 Bella Vista Golf Course - (517) 238-6085
Michigan Golf Course Review
Bella Vista Golf Course (formerly Blackberry Patch) near Coldwater in Southern Michigan is a beautiful 18-hole championship facility that was sanctioned as only the 10th course
in Michigan to receive full honors as a certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary, and also has been recognized as recipient of the Environmental Stewardship Award!
Facilities on property include a bent-grass range and practice green plus short game with sand bunker. Lessons from PGA golf instructors are available at the Alan Brennan Golf Academy (http://www.alanbrennangolf.com). The clubhouse includes a pro shop plus snack area with beverages and hot/cold sandwiches. There also is a 3000 square foot ball
room and banquet facility that can accommodate up to 200 guests.
The golf course is the focus of a 400-acre golf, housing and wildlife preserve, with residences set in seclusion, affording visitors a serene, isolated golf experience. The property is
located just 5 miles from I-69 - and quite frankly I was blown away by the beautiful setting, fine conditioning and wonderful layout - especially for a course priced in the value range.
The topography presents a mix of level and quite rolling playing surfaces, with partial cart paths allowing golfers to play an efficient round. There also are some scenic wooden
pathways through forested terrain, which add to the natural experience.
Four sets of tees play to distances and slopes measuring 7133 yards/141 slope, 6478 yards/131 slope, 5404 yards/128 slope, and 5173 yards with a slope of 118 from the
forward tees. As these yardages and slopes indicate, the layout packs some punch with generous but tree lined fairways, some elevation changes, carries over marsh and
natural areas plus sloping greens that most often play from back to front. Doglegs, ponds and over 40 sand bunkers add to the aesthetic beauty and challenge.
On course yardage markers are located at 100, 150 and 200 yards, with sprinkler heads measured to the center of the green. Directional poles (not 150 markers) are also
situated in some fairways, and are especially helpful to first time visitors. Golfers will appreciate the great variety in hole designs, and in the overall layout. Some holes wind
through a residential community, while others are very secluded.
Also on property is the Alan Brennan Golf Academy offering provessional private and group lessons. This is a great value golf experience, and one that we highly recommend. It is
worth the short drive off the highway, especially for golfers traveling back and forth between Lansing and Indiana. For more information, visit our page for the course, with direct
link to their website by clicking here.
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