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Lakeview Hills - North Course (810-359-8901)
- 8/23/02 -
 Lexington, Michigan - 20 miles north of Port Huron is the unlikely location of
a fine golf facility with two upscale championship courses. Lakeview Hills features the original South Course, a traditional design with rolling
topography traversing 6300 yards. The North Course is the newer layout, and has been part of the resort since 1991. The facilities at the Lakeview
Hills include over 30 resort accommodations, a 16-lane bowling alley, a health club, racquet ball courts, conference center, and dining options.
Cross-country skiing is featured during winter months, and 3 banquet halls are available year-round for weddings, business seminars and special
events. Accommodations include standard rooms, deluxe Jacuzzi rooms, executive suites, and a 6 bedroom estate house, with private pool.
The obvious draw here however, is the golf. Besides the two 18-hole courses, on property are a grass range with
targets, and a putting green. Golf lessons are available, and stay and play packages feature unlimited golf,
accommodations and some meals. With the listed rates, if you play 5 rounds on a 3 day/2 night package, you
are basically staying there for free! The Sunday through Thursday Weekday Value Package ($99 PP double
occupancy for one night) is a steal, with a room and a day of unlimited golf included. For more information on Lakeview Hills Resort and stay & play packages with a link to their website, click here.
Our review features the North Course, considered to be of the resort variety, with a great mix of open, tree-lined
and water holes. The many holes with generous landing areas are consistently lined with mounds of heather in
opportune spots along the fairways. First time players will surely find themselves in these hazards from time to time.
 Five holes at least, provide considerable challenge with precarious water hazards, and the few tight, tree
-lined fairways stand out upon completion of the round, for their rustic beauty and conditions, and for the challenge (especially off the tee) that they
present. An especially nice feature is the informative scorecards for the North Course. They provide not only a diagram, but also tips on how to play
each hole, much like the hole diagram/yardage guides that are found on the carts at some upscale properties. The information here is very accurate.
The tips on the North Course measure 6852, and are quite challenging with a 139 slope rating. The Blues will be the tees of choice for most golfers, with
the 6148 yards playing to a 131 slope. The white (5646 - 128) and forward tees (4995 - 131) are fair but testy.
This is not a course where you automatically pull out the driver when approaching the tee area. There are
significant doglegs, creeks and patches of high grass that warrant well placed drives of 200 yards or so. Check
out the GAM on the mid tee boxes for accurate distances, and pay attention to the small flag indicators on the
flag sticks for the day's pin placement. There are yardage plates at 100/150/200 - but the most helpful info is right there on your scorecard.
 The opening hole is fair - a mild dogleg left par five with heather on both sides of the fairway. Nail your drive between the fairway bunkers and it is reachable
in two - for long hitters. A creek crosses the fairway twice on the very tight par four 2nd. Accuracy is the key concept off the tee here. The green on number
three is ridged and undulating, and plays slightly uphill, but is still designed for par.
 Do as the card says on number four, and an easy approach on this 45 degree dogleg right is the reward. This precedes a long, tough par five - one of the
tightest driving holes on the course. Due to its length, there is little choice but to hit driver off the tee here. A lay up is recommended off the tee on six, as a creek crosses about 190 from the GAM.
There is not much to be gained with the driver on this short par four - heather and pines line both sides of the narrow fairway. The seventh is the number one
handicap. Drive up to the 150 and have a look at the layout. There is very little room on the right side. The best play is a long drive hit just right of the last pine
tree on the left. Anything short or to the right will find not only heather, but a blind approach to a green with water on 3 sides.
 There is some bail out room short left. The eighth is a pretty par three over water, again with some
bail out room left. As a closing hole on the front, the ninth presents a decent challenge, with a water hazard along the right and length (410 from the blues) keeping it interesting.
A dogleg left par four opens the back-side, with deep fairway bunkers guarding the green. This is followed by one of the trickiest holes on the
course. Aim for the tree in the center of the fairway. A lay up before the creek is not an option here.
 You must carry it by at least 30 yards to have a clear shot at the flag. This 45 degree
dogleg right is extremely tough to cut, except for the longest hitters. Number 12 makes it 2 tough driving holes in a row. This short par five is extremely tight,
and is best played as a three shot hole. A lay up to the left side is recommended off the tee, as the tree on the right will block any approaches
from that side. A deep green-side bunker on the right is the only obstacle to a low score on the par 3 thirteenth, which is the #18 handicap. On 14, you can cut
this dogleg right with a well-placed drive over the trees. Keep in mind that a narrow creeks runs in front, about 150 out. The fifteenth is an easy hole if you
can avoid all the heather, which is not readily discernable off the tee. Pine trees also come into play near the
putting surface. The number two handicap follows, and in my opinion, is the only "unfair" hole on the course. This
hole is banana shaped, with the green playing downhill to the left. Only tee shots hit exactly at the white stake will
have a good look at the green. Anything short presents an extremely blind approach - anything long is trouble. The seventeenth is a short par three, that plays all of the yardage advertised.
 Try to stay below the hole on this back to front sloped green. Number 18 is a beautiful closing hole. The water hazard is just 215 yards from the GAM, so an
accurate lay up is recommended. Left is the place to be for those going long. The approach is nearly all carry over the hazard, to a mildly undulating putting surface. Play it smart and
this is one of the best birdie opportunities of the day.
The finishing hole is special, and is the highlight of a group of pretty water holes that are an important part of the make-up of
the North Course. With the few thickly bordered, rustic tree line fairways, and the many open holes lined with
mounds of heather, Lakeview Hills North provides some of the best variety of any course in Southeastern
Michigan. Rates are $46 weekdays and $55 weekends with cart during the 2002 season - a good bang for the
buck. If you want to play a lot of golf and have a resort experience, but do not want to drive far - Lakeview Hills is
a nice option for a day or weekend getaway. The shores of Lake Huron, and Lexington beaches are just a mile away.
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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