A January Round In Michigan

It is snowing and bitterly cold now, but on New Years Day, I got out for a January round in Michigan.

I played at Huron Hills Golf Course in Ann Arbor. The “front seven” holes of the course were open, so I went around twice to get to 14. Not quite a full round, but I’m counting it.

Huron Hills is a bit peculiar in its design. The first seven holes are in front of the clubhouse on a open plan along the Huron River. To get to the eight and ninth holes players must cross a four lane parkway. Eight is routed straight up a hill overlooking the Huron River, and nine comes right back down. Ten then heads back up the hill. The back nine plays along that hill, and in a small wooded valley behind it.

In winter the hills are used for sledding, and the steep slopes are treacherous for walking when icy. Therefore, only the front “seven” are really accessible.

The price was right: $5. Although the flags were out, there was no one in the clubhouse, so I will stop by in the spring and pay up. And yes, I absolutely will. I cannot afford bad golf karma.

There were actually quite a few people out — enough that we were forming impromptu groups on the tee. One of those turned out to be a reader of this blog. That’s Good Karma.

I played well enough. A golfer can’t expect much on a January round. Temperatures were in the 40s, and the sun was out, but balls just don’t fly as far. Further, the ground still was frozen just under the surface. It was impossible to fix a ball mark. The tines of the tool hit solid ice just a few millimeters down.

On my round, I spotted a large hawk in the tree.