two of the par threes are short and the other two you really have to jump on to get it there. Just because you have two short par threes, don't breath a sigh of relief just yet, because they may be short but they're far from easy. -- enough sand to start a beach and a few other nasty things that will thwart any recovery from an errant shot. Of course, once you make the greens you will have to putt. But we shouldn't talk about that yet. I still need to steady myself a bit.

From the human tees (white or blue) the par fives can be reached in two but the best advice is to think more about where you want your ball to be for the last shot to the green. Your second shot may be more important than just going for it because you'll want to be close to the hole on these greens. (I can't tell you why right now, but it has something to do with puttting and not wanting to leave yourself a long putt.) The shortest par five - number 16 - also has the smallest green on the course. But a little break here, it has the widest frog hair surrounding it that I have ever seen.

OK, here we go. About the greens:

There is an old Indian legend in Northern Michigan that goes something like this: "We will get even with the white eyes by having Tom Doak build greens."

The greens at the Black Forest are tough. (I'm trying to break this to you easy.) Most are not severe but there are more slopes, ridges, turtle backs (that's smaller than a hog back) and gullies in one green than you see on most courses. You could go cross-eyed trying to read a putt. If you have only one break in a putt, the putt was less the five feet. A long putt may have two or three breaks. These greens are fun and a real challenge to putt so don't expect a ho-hum two putt.

When you reach the last hole, and if you have the strokes right, this will be the hole where most bets are settled. If you don't remember one thing I said, remember this: get your ball on the same level that the flag is on. I don't care if you walk, drive or fly over, see where the flag is or you have had it. There is a ridge down the middle of this green that would be a good start for a roller coaster. If you get on the top level and the pin is on the lower level, you can watch your ball go screaming by the hole on your first putt. And you'll probably need someone to tend the pin on your second.

IF you can come in with less than the regulation 36 putts just let me know and I'll send you a golf star for your forehead.

This course is peaceful, scenic, and fun to play. I can't wait to get back, and I will as soon as my therapist says that my nerves can stand putting those greens.

By the way, I did lie a little. That really wasn't an Indian legend, the Indians found a better way to get even, they gave us Casinos.

Ken

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