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Gateway Golf Club (734) 721-4100
Michigan Golf Course Review - 11/09/02 -
Gateway Golf Club in Romulus is easily accessible from all areas of Detroit, and is especially convenient for
travelers, as it is located just two miles north of Wayne County's Metro Airport. This Denny Spencer design (with
collaboration from Jerry Matthews) is a public course that is the center piece of the Gateway Golf Community -
which features 363 single-family lots and 272 four-plex and duplex condominiums. These residences are woven
into design of the course, without infringing upon play. Nearly 1,000,000 cubic yards of dirt were moved to create
the mounding that defines this layout - creating target definition on the fairways and around the greens. Many of
the green complexes are perched above the fairways with soft, white sand bunkers, large undulating putting
surfaces, and extensive mounding creating challenges. Most fairways provide ample landing areas and are
bordered by mounding that is designed to provide an aesthetic quality and to make the course look more difficult
than it actually plays. Ponds that come into play on eleven holes also enhance the beauty, and create challenges without demanding too many forced carries.
This is a course that can be enjoyed by all levels of golfers - easy enough for beginners, and challenging enough
from the back tees (6736 yards) for low handicappers. The top slope rating is 128, and 4 sets of tee boxes allow
golfers to choose their medicine. Wind can be a big factor here on this links style layout, as the scattering of
trees is not enough to shield the course from the elements. You will not have a problem finding yardage markers
on the fairways, as the Kirby system is in place, which provides markers every 25 yards from 200 - 100. Some
sprinkler heads are also marked. Small indicators on the flag sticks let you know if the pin placement is in front, middle or back.
The front nine is infinitely shorter than the back (3191 versus 3651) and affords an opportunity to get off to a
good start. A mid range par five opens the day and features a short carry over water, and an approach to a
heavily mounded green complex. This is followed by 2 short par fours (320 and 330 from the mid tees), each
presenting ample room off the tee. Be careful to stay right or center on number 3, as a creek runs all along the
left side and crosses just in front of the green . The fourth is one of 3 par fours that play over 430 from the black
tees (and is the the # 1 handicap), but you will usually get some help from the wind here. A simple par three with
bunkers right and mounds left precedes a rather tough par five, coming back into the wind. The fairway here is
generous, but a huge bunker complex challenges the second shot, and anything hit toward the right side will
leave a blind approach over tall mounding. Even though it will make the hole play longer, the best approach is
from the left side of the fairway. Long hitters have the chance to drive the green on number seven, though a
narrow fairway and a creek running along the right side beginning about 170 out may convince many to lay up off
the tee. The par three eighth is a pretty shot over water and is followed by a fun closing hole. Be left of center off
the tee, as the water hazard on number nine can be reached. The fairway slopes to the right and making the pond a magnet for balls hit to that side.
The back side plays long and has 3 par fours of 399 or more, though there is a great discrepancy from the gold
(3383 yards) and white tees (5927). A narrow fairway grets you on the tenth tee, with a narrow opening between
trees left and bunkers right. The water hazard is placed treacherously on the par 3 eleventh, but there is
considerable bail out room left. A strong wind will make this hole play considerably tougher than its 8 handicap
indicates. The water on the long par four 12th (432 from the whites) is easy to reach on the left side. An uphill
appraoch to an undulating greens makes this hole worthy of it's # 2 handicap. Players on the white tees get a
great break on 13 - a par four that plays 456 from the tips, 431 from the golds, and just 375 from the white tees.
The easiest par three on the course is next and is followed by the layout's longest hole - a 620-yard par five. It is
quite open, but a water hazard comes into play on the left side on the second shot and approach. A rolling
fairway and mounds create the challenge on the par 4 16th, and on the seventeenth, which snakes left and right
before approaching an uphill green complex. A long pond on the right makes the finishing hole play quite tightly.
Two good fairway wood shots should create an easy approach and possible birdie try to end the round.
Rates at Gateway, which has only been open for 2 seasons, were just $45 weekdays and $52 weekends during
prime time (18 holes with cart) in 2002. Off-season rates are nearly half that. Walkers can subtract $10, and will
find this to be a good walking experience - not a lot of hills and generally close proximity from green to tee. This
is a good golfing value for the Metro Detroit area - for a fun round of golf. Call for tee times, outings, and for information on the residential Gateway community.
Check out the Two Guys Who Golf detailed information page on this course (which includes a link to the course's website if available) - click here.
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