EAGLE CREST GOLF CLUB (734) 487-2441
Review 6/10/04 - photos updated August, 2006
Eagle Crest Golf Club located on Huron St. in Ypsilanti adjacent to the Marriott, is one of the areas premier
designs - and is home to the eastern Michigan University golf program. In southeastern Michigan, it doesn't get
much better than this. In fact, Eagle Crest is the only facility of its kind in this part of the state, as it features
upscale accommodations, magnificent banquet, meeting and convention facilities, plus fine dining and
amenities expected at a top golf resort. The course itself features wonderful conditions from tee to green along a
rolling terrain with fairways bordered by lakes, ponds, creeks and a significant number of red maples, pines and
willow trees. Golfers can book a room for a night, subsist on the variety of cuisine available at the resort and
inside the clubhouse, enjoy the wonderful grass range and practice green, and play golf to their desire without
ever leaving the grounds. For more information on the Eagle Crest Resort and Conference Center, which was recognized with the 2004 Pinnacle Award by Successful Meeting Magazine, click here
On property golfers will find a pro shop stocked with golf accessories and attire, the Eagle Crest Grill and lounge
open for breakfast, lunch items and beverages, men's and ladies' locker rooms with showers, and
banquet/outing/special events facilities that can accommodate 144 people. The elevated grass range sits just in
front of the clubhouse and a putting green sits to the right - easily accessible from the pro shop as well as from the Marriott Resort.
Some sprinkler heads are marked, and 150-yards stakes are visible on the par fours and fives. A brochure with
hole diagrams and tips on how to play each hole is also included with paid green fees. At 6755 yards the
championship tees play to a formidable 138 slope, and the blue tees are no slouch either with a 135 slope
playing to 6470 yards. Most golfers will opt for the white tee boxes, which measure 6150 and are sloped at 131.
The forward tees measure 5185 yards and play to a 124 slope. A rolling terrain with frequent water hazards and
medium sized, undulating greens will demand a good iron game to score well. There are some pretty unique and challenging holes - along with some that present beautiful views of Ford Lake.
The opening hole begins from an elevated tee and turns to the right, with mounding on that side separating the
fairway from the nearby range. The left center of the fairway about 100 yards out will leave an opportunistic
approach over water, with a cascading stream to the left and bunkers right. Number two doglegs left about 60
degrees near the 150 yard area. The tee shot here must breach the 180 yard area to the right center, or face a
blind approach to a green bordered by a pond immediately left and Ford lake right. The 100 yard area is the
place to be on three, which leaves a second shot over water. The fairway ends about 60 yards out. There is
room everywhere but left on the par three fourth, which precedes the most difficult hole of the layout. On the par
five 5th the left center is the place to be on the first two shots, as the fairway slopes downward and left to right
from 150 in. Trees on the right prevent a cut, and the huge trap that fronts the green presents another challenge.
Level areas to the right make that side the primary target on the par three 6th, which angles right to left. Though
out-of-bounds looms along the right, the fairway on seven is generous and plays uphill to a double tiered putting
surface. A tee shot placed just left of the fairway bunker on eight will leave advantageous positioning, and a good
opportunity for par or better on this short par four. Grip it and rip it off the tee on nine, which is a mid-range five
par that can be reached in two by long hitters. This holes turns to the right near the 250 yard area. There is room short and to the right, but long is gone.
The back side plays a bit longer and has some rather tricky doglegs. Ten is a risk/reward par five with the left
center being the safe way to go. A tee shot shaped left to right that clears the tree line and lands between the
150-200 yard area can really cut off some distance - and provide a good eagle or birdie opportunity. For those
laying up the area short left of the green is good place to be, as a bunker right front and pines behind and on the
sides of the putting complex make going for it in two risky.Eleven is likely to extract some four letter words from
golfers playing this hole for the first time. The best tee shot will land in the 140-150 area left of center. A
depression on the right will leave uneven lies, and anything hit short will face what looks like an impossible, and
somewhat blind approach to a perched green protected by a huge tree in front. The 12th is a long par four set in
a lush environment, with plenty of trouble on both sides of the fairway. The fairway slopes left to right and the
green is very long and narrow. A lake left of the cart path borders a wide fairway on 13, that ends with a pond
fronting the green about 50 yards away. There is room to error left of the putting surface on the approach, and all
else is trouble. From layered, elevated tees golfers will find a beautiful par three with plenty of room short. The
tee shot on 15th is a demanding one, as the water along the left creeps in towards the fairway near the 80 yard
area on the way to the green. Sixteen begins from raised tees and demands a carry over marsh land that
breaches the 270 yard area. The fairway begins here, then ends abruptly about 50 yards away as an inlet from
Ford Lake fronts the putting complex, that is defined by a rock retaining wall. The large sand trap to the right of
the green saves many tee shots from reaching the hazard on the long par three 17th. The left side is the obvious
target here. The 18th fairway plays uphill and leads to an elevated, two tiered putting complex with bunkers in front and back.
Eagle Crest is the type of course most golfers will want to play again...right away. The layout rewards good shots
and good strategies, and course knowledge is a definite advantage. Pay attention to the GPS and to the "tip
sheet". The conditioning was excellent on our visit, the service friendly and the course interesting. The property is
easily accessible just off I-94 at the Huron Street exit in Ypsilanti - close to Ann Arbor and just a short drive from
Metro Airport. For more information, visit our page for the Eagle Crest Golf Club, with link to their website, by clicking here.
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