Demor Hills Golf Course Review

Demor Hills Golf Club
Morenci, Michigan

Grade: C
Teacher’s Comments: A friendly course with surprisingly interesting terrain.

Tucked into the corner of two lonely roads in farm country in Southeast Michigan, Demor Hills surprises. It is a tidy course with more interesting terrain than anyone could expect to find among fields of corn and soybean.

The first two holes (the course recently reversed the nines) are anything but promising. The first hole is perfectly flat and ends in a perfectly boring round little green. The second is a little, similarly boring par 3. Then it gets more interesting.. The third is a 415 yard par 5 which crests at a ridge, and then dips down, across a creek and then uphill slightly again to a creek. The fourth is a straight shot par 4 with a rising green. The fifth, a 90 degree dogleg. Eight is an uphill par 4; eight, a downhill dogleg left. Nine, a par three over a patch of marsh.

The holes on the back nine run straight and parallel, but play across a valley, so most of the critical shots have interesting, but not severe, elevation changes.

Demor Hills Golf Course by GolfBlogger.Com, on Flickr

My favorite hole was the 382 yard par 4 fourteenth (above). With trees lining the left side, it runs straight out along the back ridge of the course, then dips down to a green flanked by trees right and a bunker on the left. The trees left are worrisome, but a shot too far right gets stymied by the trees.

From the back tees, Demor Hills measures 6,340 yards. From the middle tees, it comes in at 6,130. No slope or course rating were given, but I’d estimate a 69 and a 115 – 120 from the back tees. It is not terribly difficult if you have a handle on your club distances.

Demor Hills Golf Course by GolfBlogger.Com, on Flickr

In talking with a couple of the locals, I learned that the course had in recent years changed hands and that the new owners were making a concerted effort to improve the place. It was in fairly good condition on the day I played. The best thing about Demor Hills was the condition of the greens. From one through eighteen, they were exceptionally smooth and well kept. The fairways were tidy, but did suffer from dead and bare areas. I don’t mind brown grass, so long as it is covering the dirt. The abundant natural areas were pretty and added some visual interest to what otherwise might have been a cowpasture course.

I’m not sorry I made the trip to Demor Hills. If you are in the Adrian / Morenci area, it is worth a stop.

More photos below:

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