Brookshire Inn Golf Club Review

Brookshire Inn Golf Club Review

Brookshire Inn and Golf Club
Williamston, Michigan
Grade: C-
Teachers’ Comments: Play the front nine; skip the back

The two nines at Brookshire Inn were built thirty-plus years apart, and it shows in both design and conditions.

The front nine is the more recent, designed by W. Bruce Matthews III in the 1990s. It is a fun layout, with wide fairways and welcoming approaches. Swales, water and some fairway bunkers make it interesting.

I really enjoyed this nine.

The back nine is the original course. Dating to 1959, Brookshire’s old nine is showing its age. The fairways are narrow and tree lined. Years of growth and overhanging branches block lines of play. I found it claustrophobic.

Fortunately, the tight back nine is relatively short, inviting hybrids and irons off the tee. That keeps it playable.

The two nines are separated by some distance. The old nine is behind the clubhouse and banquet ball in lowlands along the Red Cedar River. The new nine is on much higher ground across a street and a few minutes walk down a path.

My favorite hole was the par 4 fourth. From a slightly raised tee, the fairway wraps around a large pond. A large bunker protects the right side of the green

There are a lot of options here. At 320 yards, the fourth is fairly short, so a pair of accurate iron shots is probably the best bet. If a player is feeling feisty, a driver or wood off the tee can make the second shot a wedge or pitch.

There are two considerations for an aggressive approach. First, the line likely will bring the water into play. Second, it the shot runs through the fairway, it can result in an uneven lie on one of the swales on the right side, or run afoul of the right side fairway bunker.

Brookshire is overall a relatively short course, coming in at just over 6000 yards from the back tees. This is one of those rare courses where the bogey golfers can happily play from the back tees.

Tees	Yardage	Slope	Rating
Blue	6004	119	69.1
White	5465	112	68.7
Red	4822	112	68.7

Conditions on the day I played were mixed. The front (new) nine was in pretty good shape. The back nine, on the other hand, is overgrown and shaggy. I think the lines of play could greatly benefit from some aggressive branch trimming. The grass could certainly benefit from some sunlight.

If the opportunity arose, I would happily play Brookshire’s front nine again. I could do without the old nine, though. I’d be happy to pay the front nine twice instead.

The Brookshire Inn Golf Course Review was first published March 27, 2022 from notes and photos taken on a round played in the 2021 season.

A photo tour of Brookshire Inn Golf Course follows.