LAKEVIEW HILLS RESORT - SOUTH COURSE (810-359-8901)
Resort Overview
Michigan Golf Course Review
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
Lakeview Hills include over 30 resort accommodations, a 16-lane bowling alley, a health club, racquetball 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 suites and a 6 bedroom estate house with private swimming pool.
The obvious draw here however, is golf. Beside the two 18-hole championship courses, on property are a grass range with targets and a putting green. Golf lessons are available
and stay and play packages include 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 thru Thursday Value Package is a great deal, with a room and a day of unlimited golf included.
South Course review
The South Course is a traditional design with a nice mix of undulating and tree-lined fairways, with sporadic but strategic bunkering and ponds in play on four holes. The layout
is well marked with stakes at 100, 150 and 200 yards, and color coded flags to indicate front, middle and back pin placements. GAM's are provided on each of the white tee box
areas. As with the North Course, the scorecard for the South features not only a course layout - but also includes pro tips on how to best play each hole. The 3 sets of tees
measure 6290 (119 slope), 5961 (117 slope) and 4707 (116 slope). As a resort experience, the South is the shorter and more playable of the two courses, though there are
ample opportunities to get into trouble. The finishing holes in particular, demand approach shots from below and above your feet, with few opportunities for even lies.
The beginning hole is a tough one - the number one handicap. If you can catch all of your drive and reach the down-slope on the fairway past the 200 yard marker, this long par
four (461 from the blues, 428 from the white tees) becomes infinitely more playable. After a simple par three, the third hole presents a challenge as water comes into play along
the right side about 170 yards from the green. The approach opens up however, as the hazard stops about 60 yards out. The fourth is a short but tight par four, with water all along
the right and trees left. Five is also tight and tree lined - straight as an arrow but extremely narrow all the way to the putting surface. A lay-up to the 150 yard stake is a good play
on six, although with ample room right, the rough here is not a bad place to be. Seven is an extremely tight par three, and invites a shot to the left side of the green, which slopes
noticeably towards the center. The 297 yard eighth is a very score-able par four, as long as you can avoid the fairway traps off the tee. Land it on the short grass and the approach
is an easy one. As a closing hole on the front, number nine is a playable par five, with a rolling fairway leading to a slightly elevated green protected by a bunker left and trees right.
The back nine plays about 100 yards shorter than the front, with none of the par fours exceeding 400 yards in length. Holes 10 through 12 are short four pars, with number 11
being the most difficult of the group. This dogleg right demands that the tee shot reach past the 150 yard stake, if one is to have any shot at reaching the green in regulation. A
driver or fairway wood hit down the left tree line is best, as anything right has a good chance of going through the fairway and being blocked by trees. Number 13 is the 18th
handicapped hole - a mid-range par three with a tight green complex. This is followed by a par five that invites a tee shot that flies the edge of the right fairway bunker to the upper
shelf of this sloping fairway. Take an extra club on the approach to this elevated green. A lay-up to about 120-100 yards away will leave an even lie for an approach over a grass
ravine that comes into play about 95 yards out on 15. There is really no advantage with an attempt to drive this 286 yard par four, as the small, back to front sloped putting surface
sits on a plateau - demanding extreme accuracy. The 16th requires a tee shot over another grass ravine and plays along a wide undulating fairway with an uphill approach. This is
a very score-able five par. The last par three of the round is also the most beautiful. From an elevated tee area, a mid iron will have to carry the pond in front, with some room for
error long. This is a tough hole if the wind is up... The finishing hole is a challenging par four that features a rolling fairway that is sloped left to right. With an uphill green complex
this closer will play longer than the advertised 394 yards.
Rates for either of the Lakeview Hills courses are quite reasonable. A review of the North Course is also available in our review section, as well as on the Lakeview Hills Resort
page. If you are looking for a getaway without the long drive up north, this is a great spot for golfers. Canadians have easy access from the Blue Water Bridge in Sarnia. Along with
comfortable accommodations, good food, and wonderful golf, visitors also have easy access to the beaches of Lake Huron and the resort/fishing town of Lexington.
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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